How to Stay Sane while Wedding Planning
Wedding planning can be totally daunting and overwhelming, especially if you are the first in your circle to get married or you just don’t know where to start. There’s so many moving parts, and while Pinterest and Instagram show off some beautiful inspiration, there’s not a lot of transparency in the industry about how much it all costs and the amount of work that goes into it. As a wedding photographer, I have an inside look at the wedding world. Here are my top tips on how to stay *somewhat sane throughout the wedding planning process.
Decide on a Budget
The very first thing you need to do when planning your wedding is to decide on a budget. If you have family or friends helping with the costs, talk to them transparently about how much they are going to contribute. Weddings add up so fast, and having an overall number will help you allocate funds appropriately. Think about what your priorities are, and allocate more or less money based on what’s most important to you. While 4 course dinners and floral installations are nice, that may not be realistic for your budget. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful wedding still! It just means you may need to get creative to bring your vision to life within budget. You may end up over or even under budget, but this number at least sets some ground rules.
Hire a Wedding Planner
There’s a reason wedding planners do this for a living- planning a wedding is a full time job! If you can afford to bring a planner on, even just month of, it will save you so much stress. Wedding planners will help you source your vendors, gather quotes, create your timeline, manage the day, and just overall help keep things organized, depending on the level of planning you hire them for. You don’t want to have your friends and family working on your wedding day- they are there to enjoy the day and celebrate you! A wedding planner really makes all the difference. If your budget doesn’t allow for a wedding planner, be sure to keep things organized in one place. I recommend a Google Drive or Dropbox folder where you keep everything wedding related so you can share it easily.
Stay True to You
There are a lot of traditions and expectations surrounding weddings- but your wedding day should reflect you and your partner- no one else. This is easier said than done, but don’t compromise your day to make someone else happy. At the end of the day, the only opinions that matter are the ones of the people getting married. If a tradition doesn’t feel right to you- don’t do it! You don’t have to have a white dress, a wedding party, or garter toss if it gives you the ick. The only thing you have to do at a wedding is exchange vows, get a witness, and have two people wanting to get married. Everything else is optional!
Think Seasonally
Believe it or not, so much of the wedding world is dependent on the season. Flowers, ingredients, lighting- it’s all based off the time of year. Think about what kind of vibe you want for your wedding and plan accordingly. Do you want a sunset wedding? You will need to look ahead at the sunset for the time of year you are picturing so that your wedding isn’t too early or too late. If you want a lot of natural light, you may want to opt for a summer or fall wedding where the sun is out for longer. In the winter, the sun goes down quickly, so you will want to have an earlier ceremony than usual so that you have enough light for portraits. If you want an outdoor wedding, you will want to opt for a time of year when it’s not too hot or too cold- or provide blankets or portable fans.
Make a Plan
There’s a lot involved in planning a wedding, and it’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed by it all! Start small and make a game plan. Reach out to big vendors like your venue, photographer, caterer, florist, and DJ, etc first so you can get pricing and availability for the vendors you have your eye on. I recommend breaking down wedding tasks by week and crossing off checkpoints as you complete them. It’s all about baby steps to keep things manageable. This also helps you stay organized and keep your budget in check.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to planning your dream wedding and staying sane!
xoxo misterdebs
Ready to book your own wedding photography? Contact me here to get started!
