There’s no denying it, planning a wedding can be stressful. With so many points to consider from choosing the perfect venue, securing each of your suppliers and not to mention the endless decisions all whilst juggling your already busy home and work life. It’s easy to see how planning a wedding can become overwhelming.

Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way, from making detailed to do lists through to delegating tasks to your trusted family and friends this article will help you get organised, take control and actually enjoy planning what will probably be the biggest day of your life. So relax, pour a glass of wine, grab a notepad and pen and take the first step in getting your wedding planning under control.

First things first

If you’re a fair way into planning your wedding you should have already confirmed the three basics, budget, guest numbers and vision. Confirming these three points will help you stay focused and within budget whilst planning your wedding. So, if they are are yet to be confirmed stop planning and confirm these free points first. Believe me, if these three points are confirmed early on, it will make planning the rest of your wedding a breeze, well lots easier anyway. If you need help with this, you may wish to read a previous post of mine A Guide To Planning Your Wedding Day.

Once the basics have been confirmed consider listing each element of your wedding day in order of your priorities. You can then make your way down the list booking suppliers in order of their importance to you.  So, if treating your guests to a mouth watering menu and show stopping cocktails is top of your priority list book your caterers and mixologist first. This will give you an improved chance of securing your first choice supplier for the elements of your wedding that are of high importance to you, reducing the disappointment felt by couples when suppliers availability, or lack of it prevents them from securing their supplier of choice.

Having a priority list also helps you to stay focussed and discourages you from charging ahead and contacting all suppliers at the same time, which can lead to overwhelm when you receive their responses at once, each packed full of questions and additional information requests that you probably won’t have time to respond to.

Stay in control

I find making notes helps me to retain information that is shared and discussed, so I use a simple planning sheet were I enter highlights from conversations and emails that I have exchanged with suppliers. Not only does this help me to remember each detail of a wedding I am planning, but should I need to refer back to information, reading my brief description is far quicker than trawling through an endless email chain.  I also note in my diary 2 weeks before a decision needs to be made or when a payment is due. I then have a reminder a week later as well as a note on the due date. These two simple steps help me to stay in control of all details discussed, when important decisions are needed as well as when payment are due.

Assume nothing & check everything

In my experience one of the biggest causes of stress for couples planning their wedding is due to misunderstandings between themselves and their venue or suppliers. For this reason I always follow the rule, assume nothing and check everything, paying particular attention to timings and exact details of what is included within each suppliers quotation. Yes this can be time consuming and yes you may feel like you are pestering your venue or suppliers, but if you follow this rule from the start of your wedding planning journey you are less likely to face any tricky situations as your wedding day approaches.

Delegate

There is no shame in admitting you need a little help and you may be surprised to learn that your family members and friends are actually pleased to offer their services. So if at any point you do start to feel the dreaded overwhelm kick in, delegate simple tasks. Consider asking your mum to research local cake makers, ask your maid of honour to book dress appointments for herself and your bridesmaids and maybe your auntie or sister could help with the wording on your invitations. By delegating small admin tasks to a select few you are gifting yourself precious time to make those all important wedding planning decisions.

Call in the professionals

And if all else fails, call in the professionals. Wedding planners will have tried and tested procedures, wedding planning templates as well as priceless experience and advice in all things weddings. So if you feel that things are getting a little too much and you need a helping hand and guidance then working with a wedding planner could be just what you need.

I really hope this short article has given you a little guidance on how to stay focussed and in control of your wedding planning. If you would like to read more of my wedding planning advice head over to my website where you will find an abundance of wedding planning top tips and handy hints. Or, if you would like my assistance with the planning of your wedding do get in touch to discuss your requirements, I would love to hear from you.

I am a wedding planner based in Essex, planning weddings and celebrations throughout the UK specialising in traditional elegant weddings and events with a particular passion for celebrations taking place in marquees and dry hire venues. 

Image credit: Natasha Marshall Photography