You are getting married. You finally set a date, and now begins the wild ride of wedding planning. This is a time of high emotion, elation and stress as you work hard to create the dream day for yourself and your partner. Your wedding needs to be unique, special, magical, and above all, it needs to run smoothly. However, we know that things rarely turn out as we expect. You might plan the ultimate garden party reception in the middle of summer, only to find yourselves caught in a monsoon or a dangerous heat wave. Your honeymoon to a glamorous and exotic location might suddenly disappear because the travel company goes bust or experiences a catastrophe. Even the smaller details like losing or breaking your accessories and wedding invitations can add to the stress of planning your big day.
Take Your Time
Before you get totally overwhelmed, take a step back. These are all scenarios that might never happen. Every wedding is unique, and every wedding is special. Yours will be perfect, but it’s always worth taking precautions in case of unforeseen events. Take your time to choose a date that suits you and your partner, and the people who you want to attend. It is sometimes tempting to book a weekday date to keep your wedding costs down, but then some of your invited guests might not be able to secure time off work or away from other commitments. You have to decide what is more important to you in terms of the money you spend to secure a good wedding date, or the availability of your family and friends to attend. Then you have to find the perfect venue. Think about your interests and those of your fiancé. Do you want a traditional church wedding followed by a sit-down dinner and evening party? Or would you prefer something a little more wild, like a themed wedding in Las Vegas or in a sports stadium? Wherever you choose to get married, it is wise to ensure that the venue will remain secured for your big day, so you can book it and move on to the next task. Make sure you speak to the events organizers at your chosen location, and be certain that you are happy with everything before you confirm your booking.
Consider Your Honeymoon
There is so much to consider when planning your wedding that it sometimes becomes a little too much to deal with. Once you have set the date and booked a venue, you move on to the next list of tasks. There is the honeymoon to consider, and that depends largely on your budget and what your priorities are. Some people choose not to take a honeymoon directly after their wedding, but delay it by a few months. This gives them something else to look forward to once the initial excitement of the nuptials is over, and it can often work out less expensive and more beneficial depending on the time of year and your chosen destination. A honeymoon could become a nice, relaxing holiday, to ease the stress caused by planning and executing your perfect wedding.
Other Wedding Essentials
Then there are the practical details for the day itself. You have to decide on a color scheme and decoration. Will you do it all yourself, will you ask for help from friends and family members, or will you book a wedding planner to do it for you? These all incur costs, and it all depends again on your budget and the time you have available to put in. Your wedding dress is an important factor, along with flowers, accessories, and make-up. You must also consider the wardrobe for your groom, pageboys and bridesmaids. Along with wedding invitations, table decorations, seating plans and every other small detail, it is not surprising that the bride to be (and indeed, the groom to be) can feel overwhelmed by stress. Remember to give yourselves time to relax. Take a step back, take a breather, and maybe even consider a pre-wedding holiday where you can simply be yourselves and remember why you are doing all of this. Your wedding is one of the most important events of your life. It will be perfect, and you can have fun preparing for it. Embrace this new experience, armed with sound advice and a plan of action.
Today’s guest post is written by Lisa Prowse.
