Kentuckiana Weddings

By: Heather S., Staff Writer
KentuckianaWeddings.com

Let’s face it – your wedding day is something you’ve dreamed about your entire life.  You plan for it and fantasize about it even before you’re engaged.  As a little girl you picture your fairy tale wedding and your prince charming.  You want every part of your day to be perfect and memorable and special.

Then reality sets in – you start pricing venues, flowers, caterers, dresses, photographers, and it’s a whole lot more than you could have imagined.  You have your set budget amount and if you tripled that you might get what you dreamed about as a little girl.  However, most people can’t triple the budget they have to work with.  So then you start making cuts…do you really need to invite Aunt Susie’s neighbor’s daughter?  Do you really need a sit-down dinner?  Do you have to have the designer gown?  Are elaborate centerpieces really necessary?  Whew, your head is spinning and you’ve just begun your wedding planning process.

So once you’ve come back from fantasy land and are back in the real world, you may feel stressed and slightly overwhelmed.  Below are 8 tips to help keep you stress free and focused on the task at hand – getting married!

1. Plan ahead – start planning as soon as you are engaged so that you won’t have as much chaos when it comes down to the last couple of months before the big day.  You may be in a meeting at work and think of something you forgot to do.  Keep a notepad with you at all times so you can write it down and refer back to it later.  Set a timeline (or use our timeline tool) and start marking things off your list as you accomplish them.  Having checklists helps to ensure that you aren’t forgetting things.
2. Set a budget – setting your wedding budget is a must at the onset of your planning.  Use our budgeting tools to break down approximately how much you should be spending on each aspect of your wedding.  Be realistic with your budget…you don’t want to start your marriage out thousands of dollars in debt because you had an elaborate wedding you really couldn’t afford.  You may need to prioritize what’s most important to you on your big day.  Perhaps you want to splurge on a photographer but in order to do that you may need to get less expensive invitations.  Know what’s most important to you and put more money into those things.  No matter your budget, you can have a very nice wedding.  With some creativity and planning ahead you’ll be surprised what you can do with the amount of money you have. 
3. Communicate – make sure to keep your fiancé involved in the planning process.  Make decisions together whenever possible and discuss how to handle situations as they arise.  Start now with open and honest communication and it will carry over into your married life as well.  This is one of the happiest times of your lives, so be sure to share it with each other.
4. Delegate – you have a wedding party for a reason.  They are your best friends and want to help you in whatever way they can.  Ask them to help you address your wedding invitations, plan a seating chart, pick out your wedding attire, whatever you may need. 
5. Get agreements in writing – don’t assume your wedding vendors will be able to read your mind.  Make sure you have written agreements (contracts) with your vendors so that you know exactly what you are getting.  Keep these together in a folder so you have them to refer to anytime you need them.  The week before your wedding, make sure you confirm with all your vendors and specify times they should arrive.  Make a list of all vendors and contact information and give that to a friend or family member on your wedding day so you don’t have to worry about it.
6. Exercise – exercise is especially important in stress management.  It is good for your body and mind and for looking your best on your big day.  Set aside 30 minutes a day to go to the gym, go for a walk or do something you really enjoy. 
7. Eat – make sure you eat something prior to your wedding.  You may have a nervous stomach but be sure to eat something.  You don’t want to pass out when you are up there saying your vows! 

Keep the big picture in mind – sure there are a ton of details that go into planning your big day.  However, the main goal at the end of the day is that you are married.  No matter what may go wrong on your wedding day, just keep in mind that if you are married at the end of the day, it was a success!