| If you are researching how to plan a wedding, no | | | | changes because you feel stressed and are second |
| doubt you've found countless pages of advice on | | | | guessing your decisions will do nothing but create more |
| choosing your vendors, purchasing favors and finding | | | | chaos and potentially open your wedding day up to a |
| the perfect dress. | | | | lot of problems. |
| While that's good information to have, keeping wedding | | | | 5: Use Your Time Wisely. Become an efficient |
| planning stress in-check depends on your ability to step | | | | wedding planning machine. Set aside structured time |
| back and see the big picture before getting caught up | | | | each week to to teach yourself how to plan a |
| in the details. | | | | wedding and work on planning tasks. As soon as |
| The seven points outlined below may not be the fun | | | | possible you should get in the habit of scheduling |
| part of wedding planning, but they are key to your | | | | weekly time to work on wedding tasks. Think of it as |
| success. | | | | a part-time job. |
| 1: Make a Budget. 50% of engaged couples start | | | | 6: Take the Long View. Think about the relationship |
| planning their wedding without a budget. This is the | | | | you want to have with your relatives beyond your |
| biggest mistake you can make. Couples who do not | | | | wedding day. Do the best you can to keep the peace |
| make a working budget suffer a great deal of stress | | | | with family on both sides while planning your wedding. |
| and risk going into debt. | | | | You may have to make compromises you are not |
| 2: Frontload the Process. Hustle the most at the | | | | thrilled about, but remember you and your fiance will |
| beginning, do not make the mistake of thinking "oh, | | | | have a long life together. Don't start it with family |
| we've got time." The first 6 weeks of the wedding | | | | resentment and drama. |
| planning process should be busier than all the others | | | | 7: Have Realistic Expectations. Be very, very realistic |
| combined. | | | | about your ability to put the time and effort into |
| 3: Vet Your Vendors. This is a very, very important | | | | wedding planning. Don't set yourself up to fail by |
| planning step frequently skipped by engaged couples. | | | | planning a DIY wedding or an overly complicated event |
| You can avoid some real wedding horror stories by | | | | you can't handle. |
| being thorough in your search for vendors. | | | | The most important tip for how to plan a wedding |
| 4: Stick With Your Decisions. Small tweaks to the | | | | without losing your mind? |
| menu and to flower arrangements can be made up to | | | | It is better to have a simple but well executed wedding |
| a few weeks before the wedding, but making major | | | | than an extravagant but disastrous day. |