I realise that everyone works differently and every event creates a different set of circumstances - it's part of life. With that in mind, there is no one set of golden rules that someone can give you that neatly tells you how to plan and prepare.
For what they are worth, here are some of my thoughts on what to do when you start planning a wedding yourself:
Start early.
I overheard a married friend say to another friend about to get married that her biggest tip is, "don't plan a wedding in five months". That's of course what she did and it was stressful and took some of the fun out of the planning. I advise giving yourself 12 months to plan and prepare.
Create a checklist.
Find a simple blog or website that you like and that gives you an outline of what to expect. Use it to create your own checklist. I found that creating a 'Wedding' folder on my computer and subfolders right away helped provide a structure for what to expect. This helped put a lid on the 'overwhelmed' feeling that struck me after I proposed to my fiancé.
Make a timeline & prioritise your tasks.
Put all the things you need to do into a timeline. That way you can start doing things early and buying things a little at a time. I had to allocate some of my fortnightly pay to buy things for the wedding. I started buying things in March for a New Year's Wedding.
Only involve people early who really want to be involved.
For me, it was good to give a couple of big things to family members (like planning the cake & music) nice and early. It then gave me the space to plan the overall wedding theme. Remember, it's a long year and you don't want your friend and family support network to peak too early.
Learn when it's time to delegate and let go.
I did a lot of the work myself early on. It wasn't until three months out that I really started to relinquish some of the tasks. And I learned quickly not to scrutinise those family and friends who were helping out too closely. Just let go and let them do their best - they have your best interests at heart.
Friends love a craft-a-noon.
Getting your friends together to help make decorations is a great way to catch up and have a chin wag. They also often want to help out but don't want to step on your toes. What's better than sitting around a table with good friends, good wine/beer, a cheese platter and a task to complete. Mine was a bunting craft-a-noon and we had tonnes of fun and good times.
Do plan a registry or gift-giving process.
We didn't expect any gifts, as my fiancé and I had been together for nine years (and we were hauling everyone up a mountain). However, many people like to get a gift. They get stressed out at the thought of not taking something, and worry that you won't like what they'll give you if you don't give a hint as to what you might like to receive. Trust me - it's true.
Keep things in perspective.
If things aren't 100% perfect, the sky won't fall down.
Listen to your wise friends.
They'll keep it real and keep you on track - in the good moments and bad.
No comments:
Post a Comment