A Guide to a Stress Free Wedding Day

So, you're recently engaged and then you think... "Now what?"

Weddings can feel overwhelming! You want it to be personal to you as a couple. You don't want to go broke in the mean time. You don't want to offend Aunt Susie's co-worker.. but she's not invited! I get it, I've had the honor of helping many couples navigate the day and I too, have planned my own wedding. Along the way I have come up with a bit of advice I'd love to share with you today.

Let's start off by looking at the calendar.

Do you have an idea of what time of year you'd like to get married? Maybe the month? Don't forget to consider the weather of your location during those seasons. If you want an outdoor wedding in spring - have a "rainy day" backup plan. Don't let that be a last minute thing that will upset you. If you have a plan, you have control. Want fresh flowers? Make sure your favorites are in season then too! Have your eye on a specific venue, photographer, or cake artist in mind? Make sure they have your date available before its set if you'll be disappointed they are not available. All good things to consider when planning your date!

Set a budget.

I know this is a popular one on a lot of planning lists, and I'm sure you're thinking - well that sounds stressful. But it's just as important as setting a budget for your monthly bills. Without knowing how much you can set back from every paycheck, you might get yourself into a stressful financial situation. You can find a lot of free budget guides on Pinterest that lay out categories you might not remember to consider. If family has mentioned helping, open up that discussion. Let them know you're wanting to be smart with your budget and they might be willing to donate their time, funds, or even creativity to your day.

Set priorities and visions.

What's something that you dream about for your wedding day? An elopement to the dessert? A gorgeous fresh floral display? A designer dress with hand sewn beading? The creative vision of that photographer you follow? Whatever it is that you see as a priority - make an effort to allocate time and resources to that thing. Build your budget around the things that are most important to you ends your partner. Save where you can, spend where you want.

Work with your vendors.

I cannot say this enough. Working with professional, experienced vendors is so important. Share your vision of the big day to your venue coordinator, dj, and photographer. We will be with you all day. If we know your vision and the plan, we can help you schedule the day to flow exactly how you'd like it. As a photographer, I sit down with all my clients to go over a schedule of the day. We break down every part of your day and help you organize it with our knowledge - right down to the time of sunset - so we don't miss those gorgeous golden hour photos!

Write down a schedule.

As I said above - a schedule is probably one of the most important things to have for your day to be stress free. Work with your vendors to help you make sure you have enough time allotted for the day. It's good to always leave a little wiggle room incase uncontrollable things happen. Hair took a little longer than planned? Slow traffic between the ceremony and reception venues? Dinner start late? No worries, leave a little wiggle room in the schedule so those little things - don't cause big problems.

Now for some smaller tip for a stress free day:

• Don't forget to do a rehearsal of the ceremony.
• Have your vendors paid in full before the day of. No one wants to search for their checkbook at the reception.
• Have your bridal party get ready in the same location to avoid delays and missing items.
• Remind everyone to pace themselves with alcohol. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
• Decide if you want to follow certain traditions or not, schedule accordingly.
• Practice, practice, practice bustling your dress for the reception. Thank me later.
• Don't forget to add vendors to the chair and dinner count. We too, need to sit and eat. At least for a minute.
• Stop every now and then and breathe. Look around, and smile at all the people who came to celebrate the love you two share.