Wedding Planning Shortcuts

I've talked with hundreds of brides-to-be, and when I have asked them about planning their wedding, they have replied in two ways.

"I can't find the words I am so excited."

"I’m so nervous about all I have to do before my big day."

A wedding is truly a labor of love for most engaged couples, and it’s natural to feel a bit wary of the wedding planning process. However, it doesn’t have to be so intimidating or cumbersome. There are certainly lots of details in even the smallest wedding, but most brides have months (and sometimes years) until the big day. And even though you may put some things off a little, you have time to get done what you need to plan the wedding of your dreams.

In addition, not every wedding task requires a herculean effort, and there are ways you can minimize your effort in some areas, including:

Hiring a wedding planner – This is the ultimate wedding planning shortcut, although it is often the most expensive. A seasoned, professional wedding planner is worth her/his weight in gold for brides who don’t have the time and want everything to come off without a hitch.

Break down tasks into do-able chunks – Any task is intimidating if you look at everything you have to do and think that you must get it all done pronto. Instead of setting yourself up to fail like this, instead take each task one-by-one and split it up into manageable chunks.

Using helpful tools and aids – There are now so many wedding planning resources available that you can easily find something that will work well for you. There are wedding planner software suites, do-it-yourself wedding websites, wedding scrapbooks and binders and thousands of other tools to keep your organized, and many of them cost little to nothing.

Buying it vs. making it – Often DIY brides feel compelled to make everything for their wedding, only to get bogged down in every detail. Sometimes, instead of making everything from scratch, you can buy kits to make favors or decorations, or even purchase some items while making the others. And sometimes it's just better to buy it and move on.

Eliminating unnecessary stuff – There are often wedding events and items that we feel compelled to have because everyone else does. But just because your cousin had handmade wedding favors that matched the floral centerpieces at her wedding doesn’t mean you have to have them at yours. Give serious thought to what you really want and what is not necessary for your or your fiance’s happiness.

Trimming the decision tree – Often wedding planning gets held up by getting the "OK" from parents, siblings, friends, maids of honor, etc. Although it’s great to get input from people when you want it, this is your wedding and you have the final decision when it comes to the planning it. So if the process gets hung up, you can make the executive decision to politely move on (making sure, of course, that feelings don’t get stepped on).

Recruiting help – Most brides feel like they have to do everything themselves, which could not be farther from the truth. In fact, recruiting your groom, bridesmaids and family to help you is a great way to celebrate your upcoming nuptials and get everyone interacting in a friendly way. Here's an example ... you could set up a fun activity at your bridal shower where for an hour everyone makes wedding decorations. It’s a great interactive activity as well as a way to get stuff done without doing it yourself.

Wedding Planner
An online wedding planner like My Wedding Workbook can save you time and stress helping you manage all your wedding details with ease.