Wedding planning can be great fun but it can also take a lot of hard work. It would be fabulous if we could all take a few months off to fully plan our wedding, but sadly that’s just not possible. Most of us have full-time jobs and lives to get on with as well as the added job of planning the wedding, so how are we expected to get it all done? Well, worry not, because we have the ultimate planning guide for busy brides.
Get busy with planning
This is one of those times when your stationery fetish can really let loose. Buy up all the notebooks, to-do list pads and binders you want and lay out everything you need and get them organised. We may have all sniggered when Monica Bing brought out the wedding binder in Friends but now that it comes to your own wedding, you wish you had that binder. Not to worry though, you can make your own. Check out some of these amazing notebooks to start your wedding planner.
Talk to your boss
Once you’re engaged and you think about setting a date, it’s important to chat with your boss as soon as possible so you’re able to get the time you need off from your job. You might think that asking for a day off here and there is okay, but your boss will appreciate you much more if you come up with a well-thought-out plan about how much time you’ll need off and, if necessary, how you plan on making up the extra time outside of holidays. You’re in a much better position if you keep them in the loop and alleviate their worries about your work suffering.
Keep your to-do lists handy
Whether it’s a digital master list on your phone or a physical notebook you carry around in your handbag, it’s important that it’s at your fingertips at all times. You won’t know when you’ll need to add something to the list (or hopefully cross things off) and you’ll need the list handy so you don’t forget later. This goes double for tasks you need to add to the list. The last thing you need to realise a month before the wedding is that you never actually booked that dream photographer of yours!
Know when you need the most time
When talking to your boss about time off, don’t just jump straight in and take all your holidays the week before your wedding and the week of your honeymoon. Think things through properly. Will you want to visit as many venues as you can over a few days? That might be a better use of your time off. Don’t forget about bridal appointments too. Saturdays are so busy if you’re planning on taking a day off here and there, a mid-week appointment will definitely be better. Besides, with the excitement of having the week before your wedding off, you might forget, there really isn’t much left to do the week before your wedding, so is that really the best use of your time off?
Do your research
Fail to prepare…you know how it goes. Don’t just launch into contacting venues on a whim or aimlessly booking bridal appointments at boutiques you don’t know anything about. Take some time at the start of your engagement to research what you want. If you want an exclusive venue, make sure you know you’re looking at the right ones. If there are certain dress designers you want to try, don’t waste time making appointments in boutiques that don’t stock any of them. If your heart is set on a hand-painted cake, only talk to bakers that can do that for you. You get the idea. Your time is precious.
Use your spare time wisely
Don’t leave yourself idle on your morning commute. Keep researching, make to-do lists, search through wedding themes, dress styles and types of cake. Call vendors, make appointments, do whatever you can in your spare time so that you are always productive. Think you can’t get anything done on your jog in the park? Scroll through Spotify and consider your wedding playlist. There’s always a way to fit something into the time you’re already using up.
Delegate
Busy brides have to delegate, simple as. You’re not going to be able to do it all yourself. Truthfully, it’s hard even if you’re not extremely busy with a full-time job and anything else life has for you. Enlist the help of your friends, family and especially the groom early on in the game. Even if you’re not going to need them yet, give them a heads up so they will expect to be called upon down the line. Just be sure you don’t take advantage of their good nature and always be appreciative of their help.