I’m noticing that many couples have a hard time balancing work and wedding planning. Most work a 40-hour work week or more and become so stressed out that by the time their wedding day approaches, they’re exhausted. To avoid this from happening to you, I’m sharing my best advice on how to be productive without sacrificing your sanity.
Balancing Work and Wedding Planning Tips
Do the hard thing first.
Your number one priority is to select a venue, book a date and secure it with a payment. This may take a week or two of researching and touring venues but once you have a date and a venue, things will get easier from here.
Prioritize everything else.
This list may look different for each bride. Maybe you can’t wait to say yes to your dress or maybe you and your partner want a live band and need to start researching some. Whatever is important to you, start from the top and work your way down. As a wedding photographer, I will add that we do tend to book weddings a year or more out, so don’t wait too long to book yours. 🙂
Hire a wedding planner.
Ideally, this would mean hiring a planner starting their services about 6 months or earlier before your wedding. If you feel that’s out of your budget, consider a virtual wedding planner or at the very least a Day of Coordinator. Having a professional to guide you through things will be a huge burden lifted for you.
It’s not “quiet quitting” if you tackle some things during your workday.
Most managers are understanding if one of their employees needs to take a two-hour lunch to meet with their wedding vendors or make a few calls from work. Talk to your boss and see what their expectations are while you’re wedding planning. Can you adjust your work hours a couple of times a month so that maybe you work earlier in the morning or later in the evening on those days when you’re not at your desk from 9 to 6? If you run your own business, go easy on yourself just as if you were one of your employees. It’s not a forever situation.
Use online software to help keep you organized.
There are several great free resources out there like Trello that can keep you organized. You can set it up for your seating charts, speeches, and even your thank you cards to be sent after the wedding.
Have wedding-free date nights.
You both will need to take a break from constantly talking about your wedding. It’s a great time to de-stress and remember why you got engaged in the first place.
Delegate as much as possible.
If you’re the type of person that feels they have to do it all, accept that during this time, it’s not in your best interest to try to. That’s what Maid of Honors and Best Men are for. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’ll be so glad you did.
Take care of yourself.
Don’t run yourself too thin that you neglect your health. If you were going to yoga classes, try and make some of those work within your schedule. Schedule a facial or spa day with your friends.
Have fun doing the work.
Try not to view wedding planning as drudgery but rather that something that you’ll hopefully only be doing once so look for the joy in things and laugh as much as you can, together.
