I know it's easy to fall down the rabbit hole that is wedding planning, but here's the thing - it doesn't have to take over your life, and your wedding doesn't have to be all the things: Instagram-worthy, wedding blog-worthy, whatever-worthy. After you get engaged and start daydreaming about the who, what, and where of your big day, first think about how much effort you want to put into an event that will only last one day. Not that it's not an important day, but it will come and go faster than a bullet train. You can still have an amazing wedding without all the stress and hassle and bridezilla moments that tend to happen while planning. Instead, aim for brideCHILLA! Here's how you can keep wedding planning simple and yourself sane.
Ask for help. This one can be hard for the natural leaders and those who like to keep a keen eye on things. But you can still be in control and get help at the same time. Wedding planning is a big task that can take many month, and no one will fault you for reaching out. That's what bridesmaids and groomsmen are for, after all. So delegate those tasks you just can't find time for or would like a helping hand with. Wedding planning will go much smoother if you don't try and do everything yourself.
Hire help. Take a look at your budget. Is there room to hire a wedding planner or coordinator? A wedding planner can help you from the get-go with everything from vendors and decor to bookings and timelines. A wedding coordinator works on a shorter timeline and generally only helps with the day-of details and tying up any loose ends you may have missed. Either way, hiring someone who knows how to plan like the back of her hand can make it so much simpler for you.
Give yourself time. Giving yourself one year to plan your wedding is just long enough to allow yourself some breathing room and just short enough that you won't have the ability to keep changing your mind about things. Planning a wedding in a few months can definitely be done, especially if you want a small, intimate wedding, but there's more stress that comes with a short timeline.
Be realistic. It's okay to look through Pinterest and flip through magazines to get ideas, but don't let yourself get bogged down with too much information and inspiration. Having a lot of options may seem like a great thing and admiring other people's weddings is fun, but all of it can also cause confusion, doubt, and envy. Instagram wedding photos may look perfect, but you can't see behind the curtain and you don't know what it took to get to that point. So don't try and compete with what you see online; it will only add anxiety and unrealistic expectations while you plan. Remember: you don't have to impress anyone but you and your partner.
Stay organized. One of the best ways to keep wedding planning simple is by staying organized. There are a plethora of tools to help you, like guest list managers and RSVP trackers, wedding websites (to store important info for guests' use), timelines and checklists, and budget planners and calculators. You should also start a few files to keep track of your contracts, receipts, and any other important documents that come your way.
