Reduce Wedding Stress, Big Time!
Weddings can be a stressful time. But they shouldn’t be! Here are seven things you can do RIGHT NOW to reduce wedding stress for both yourself and your family! Of course I believe that number 7 is the single best way to reduce wedding stress, but a wedding planner is not the only way. So, grab a pen, or pin this post, because you are going to want to take care of these little things right now, so that they aren’t big things later on!
- Talk to your photographer about your timeline to insure you have enough time to photograph your family portraits. You would be amazed how many people run out of time for photographs on their wedding day. And in an effort to get these once-in-a-lifetime shots, couples skip their cocktail hour or miss out on chunks of their reception. This is so easily fixed by simply having a conversation with your photographer as soon as you book them. I like to advise couples to start by figuring out what time sunset is. If you want sunset photos (And who doesn’t?) then you will need to jump on google and find out the time of the sunset in your location on the day of your wedding. For example, I simply googled “Galloway, NJ sunset October 11, 2017” to find out that the sun is setting at 6:25 PM (EST) on my anniversary. This way, I can plan for family pictures, and portraits with my groom during what photographers call “the golden hour,” when the light is juuuuuust right for all kinds of gorgeousness! Photographers love it when couples do this. And if you do it early enough in your planning process, you might find that your whole day’s timeline changes to accommodate this opportunity and to have enough time to take pictures without getting frazzled. This is one major way to reduce wedding stress! After all, you don’t want to rush the process, your photography is one of the biggest wedding day investments. Do what you need to in order to get the most out of it!
- Begin writing your vows now. Don’t wait. The longer you wait, the harder this gets. Not leaving it to the last minute can reduce wedding stress, a LOT.
- Schedule your hair and makeup appointments now. Why wait? Make sure they are early enough to accommodate the time needed by your photographer for getting ready shots.
- Purchase your details now. Get your champagne glasses, ring boxes/pillows, cake service, and anything you need to use at your ceremony. This will help you avoid last minutes purchases and also allow you the time to choose things that you love. No one wants to choose a cake service because it was the only one left in stock!
- Write your thank you notes as soon as you receive a gift. Seriously, this habit was HUGE for me. I had thank you notes printed that matched my invitations. Consider not including a photograph so I didn’t have to wait for my photos to be delivered. Instead I sent a holiday card with a wedding picture on it, so people would eventually see pictures. This way I was able to write thank you notes a few at a time when gifts arrived. You would be surprised how often people sent gift with their RSVP. Writing just a few thank you notes each week allowed me to more genuinely express my gratitude instead of writing out hundreds of thank you notes at once.
- Get yourself three pairs of shoes for your wedding day: flats, wedges, and heels. Your feet will thank you and having a back-up plan is essential. If you’re hell-bent on high heels all night, that’s ok, just wear them a LOT before the big day to ensure they can make it for 6 hours of dancing. And don’t just wear them around, move in them! As a side note: A great idea for all your bridesmaids would include the purchase of Solemates heel protector caps. All you do is stick them on the bottom of your heel, and you won’t wreck your heel, and you won’t sink into the grass while taking pictures!!!
- Hire a wedding planner for wedding day of management. It might be the single most stress-reducing decision of your wedding. Imagine not having to make yourself nuts in the month leading up to your wedding because you have your go-to right-hand woman there by your side!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also want to read about Wedding Day Regrets. If you’re interested in other ways we can help you to reduce wedding stress, contact us at Bogath Weddings and Events, here. What’s your biggest pain point right now? Let us help you figure it out!
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