7 easy ways to take the stress out of wedding planning

By Chloe Pantazi (from thisisinsider.com)

Planning a wedding is notoriously stressful. But for wedding planners, putting on a huge event is a piece of cake.

With wedding season coming up, INSIDER consulted a number of experienced wedding planners to find out their best advice for engaged couples preparing for their big day.

Here’s what the professionals say you should absolutely do.

Set a budget.

“Having a budget is super important,” Amy Shey Jacobs of Chandelier Events told INSIDER. “Money is a really tough thing to talk about, especially when it is your money,” or there are “multiple parents contributing to the wedding.”

“My big thing is don’t leave the money discussion ’til the end,” she said, adding that the wedding budget informs the shape of the event, down to the type of venue and size of the guest list. “You want to understand how much you have before you go shopping for the wedding you’re going to have. Once you have that structure it allows you to figure out your priorities.”

Prioritize.

Celebrity wedding planner Andrea Freeman of Andrea Freeman Events said she asks her couples to think of five wedding “must-haves,” around which they can begin to plan the wedding and spread the budget accordingly. “For example, if fashion is really important to the bride, we’re going to make sure that a good portion of their budget is allocated towards bridal” style, she said.

Jacobs’ approach to planning is similar. “If food and a great band and photographer are your big three priorities, then that’s where you put the bulk of your budget,” she said. “If your priority is more about having as many people in the room as possible… you could have a wedding during the day on a farm, because you can fit so many people in the space and the food might cost less.”

“Pick your priorities and map it out with your budget, with your nuts and bolts.”

Consider your guests.

Yes, the wedding is about the couple — but it’s also about the guests.

Jacobs recommends sorting out your guest list early on in the planning process, so you know how many people you can comfortably cater to.

Planner Amy Katz of Amy Katz Events advises her couples to consider their guests when they pick their wedding date. “Avoid wedding dates close to holidays, especially in the summer,” she told INSIDER.

Where your guests stay is also important. “Do give your guests several options for accommodations when traveling,” Katz said. Giving multiple accommodation options should suit a range of budgets, and make your guests feel more comfortable.

Use online planning resources.

Whether it’s a big or small wedding, organization is everything.

“I would absolutely recommend setting up a wedding website as well as using a registry app,” renowned wedding planner Colin Cowie told INSIDER. Managing your registry via an app, like Zola, makes it easier for you and your guests to keep track of things.

“The digital planning process is much more streamlined than the wedding binder,” Cowie said.

Don’t forget to have fun.

That said, you don’t want to take all the fun out of wedding planning by getting hung up on lists.

“With all the organization tools out there it makes it very easy to be organized, but I really do not want couples to become so wed to the details and the checklist that they lose sight of the inspiration,” Jacobs said. “Do let yourself have fun.”

Make it personal.

In a world where Pinterest makes pretty much every wedding look the same, it can be hard to come up with unique ideas.

Jacobs emphasized having a wedding that “feels like you… and not a wedding that you saw on Pinterest.” While it’s perfectly fine to copy ideas that reflect you, you can make even the smallest wedding details personal, down to the food you serve. The planner recommends serving food that you had on your first date.

Freeman suggests thinking about your interests, and going from there. “For the couple who are really into food trucks or the latest food trends, maybe we bring in a food truck at the end of their evening,” she said.

As Katz said, couples should “inject personality into every aspect of the wedding.”

If you can afford it, hire a professional.

Of course wedding planners are going to recommend hiring a wedding planner, but it’s arguably the easiest way to get things done while still having fun.

Katz said that hiring a planner means that you know “everything is organized and executed properly.”

“This planning process can be stressful, but don’t forget to enjoy your time as an engaged couple,” Cowie said. “Don’t try to be superwoman — hire a planner and let them do their job!”

About the Author
Latest Posts

About Damian Gardner

Damian Gardner is the president and one of the leading DJ’s of Chicago DJ’s. He founded the company in 2010, but has been in the DJ industry since 1993.He joined a leading company in Chicagoland, Pro DJ’s back in ‘93, and found he had a passion for showing people a good time through music and dancing.