This month we want to help you start the year off by getting organized as you’re planning your wedding or event. Get ready for some great ideas to help you reduce stress and enjoy the planning process as you move along through the blog hop.
You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Chantal Benoit at Chantal Benoit Photographer on Natalie’s Blog Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you make sure to see and learn from all of the articles featured here today.
Today, we're sharing five tips for staying organized and sane during your engagement. Brides, listen up! Grooms, listen up! Parent of a bride? You'll want to hear this too! Even if you're simply a friend of the bride or groom, these five tips help keep everyone worry-free during this wedding planning process. Here we go!
1. Set a budget for MONEY spent as well as your TIME spent.
Setting a monetary budget may sound constricting, but it's actually the opposite. A budget allows for organization and helps you focus on which capacity you really want to spend your money. That way, if you've gone under budget in a certain area, like flowers, you can focus more money into what you're more passionate about, such as your invitations.
A monetary budget is extremely important, but even more important than that is a budget regarding your time. This season of engagement will go by quickly, and the last thing you need is constant tension between you and your family or you and your groom. That being said, our advice for you is this: set aside a certain amount of time every day to work on the wedding checklist, but other than that don't talk about it, stress about it or mention it any more that day. This saves a lot of potential stress for everyone, and helps the entire family savor the engagement more!
2. Get the big things done FIRST!
The second tip we have for you is to simply start getting the big ticket items organized as soon as you can. There are lots of printable checklists with every minute detail outlined, but the first things you want to set in stone and focus on are your wedding date, venue and guest list.
After you get those three tasks checked off your list, consider the other big ticket items to focus on: photographer, invitation and paper products, music for the wedding and the food!
Once all those items are done, RELAX and rest easy, because you're almost to the finish line!
3. Find your inspiration and don't look back!
Finding inspiration for your wedding is, in our opinion, the most fun part of the wedding planning process. We recommend buying all the bridal magazines you can find, tearing out your favorites and browsing the internet for other sources of inspiration. Take Instagram screenshots, create a Pinterest board for wedding ideas; go crazy! The hardest part about this, though, is knowing when to step away and stop second guessing your ideas. Once you make a final decision regarding your wedding dress, for example, delete all the wedding dress ideas from your Pinterest board and toss all the tear outs having to do with the dress. Do this once items are decided, and you'll find how happy you are with your decisions and how looking back isn't something you're even tempted to worry about.
4. Breathe!
In the midst of wedding planning, you often forget about yourself! Setting a budget, finishing the big items first and finding your inspiration are very important, but don't let quality "me" time fall by the wayside. Love to cook? Have some friends over for a casual dinner. Are you a runner? Take an afternoon and hit the trail. Simply need rest? Sit on the couch and watch your favorite show. The hardest part of wedding planning is knowing when to stop, but after you learn to take a step back and do something for yourself, you'll see how refreshed you are to do the things lingering on the wedding checklist!
5. Remember your groom.
This is our favorite piece of advice. Go on a date with your fiancé once a week, and during that time don't talk about the wedding at ALL! If you're tempted to talk about it, wait. It'll make the quality time you're spending with your fiancé so much sweeter and will help calm your nerves significantly. Your date doesn't have to be anything fancy: it can be a quick ice cream run, a walk around town or grabbing dinner. Don't forget about the reason a wedding is even happening. Your groom is your best friend and your marriage is forever, but a wedding is only temporary!
There you have it! Some genius tips (at least, we think so!) to making this time of engagement a fun one.
The next stop on Natalie's Blog Hop is Andie Freeman at Andie Freeman Photography! Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again next month!
Check out the other participants in the blog hop while you're at it!
Check out the other participants in the blog hop while you're at it!
- Natalie Bradley at Natalie Bradley Events
- Katherine Shorter at Creating Awesomenessity
- Kristi Richardson at Bloomed To Last
- Chantal Benoit at Chantal Benoit Photographer
- Elizabeth Batte at plainjane designs
- Andie Freeman at Andie Freeman Photography
- Brenna Fields Taylor at An Elegant Affair LLC
- Irene Tyndale at Irene Tyndale Events
- Sharon K Hyatt at Weddings with Sharon of Awesome Designs & Weddings
- Tessa Marie at Tessa Marie Weddings
- Peter Merkle at Chicago Wedding DJs
- Anshwa Lewis at SwaLaRue Events
- Deborah Ashe at Rev. Deborah Ashe
- Angela Christoforo at Elite Wedding and Event Planning
- Liz Coopersmith at Silver Charm Events
- Amber Peterson at Cheers Wedding & Event Planning
- Maggie Evans at Maggie Evans Designs :: handmade bridal couture
- N'neka Scruggs at Images by N'neka
- Kelly Snyder at Southern Charm Weddings
- Cindy Clearwater at Something Blue Virgin Islands
- Kimberly Parks at KP Photography
- Simone R. Ross at Lil' Tux N Tiara's Event Sitters & Entertainment
- David Osborne at Sound Insight Productions
- Nicole Hill at Flora Bond
- Shaun Cox at A D.I.Y. Affair Weddings and Events
- Katrina McCullum at Made of Honor Weddings
- Sandy Salle at Hills of Africa Travel
- Rachel Huntoon at Ashford Manor Bed & Breakfast
- Daphne Simpson at Elite Design
- Kishana Highgate at Kishana Highgate Photography
- Loraine McCall at Mojica Photography
- Teresa Rhodes at Nearly Nesters
- Andrea Freeman at Andrea Freeman Events
- Nikki Michel at Ciao Bella Weddings
- Kelly King at Affordable Wedding Invites by Gossett Printing
- Christine Ringuette at Down The Aisle Wedding Planning & Design
- Myiesha Antwine at Kiss and Tell Weddings
- Ashley Rae at Ashley Rae Events
- Laurie Kuerlemann at Platinum Party Events Entertainment, Inc
- Lydia Wells at Writer Mom
- Melissa Pepin at Melissa Pepin Photography
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I just loved your tips and I will follow them for sure. Anyway I am also searching for weddings venue for my reception and it will be great if you can share tips to search for that too.
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