Wedding planning can be overwhelming, especially for short engagements. My own engagement was just shy of five months long, so it is possible. If you’re like I was, you’re absolutely giddy with excitement about marrying your sweetie until the plans for the wedding loom in like a dark cloud. So what’s a girl to do?
I actually was able to enjoy (most) of the engagement period by staying organized. I adapted multiple schedules and lists to create a customized wedding planner. It felt great to check items off of a bite-sized list and know that I was making progress.
You may be thinking, “That’s great and all, but what else can I do to stay sane, enjoy this time and still get things done?” Glad you asked. Here are a few suggestions:
Talk about plans with your fiance and family.
It’s important to discuss budgets, boundaries and priorities at the beginning of the engagement period (especially if it’s a short engagement). Whoever is involved in helping to pay for the wedding will have some semblance of say in budget and decisions made. This is tricky because weddings have a way of bringing out the crazy in people. That’s why it’s also important to set kind, but firm, boundaries on all parties involved in decision planning (self included).- Pick your top three must-haves.
Do you love flowers and notice them at every wedding you attend? Perhaps you’re into music or photography. Or maybe your fiance was really hungry at the wedding of his third-cousin-once-removed because there were only small appetizers served, and he doesn’t want to repeat the event. Discuss the top three items that are important to you and your fiance for your wedding. Your time and budget should reflect that these are important. The rest will come together, and some things may prove to not be very important. - Make a plan, for a manageable schedule.
Whether you hire an event planner or do it yourself, have a written plan and work on it steadily. That way everything won’t creep up on you. If you work on it a bit at a time, it’ll get done and you won’t go crazy. 🙂 Where can you get a planner for a short engagement? Timelines and to-do lists are everywhere, but almost every one of them is for a 12-18 month planning time frame. That’s why we offer a customized wedding planning guide. It’s a 24 page PDF with scheduled to-do lists, organized note sections, pages for outlining the ceremony and reception, places for vendor information, a vows page and more. Click here to read more about it. - Be ready to delegate.
Some people will love this idea and others will cringe. Personally, I love being involved in each step of the process (partially for control and partially because of pure interest and excitement). Ask your bridesmaids or family members if they can help. Just don’t be a bridezilla or ask anyone to do more than you expect to do. If you ask nicely and don’t overload people, it can be a good experience. You can even make it a party! I made my invitations and several bridesmaids and close friends came over for a girls night. With movies and chatting in the background, they helped me cut the vellum and tie the invitations together. - Relax and enjoy this time.
Take photos. Laugh with your girlfriends. Get a pedicure. This is a special time and you don’t want to miss a minute by worrying too much. I get really into go-mode and have trouble relaxing, but it’s important to make a concentrated effort to enjoy the process. Get a massage and relax.
I really hope this helps you as you plan for our big day. Feel free do ask me anything about my short, five month engagement. I love helping brides!