{"id":239319,"date":"2018-09-22T08:00:51","date_gmt":"2018-09-22T07:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com\/?p=239319"},"modified":"2024-03-16T13:18:44","modified_gmt":"2024-03-16T13:18:44","slug":"planning-stress-free-wedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/planning-stress-free-wedding\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Tips for Planning a Stress-Free Wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-239321\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography18.jpg\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography18.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography18-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography18-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography18-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography18-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography18-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography18-570x321.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography18-770x434.jpg 770w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Planning a Stress-Free Wedding<\/h2>\n<p>With the summer wedding season upon me, I thought this would be the perfect time to share with you my advice on how to keep the wedding planning process as stress-free and relaxed as possible.\u00a0As a wedding planner, I have a lot of first-hand experience of what makes the process easier, so here are some ideas as to how to keep your planning as fun and laid back as can be. \u00a0<!--more--><\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-239319 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/planning-stress-free-wedding\/stress-free-wedding-planning-morgan-and-rose-photography5\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography5.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography5.jpg 734w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography5-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography5-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography5-720x1079.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography5-370x554.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography5-570x854.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography5-387x580.jpg 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/planning-stress-free-wedding\/stress-free-wedding-planning-morgan-and-rose-photography6\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography6.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography6.jpg 734w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography6-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography6-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography6-720x1079.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography6-370x554.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography6-570x854.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography6-387x580.jpg 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3>Keep on Top of the Finances<\/h3>\n<p>Anyone who\u2019s ever watched \u201cGrand Designs\u201d knows that the happy couple, initially so joyful and excited about building their dream home, can end up wishing they\u2019d never begun once they\u2019ve realised it\u2019s going to cost twice what they initially budgeted.\u00a0 Financial surprises are one of\u00a0<em>the<\/em>\u00a0biggest happiness-killers when planning a wedding, so make sure to plan the finances carefully from the outset.\u00a0 My post on <a href=\"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/how-to-never-go-over-your-wedding-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wedding budgeting<\/a> will help to get it right.<\/p>\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-239324\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17.jpg\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-270x180.jpg 270w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-570x380.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-770x514.jpg 770w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-870x580.jpg 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Don\u2019t Over Complicate Things<\/h3>\n<p>The most stressed-out couples I work with are always the ones who over-complicate things that really don\u2019t\u00a0<em>need\u00a0<\/em>to be that complicated.\u00a0 While personal details are lovely, biting off more than you can chew in the \u2018DIY details\u2019 department can turn into a mega-headache very quickly.\u00a0 And let\u2019s be honest \u2013 there are certain things it\u2019s simply easier to buy already-made.\u00a0 Do you really want to spend 3 weeks hand sewing bunting when you can buy it online for less than the cost of the materials?\u00a0 Do you really need to have a choice of menu for guests if it means getting 200 people to tell you what they want to eat before the wedding and ensuring the caterer knows who chose what?\u00a0 My rule of thumb is to think carefully about the time and stress cost versus the benefit of each decision and to make sure that anything in which you invest extra time and effort will make a big enough impact to be worth it.\u00a0 A lot of the time, it just isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-239319 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/planning-stress-free-wedding\/stress-free-wedding-planning-morgan-and-rose-photography11\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11.jpg 734w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-720x1079.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-370x554.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-570x854.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-387x580.jpg 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/planning-stress-free-wedding\/stress-free-wedding-planning-morgan-and-rose-photography12\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography12.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography12.jpg 734w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography12-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography12-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography12-720x1079.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography12-370x554.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography12-570x854.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography12-387x580.jpg 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3>Don\u2019t Cut Corners Where It Counts<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019m all for cutting costs, but there are certain things on which a couple will look back and regret that they didn\u2019t pay the extra to make life that little bit easier.\u00a0 My number one tip on this front is not to try and scrimp on the catering and bar staff.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be the most instrumental players in how smoothly everything goes in the final run up and on the day, and if they\u2019re short staffed or unprofessional the situation can quickly become seriously stressful.\u00a0 Going cheaper can be great, but sometimes it means that you\u2019ll be struggling in the weeks before the wedding to get your caterer to respond to a vital email, or that the staff aren\u2019t clearing glasses on the wedding day, or that your linen doesn\u2019t fit right on the tables.\u00a0 So, when I advise people on how to cut costs, it\u2019s\u00a0<em>never<\/em>\u00a0to scrimp on hiring quality suppliers with enough experienced staff to do the job.\u00a0 The temptation with spiralling wedding costs can also be to think that you\u2019ll save money by doing things yourself.\u00a0 That\u2019s true sometimes, and there are great ways to make savings by going down the DIY route, but remember to consider your own role in the equation.\u00a0 Do you\u00a0<em>really\u00a0<\/em>want to be going to the wedding venue the morning after the wedding to do the cleaning up?\u00a0 Nooooo. Just no. \u00a0Better to pay the caterers the extra \u00a3150 to do it for you.\u00a0 For me this element is common sense, as there\u2019s no point spending thousands on your wedding only to cut corners that make your life miserable when you\u2019re meant to be happiest.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-239327\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15.jpg\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15-270x180.jpg 270w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15-570x380.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15-770x514.jpg 770w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography15-870x580.jpg 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Get Guest Communications Right<\/h3>\n<p>One of the biggest admin jobs in the run up to a wedding is communicating with your guests, and they will often leave their questions and requests to the last minute.\u00a0 They\u2019ll want to know what to wear, where to stay, how to get there, where to get a taxi from and what you\u2019d like as a gift.\u00a0 Minimise the \u201cguest-min\u201d by providing all the information on a wedding website or including a particulars card with your wedding invitations, which offers maps and all the information they might need.\u00a0 Using a website to automate your RSVP system could also spare you a lot of last minute headaches.\u00a0 There are lots of wonderful free sites which you can use to build a wedding website with RSVP functionality, making life so much easier in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-239319 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/planning-stress-free-wedding\/stress-free-wedding-planning-morgan-and-rose-photography4\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography4.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography4.jpg 734w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography4-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography4-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography4-720x1079.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography4-370x554.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography4-570x854.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography4-387x580.jpg 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/planning-stress-free-wedding\/stress-free-wedding-planning-morgan-and-rose-photography8\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography8.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography8.jpg 734w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography8-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography8-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography8-720x1079.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography8-370x554.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography8-570x854.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography8-387x580.jpg 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3>Delegate, Delegate, Delegate<\/h3>\n<p>While mums and bridesmaids are perfect for helping with admin and planning tasks (and there will be plenty on the list to be delegated), you should also think about the various logistical tasks there will be over the course of the wedding.\u00a0 On the day itself, your ushers and best man can be given their own specific roles to make sure everything runs smoothly.\u00a0 About 3 weeks before every wedding I create a guidebook for every member of the wedding party, which outlines their specific roles for the day, and which I email to them in advance.\u00a0 It lays out all the key timings, instructions and everything that they should be doing. \u00a0This makes everything much easier on the day. \u00a0Mum might be responsible for the safe-keeping of cards and gifts, one of the ushers might be responsible for shepherding guests for photographs, one of the bridesmaids might be in charge of packing up your things and having them moved to the honeymoon location, and so on.\u00a0 If you make sure every person knows their role in advance, you can keep stress to the bare minimum.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-239330\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16.jpg\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16-270x180.jpg 270w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16-570x380.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16-770x514.jpg 770w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography16-870x580.jpg 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Keep One Mega Spreadsheet<\/h3>\n<p>Nowadays, I have pretty funky wedding planning software that I use to track all of the details of each wedding and to keep me sane and mistake-free, but in the days before this existed,\u00a0I relied entirely on spreadsheets to keep me on track.\u00a0 When you first get started planning the wedding, create a wedding planning spreadsheet and makes tabs for:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Budget<\/li>\n<li>Supplier contact list<\/li>\n<li>Timeline of tasks by month<\/li>\n<li>Guest List<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Then, make sure you track every detail as you go along.\u00a0 You can also add tabs for things like music choices or seating plans.\u00a0 It always works best to keep everything in one place. Make sure you keep it backed up and to use columns to add in any information you might need.\u00a0 For example, your guest list should track names, addresses and RSVPs, but it\u2019s also a great idea to note if they need a seat on the coach or if they have sent you a gift.\u00a0 If you keep on top of it all the way through, everything will be a breeze in the final weeks.<\/p>\n<h3>Spread Out Tasks<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s difficult to describe how much there is to do in the final few months of wedding planning, but my average wedding will involve around 2000 emails and 150 hours of planning and administration. That\u2019s an awful lot, especially if you have a full-time job, so <em>don\u2019t<\/em> leave it all to the last minute unless you want to be pulling your hair out. \u00a0I promise you:\u00a0 no matter how well organised you are, about 100 things you never thought about will pop up in the final two to three weeks so if you\u2019ve left a lot of stuff to figure out later on then you\u2019ll end up completely frazzled.\u00a0 When I work with clients, I carefully tailor a month-by-month task plan to allow for the work to be evenly distributed over the course of the time we have.\u00a0 There are some things you won\u2019t be able to do until the last minute (like the seating plan) but there are other things you can start thinking about a year in advance if you\u2019d like to (song choices, for example). If you get anything you can do early out of the way, you\u2019ll make life a lot easier for yourself in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-4 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-4 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-4 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-4 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-239319 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/planning-stress-free-wedding\/stress-free-wedding-planning-morgan-and-rose-photography11-2\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-1.jpg 734w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-1-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-1-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-1-720x1079.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-1-370x554.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-1-570x854.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography11-1-387x580.jpg 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/planning-stress-free-wedding\/stress-free-wedding-planning-morgan-and-rose-photography13\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography13.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography13.jpg 734w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography13-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography13-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography13-720x1079.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography13-370x554.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography13-570x854.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography13-387x580.jpg 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3>Hire a Wedding Planner<\/h3>\n<p>Well, of course, I\u2019m biased on this topic, but a good wedding planner can eliminate the stress from the wedding planning process almost completely.\u00a0 It\u2019s not that they do everything for you (they don\u2019t), but they do manage it all and relieve you of a lot of the work. \u00a0So, if it\u2019s something you have the budget for and you\u2019d like a relaxed and fun experience then it\u2019s definitely worth the investment.\u00a0 If your budget doesn\u2019t stretch to getting a professional in to help, sourcing help for the final few weeks or just for the day can also really help to ease the pressure.\u00a0 A good wedding planner will be able to step in and handle all of your supplier confirmations and last-minute admin which can make those last few weeks a lot calmer. \u00a0One of the best ways to look for a qualified and trustworthy wedding planner is through the\u00a0<u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ukawp.com\/wedding-planners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.ukawp.com\/wedding-planners\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536151278273000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEYG0wpbf06pNKaMlw3Xht9PCQ2Lg\">UK Alliance of Wedding Planners<\/a><\/u>,\u00a0who vet all their members carefully so that you know you\u2019re in safe hands.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-239331\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19.jpg\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19-270x180.jpg 270w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19-570x380.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19-770x514.jpg 770w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography19-870x580.jpg 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Pick a Comfy Dress and Shoes<\/h3>\n<p>I know \u201ccomfort\u201d is about the last thing under consideration when deciding what to wear on your wedding day (I mean, come on, you just want to look amazing), but I promise you, my number one wedding day stressor with the brides I\u2019ve worked with has been how uncomfortable they were.\u00a0 A few weeks ago, a bride who had spent two years planning her wedding approached me during dinner to tell me she couldn\u2019t breathe in her dress.\u00a0 I mean, she\u2019s planned this beautiful wedding and instead of enjoying it, she is actually struggling to breathe.\u00a0 Sure, looking beautiful is important, but if you\u2019re so uncomfortable that you\u2019re not enjoying your own wedding day, this is a problem.\u00a0 Take the time to select a dress that fits perfectly and is comfortable whether you\u2019re standing or sitting, and think about a change of clothes for after dinner.\u00a0 With shoes, of course, bring a spare pair for dancing and photos but also make sure you break them in by wearing them around the house for a few weeks.\u00a0 Once you have a blister, switching to flats won\u2019t save you.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-239334\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14.jpg\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14-270x180.jpg 270w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14-570x380.jpg 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14-770x514.jpg 770w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography14-870x580.jpg 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Don\u2019t Lose Sight of What Matters<\/h3>\n<p>This is probably my most important piece of advice.\u00a0 I know you want to, but you can\u2019t control\u00a0<em>everything<\/em>.\u00a0 Things can and will go wrong because something inevitably goes wrong at every wedding \u2013 and I say this with experience of managing over 100 weddings with the most airtight planning imaginable.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get so caught up in the process that you lose sight of the reason for the occasion \u2013 a celebration of your marriage.\u00a0 Spend time in the months leading up to the wedding alone together, make a weekly date night a non-negotiable part of your schedule, and don\u2019t sweat the small stuff because it matters less than you might think.\u00a0 After 23 years of event planning, I can promise you that the best weddings are the ones with warmth and character, and the perfection will come from the people you\u2019re sharing it with, not the centrepieces.<\/p>\n<p>The pictures from this article are from the gorgeous Meredith and Murray\u2019s wedding at Atholl Palace, photographed by the amazing Sarah of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.morganandrose.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Morgan and Rose<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>*This is the latest article in the <a href=\"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/category\/planning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wedding planning<\/a> feature series from <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com\">Whimsical Wonderland Weddings<\/a> expert contributor and wedding planner Sara from Weddings by Sara Jane*<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-239338\" src=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice.png\" alt=\"Stress Free Wedding Planning Morgan and Rose Photography\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice.png 800w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice-150x225.png 150w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice-300x450.png 300w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice-720x1080.png 720w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice-370x555.png 370w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice-570x855.png 570w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice-770x1155.png 770w, https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/stress-free-wedding-planning-tips-advice-387x580.png 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Planning a Stress-Free Wedding With the summer wedding season upon me, I thought this would be the perfect time to share with you my advice on how to keep the wedding planning process as stress-free and relaxed as possible.\u00a0As a wedding planner, I have a lot of first-hand experience of what makes the process easier, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":239324,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3186],"tags":[74],"class_list":["post-239319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-planning","tag-guest-post"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":239324,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2018\/09\/Stress-Free-Wedding-Planning-Morgan-and-Rose-Photography17-300x200.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239319\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}