Wedding Planning Advice from the Pros (Part 1/6: Start Early and Focus)

Are you looking for some wedding planning advice? We are not surprised! Whether you decide to hire a wedding planner or not, planning your perfect wedding can be time consuming, stressful, and hard work. But with the right tips, advice, and strategy, it can be much easier and less stressful.

That’s why we’ve searched to find out from recent newlyweds what they wish they would have done differently, and from the wedding planners themselves what expert wedding planning advice and tips they have. We’ve collected all those tips and advice here in this handy six-part guide, organized into categories for easy perusal. Ready to get started? 

Here is some important wedding planning advice from the pros about the beginning stages of planning and remaining focused throughout the process.

1. Wedding planning advice to start planning early
2. Don’t procrastinate
3. Wedding planning advice to be decisive
4. Take things one step at a time
5. Decide on your wedding non-negotiables
6. Wedding planning advice to focus on the important things
7. Communicate

1. Wedding planning advice to start planning early

Maybe you’ve opted for a short engagement, or perhaps you have a luxuriously long couple of years before you say, “I do.” But either way, the first bit of wedding planning advice anyone whose been through a wedding before will tell you is that you should start planning early.

As your big day approaches, you’ll have an easier time and be less stressed if you’ve started the planning process early. Starting early allows you to develop a clear plan to help make sure you stay on top of everything and don’t forget anything important or leave any loose ends. 

2. Don’t procrastinate

When it comes to planning a wedding, procrastination is your worst enemy. If you don’t start with a solid plan early on, you might end up missing out on deals and overpaying. This could make you go over budget. Or worse, you might end up missing out on a preferred vendor or having to compromise on something important to you that could have been avoided by simply being ahead of the game. 

Also, you don’t want to be a nervous wreck because you’re still making important plans all the way up to your big day. Obviously, there will always be last minute things to take care of, but you want to leave yourself plenty of time to relax and enjoy the moment in the weeks leading up to your wedding. 

Life can’t be put on hold while you plan. Even if you have a whole year it’s less time than you think. Some good wedding planning advice is to count back one month from your wedding day and make that the time you aim for to have everything all set. That will give you plenty of time to take care of any loose ends that might pop up. And you can actually rest up and enjoy the time leading up to tying the knot.  

3. Wedding planning advice to be decisive

Another good thing about starting to plan early is that it allows you to have confidence that you are making the right decisions. While you don’t want to get hung up on endless options and details, you do want to spend some time getting informed. By sticking to a plan, you can gather all the information you need to be swift and decisive about the important things and make the right decision at the right time. This will help to build momentum and keep things moving forward without going back and second guessing yourself and stressing over options. 

4. Take things one step at a time

Another piece of wedding planning advice to remember is to take things one step at a time. For example, don’t try to hire vendors before you’ve settled on a date. Don’t try to choose a wedding cake before you’ve settled on an overall wedding theme. You might find later on that the cake decorations are off, or that a wedding cake alternative suites your theme best. 

Some of the most important wedding decisions you’ll make are your budget, a rough guest count, and the date. Start there. Make solid decisions about the big things that will influence all other decisions. Then develop a plan you can follow from there. 

5. Decide on your wedding non-negotiables

When it comes to wedding planning advice, many people will tell you to decide on your wedding non-negotiables early on. It is almost guaranteed that there will be issues with your budget that come along down the road. Having a clear idea of the things about your wedding day that are most important to you will help you make those critical prioritizing decisions to let go of lesser things when necessary. 

For example, if you’re a foodie and have always envisioned the food being the star of your wedding, you might have to budge a little on those elaborate florals. But having a clear idea of that early on will make those decisions go more smoothly. And you’ll be less stressed about it. 

6. Wedding planning advice to focus on the important things

Obviously, the important thing is you and your fiance getting married. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. This wedding planning advice is more about not letting all of the possible little things overwhelm you. You want to remain focused on the larger-impact items. 

You could fill a Pinterest board with literally thousands of cute ideas for little details such as a handpainted personalized mini canvas table card or those satin monogrammed “bride and groom” seat covers. And when one idea leads to another, there’s definitely a never-ending rabbit hole full of them. But while it’s important to get inspiration, the truth is there just won’t be enough time or budget for every little thing. Even if you enjoy planning those little things, focusing on them is an easy way to get sidetracked, overwhelmed, and burnt out

When it comes to your wedding day, you’re not going to be fretting over those little things that aren’t there. You’ll be focused on actually getting married and spending time with family and friends. And your guests will never notice an absence of those themed cocktail napkins you had wanted. Accept now to focus on those more important items and let the little things go when it starts getting to be too much. This will help you avoid a lot of stress in the planning process. 

7. Communicate

Next on our list of wedding planning advice is to always use good communication. Good communication will minimize the chances of relational struggles or of your expectations being unmet. Start with a list of your and your fiance’s values so you are both on the same page when filtering your decisions. Set clear expectations for your bridal party, your vendors, and your wedding day itinerary. Communicating effectively will help minimize stress on the big day, and on the days leading up to it. 

Also, be honest with your opinions. Sometimes it’s just as important to communicate what you don’t like about something as well as what you do so you’re getting the results you intended. 

Be sure to stay tuned for Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this guide where we reveal more wedding planning advice from the pros!

Still haven’t found a venue? Give us a call to plan a tour and find out why Jennings Trace could be the perfect wedding venue you’ve been looking for.

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