Stress-Free Planning Tips for Your Sussex Wedding Photographer
Wedding planning tends to get a bad rep for the stress it brings. Not only do you have so much to do, from booking a venue to choosing a photographer who can take your dream wedding photos, but you also have very little time to get it all done. Add the pressure of throwing the “perfect” wedding plus the weight of wanting to meet other people’s (ahem, in-laws) expectations, and voila! You’ll have an experience you’ll want to forget.
But that’s not how it should be. The lead-up to your “I dos” shouldn’t be pushed to the backmost part of your mind, but instead, remembered as dearly as the main event. To help you do that, I’ve put together a few tips so your wedding journey, not just your wedding day, will be a memorable experience.
1. Set your expectations from the get-go
There’s a reason why the wedding day gets all the attention – the wedding planning process is often filled with not-so-great memories. Couples don’t want to remember the disagreements they had with their spouse-to-be about trivial things such as the venue, colour palette, and menu, not to mention the stress caused by constant decision-making. To make your experience worth remembering, you must both be on the same page from the get-go.
Sit down with your partner to paint a clear picture of what you want your experience to look like. What’s your wedding budget? How soon do you want to say your “I dos”? How will you divide your to-dos? Setting expectations can help you prevent squabbles during what’s supposed to be an exciting time for you and your sweetie.
As you set your expectations, remind yourselves that your nuptials is not a people-pleasing event. The only people you need to think about are you and your partner. Try not to dwell on throwing the perfect wedding – there’s no such thing!
2. Give yourself enough time
Orchestrating your nuptials can feel like a whirlwind experience, especially if you want to get married right after your engagement. My advice? Don’t get married immediately. Give yourself enough time to plan your wedding so you can soak it all in and cherish this once-in-a-lifetime moment with your fiancé. You only get engaged once, so enjoy it!
It typically takes couples anywhere between 12 to 18 months to put together a wedding, but feel free to take as much time as you will need. When you have enough time, you can carefully choose all the details without the stress of a looming deadline. More time means less stress, and less stress means more fun!
3. Put together your wedding planning crew
There may be pride in planning your own wedding, but this will only lead to stress, stress, and more stress. As cliché as it sounds, you don’t need to do this solo. A wedding is a huge undertaking that takes a village to put together. To lighten the load, put together a crew of VIPs (e.g. your wedding party) to help with things like reviewing RSVPs and coordinating with vendors. Your loved ones’ involvement will not only make the process easier, but also more memorable.
Do the things you want to do, then delegate the rest. For example, if you like DIYing but don’t have the time to look for materials, get a friend to gather them for you. Or, if booking an Airbnb for out-of-town guests stresses you out, assign this task to a family member. Just make sure you don’t give them more than they can handle!
4. Remember to take breaks
If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the decisions you need to make, put down your to-do list and let yourself breathe. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a night in town, taking a break between tasks allows you to unwind, especially when it starts to feel like your whole world revolves around your wedding. It’s also a chance to recharge so you can tackle the rest of your duties with a clearer mind and confidence.
Filling your breaks with activities that both you and your fiancé enjoy can make the journey fun, not frustrating. For example, after a week of wedding planning, you could go on a road trip or picnic, or play video games all weekend. To make your breaks more fun, ban topics related to your nuptials; anyone who mentions the “W” word will get a playful penalty, like having to say a funny word during their vows.
5. Reward yourself for the little things
Planning your nuptials can be fun, but only if you’re the type of person who’s envisioned their day of “I dos” since they were little. But if you find wedding-related tasks boring, getting through your to-do list can take a lot of willpower and lead to procrastination. To make these tedious tasks more bearable, try rewarding yourself each time you check an item off of your to-do list.
Have you finally found a venue? Throw a dance party in your pyjamas! Done booking your wedding photographer? Reward yourself by unwinding with your favourite TV show. Or, you and your fiancé could treat yourselves to a nice dinner once you’ve both chosen your wedding bands. Whatever it is, having something to look forward to can make you feel more motivated to get things done.
Have a memorable wedding day and journey!
Don’t make the mistake of planning a memorable wedding – make sure that the build-up to it is one for the books, too. Remember to have fun as you plan your day one of the best days of your life so that one day, you can reminisce and bond over the memories you made. With these tips, you’re sure to have fun while planning your wedding day, and in turn, enjoy the journey. For more advice on wedding planning, be sure to check out my other blogs.
If you would like to find out more information about the different photography services I can offer when it comes to your big day, then please get in touch at info@darrengrittonphotography.com or give me a text on 07538 135722.
Here at Darren Gritton Photography, I offer wedding packages to suit all budgets so you can be sure to find the perfect package to suit you. Visit my wedding packages page for more info.
Please feel free to get in touch to see what I can do for you and, together, we can help to capture your wedding vision and bring it to life!
If you like this post, you can check out a couple of my other blog posts
Sussex Venue | Long Furlong Barn