10 steps to Stress Free Wedding Planning

!

Pink of Perfection Events FREE Report for Brides!

“10 Steps Every Bride Must Take to Maintain Her Sanity During Wedding Planning”

No matter how deep into the planning process you are, you can benefit from these steps. Relax. Enjoy reading this valuable information I’m sharing with you. Take it

one step at a time and put them into action in your own planning right away. Follow these steps and look forward to less stress and an enjoyable wedding

planning process.

So, let’s start from the very beginning –you’re engaged. Now what?

Pink of Perfection Events www.PinkofPerfectionEvents.com | CA - 415.691.7465 | AZ - 602.845.9835

[email protected]

http://www.PinkofPerfectionEvents.com

mailto:[email protected]

!

Stress Free Planning Step #1: Share the news!

As soon as you have that ring you want to shout it to the world! I’m engaged!! I know many people update their Facebook status and post a picture, but you may want to be little more strategic because as soon as you do, millions of questions start rolling in. What’s the date, where will you have it, who is in the wedding and so on. And that will be your first stressful wedding experience.

• Share the news with closest family and friends first. Then share on Facebook at a later date.

• Don’t rush into selecting your bridal party–a lot can happen in the first few months of wedding planning.

• Perhaps you should think about an engagement party to officially share the news.

Then, once you’ve shared your engagement story many, many times, and bask in all of the congratulations you are receiving, it is time to get down and dirty and get to work. You’ve got a wedding to plan!


[email protected]



!

Stress Free Planning Step #2: Set a total budget

Budget... Nobody likes the sound of that. There’s nothing exciting about figuring out how much you have to limit your wedding dreams. Unfortunately, you have to do it. Well you don’t have to, but you really should. It will make you love yourself that much more once the wedding is over and there isn’t $10,000 missing from your account spent on “misc.” wedding items! I know you don’t want that to happen, so set your budget.

If you know you have a flat amount you are able to spend, that makes it pretty easy to figure out how to allocate it. I suggest in most cases allocating your money like this: ● Photographer 15% ● Flowers 10% ● Ceremony 5% ● Reception (Venue, Food, Music, decor) 60% ● Honeymoon 10%

If you aren’t tied to a specific dollar amount, you should still set a budget so you have some guidelines for yourself. You will need to do some research or consult a wedding professional to find out how much some things really cost so you can budget appropriately.

If you have money coming from other sources, such as parents or family members, then you need to sit down and have the budget conversation with them as well. Don’t let them get away with saying “I will pay for flowers,” without giving you some sort of dollar range. Their idea of how much flowers should cost may be completely different from yours. No matter who is actually paying the bill, it is a good idea to keep you or your fiancé as the main point of contact with all your vendors. You also need to make it clear that you appreciate their help, but in the end it is your wedding and your final decision when it comes to design.


[email protected]



!

Stress Free Planning Step #3: Write out a guest list

How will you know how far your money will stretch if you don’t know how many people you will be entertaining? If you are allowing your parents to have a say in the guest list, get that information from them now. Write out every absolute person you plan on inviting, even if you think they won’t come. It’s best to have a worst-case scenario and end up spending less money than anticipated.

Once your guest list is written out you will have a better idea of how far your budget will take you. Remember that each person will eat, drink, and sit at a table that will include a linen and a centerpiece at minimum. All of this must be considered when determining cost.

This is also a good time to start gathering your guests’ addresses to save you time later on.


[email protected]



!

Stress Free Planning Step #4: Decide wedding must-haves

Now begins the fun part. Write out your dream wedding! What does it look like, smell like, taste like? What entertainment must you have? From the save the dates to the favors, write out all the dream details. You and your fiancé should each choose one thing that is non-negotiable for each of you, (meaning you must have it at your wedding to be a happy camper).

This is the point where the sky's the limit. Don’t think about money or budget, you just need to think about your wants and desires. Once you have these ideas set, you can work on figuring out how to incorporate them into your budget and how to remove what is not so important. It's essential to know the things that are important to you and your fiancé so you can easily make decisions when choosing the vendors that will make this day perfect for you!


[email protected]



!

Stress Free Planning Step #5: Set a date

Setting a date is such a big task that it can easily become overwhelming. You may have been thinking about the date since the moment you became engaged, or earlier. Or, you may have no idea what date you want or how to go about choosing one. Keep the following things in mind when choosing your special day.

1. Your city affects the prime dates in your area, which affects cost.

2. Consider the schedule of others who must be present. Do you have any teachers in your family or wedding party? It may be harder for them to get away for any weekday activities while school is in session.

3. Remember this is a date that you will continue to celebrate for years to come, so make sure you like it!


[email protected]



!

Stress Free Planning Step #6: Select your bridal party

You may wonder why I am suggesting you wait until this point to choose your bridal party. The reason is because you don’t want to make any rushed decisions that you could regret later. At this point in your planning process you have figured out your headcount, budget and how your money will be allocated.

I suggest keeping these five things in mind when choosing the lovely ladies who will stand by your side on one of the most important days in your life.


[email protected]



!

1. Once you ask, its final – No matter what situation may arise, you will have to live with your choice until the wedding day. Revoking someone’s title will only lead to hurt feelings and ruined relationships.

2. Bigger isn’t always better – More people in your bridal party does not always equal more fun. You want to make sure your bridal party doesn’t look unproportional to your wedding guests. 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen when you have 50 guests in the audience will just look odd. In addition, be sure to keep in mind the cost of bridal party gifts.

3. You should never feel obligated to choose someone – Just because you were in her wedding doesn’t mean she has to be in yours. If your relationship isn’t what it used to be, don’t feel bad if she doesn’t make the cut. Choose people who you are still close to and will enjoy spending a lot of time with leading up to your wedding day.

4. The number of bridesmaids and groomsmen does NOT have to match – Please show me where it says that if you have five bridesmaids you must have 5 groomsmen…nowhere! Don’t feel forced to choose someone or cut someone out just so each side can be even. It’s not going to kill someone to walk alone or for one of the groomsmen to walk with two bridesmaids instead of one.

5. There may be hurt feelings – Be prepared for possible hurt feelings. There may be someone who thought they would for sure be in the bridal party that ends up not getting chosen. You need to decide how you will deal with this if you are ever confronted with questions.


[email protected]



!

Stress Free Planning Step #7:Hire a wedding planner

If you choose to do so, this is the time that you would do it. Is a wedding planner right for you? Well, that depends on a few different things.

Are you the kind of person that gets overwhelmed, anxious, or easily stressed out when you have a lot of tasks in front of you to complete? Do you work full time as well as have other activities that consume your evenings and weekends?

If this sounds like you, you will definitely benefit from hiring a wedding planner. A wedding planner is meant to save you time, money, and stress. Because it won’t be the first wedding they’ve planned, a wedding planner will know where to get the best deals, the best vendors that meet your wedding vision, and will be able to answer your questions.

On the other hand, if you are super organized and have tons of free time, then a wedding planner may not be right for you. You may want to consider at least securing a Day Of-Coordinator who in reality works for you for much more than just the wedding day. A Day Of-Coordinator will meet with you usually at least a month before the wedding to learn about all the details you have planned for your wedding. From there, he or she will help you coordinate the timeline for the wedding day, wrap up any last-minute details, and run the wedding rehearsal.

If you make the decision to hire a wedding planner, see if you can get referrals from family and friends and be sure to research them online. Wedding sites that offer client reviews such as Wedding Wire lets you get to know the planner a little bit before you take the time to schedule a meeting and decide if you will be a good fit for each other.


[email protected]



!

Stress Free Planning Step #8: Choose a venue

By the time you reach the point where you need to choose a venue, it should be a piece of cake! You have already set your budget, you’ve chosen a date, and you have your head count, so you will know exactly how much you have to spend on

your venue. This will save you a lot of time and headache in the long run.

When you are choosing a venue you should do some research before making a trip to see it and falling in love with it only to find out it won’t work for you and your wedding. Make sure the venue will accommodate your number of guests and it fits within your budget. You should know ahead of time whether

you want the ceremony and reception in one place or different places. You will want to make sure the venue meets your wedding must-haves. For example, if you have your heart set on a particular caterer, make sure the venue allows outside catering and see if there is a charge for this or any other hidden fees. It is helpful to make yourself a spreadsheet to easily compare the different venue costs and what they offer as well restrict.

Here are a few other questions to consider: • Does the style of the venue match your personal style and/or wedding design? • Are there adequate restrooms available to your guests? • Is there a bride and groom suite? • Is there a nice location for photos? • Do they offer outdoor ceremony or reception choices?


[email protected]



!

Stress Free Planning Step #9: Send out save the dates

Now that you have the major to-do’s checked off your list, it’s time to let your friends and family know the date so they can be sure to not schedule anything else for that day.

Save the dates are also opportunities to set the tone for your wedding. It will give everyone an idea of the theme and style of your wedding. This is also a great time to let them know the web address for your wedding website where you will keep everyone up to date on the wedding, travel information, accommodations and pre-wedding activities.


[email protected]



!

Stress Free Planning Step #10:

Work through your wedding checklist

I absolutely love working through a list and checking off things one after another. It gives me a stronger sense of accomplishment to actually see what I have completed.

This is the fun part where you get to pick out all the items that will come together to create your one-of-a-kind wedding day. Don’t forget to delegate wherever possible. If you choose to have a planner, you should receive a checklist from them that will show his or her responsibilities as well as the ones you will handle. You can delegate some of your to-do’s to mom, maid/matron of honor, bridesmaids and of course your future husband!

Try not to get overwhelmed by the length of the list. Just tackle each task, check it off, and move on to the next. Obviously some items will take time, such as booking vendors because you need to do some research, then interview, and then complete contracts. However, there are a lot of smaller items that can be completed quickly. Try to alternate between these different types of task so you don't get too overwhelmed. Be sure to start and complete items before they are actually “due” so you aren’t waiting until the last minute.

Happy Planning!www.PinkofPerfectionEvents.com415.691.7465


[email protected]




Documents

10 steps to Stress Free Wedding Planning