There are so many couples that will tell you wedding planning was stressful. They might even add that it was not what they imagined it to be. In some cases that is true. However, if you are planning a DC wedding, I recommend starting with a wedding plan.
Now I’m not here to bash any couple who says they had a stressful wedding experience. What I would like to do is give you 10 tips so that you can avoid having an anxiety attack each time you think about your DC wedding.
10 Ways To Make Your DC Wedding A Breeze
#1 – Understand the difference between a want and a need for your wedding. Make a list of the two and tackle needs first.
A want is something that you would like to have at your wedding but if it was not there it would not ruin the entire thing. A need is a must have item which ensures your wedding can actually happen. Things like a venue, a Wedding Officiant, a Wedding DJ, food and beverage, and a planner are all must haves.
Things like a Ferris wheel or having 10,000 flowers at your reception are not must haves. These are nice to have, but will not ruin your wedding if you don’t have them.
#2 – Always remember why you are getting married and hosting your wedding. If it’s to impress others, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.
As simple as this might sound to you, many couples make their wedding into a competition. They want to have the biggest guest count, the largest wedding cake, the longest veil, the largest wedding party. They want to out do every person that has had a wedding before them. The problem with that is you end up spending more money vs saving it for others things like a house. There is no need to deviate from the original reason you are getting married just to impress others.
#3 – Focus on having a game plan in place and establish a budget first.
Once you are engaged the first move to make it to decide how your wedding will look and feel and how much money you can afford to spend on it. Without a plan in place you cannot establish clear expectations for yourself and your vendors. Having a plan also allows everyone to do specific work vs doing one thing and you then change your mind because it might cost more than what you currently want to spend.
Don’t know where to start? Use this wedding plan: http://ow.ly/I8OI30lMWz6
#4 – Make a decision and stick to the process.
There is nothing more frustrating than an indecisive couple. These are the couples that say one thing and do the complete opposite and blame others when it doesn’t go right. You don’t want to be that couple do you? The best way to eliminate wedding stress is by sticking to your decisions and not having the kid in the candy store mindset. If the decision you make doesn’t work out that’s ok. Go to Plan B.
#5 – Book wedding vendors that you trust and then allow them to do their jobs so you don’t have to.
The purpose of booking professionals is because they have a history of getting the job done effectively. But you have to allow them to do their job and not rush them through the process or do it for them. I understand that there are some who feel no one can do it better than them. That might be true, but for the sake of your sanity, I ask that you allow your vendors to be of service to you and cater to your needs. Trust me they will get the job done to your liking.
#6 – Understand the workload of DIY anything before committing to it.
Over the last few years Do It Yourself (DIY) projects have taken off. But it has left a lot of couples stressed the hell out. They see something on Pinterest or another social media channel and believe they can also do it. Most people can, but the problem in looking at this is you are not fully aware of what goes into any given DIY project until you start.
Most DIY projects require a small army to help make it happen. If you don’t have friends who are not in your wedding party that can help, I recommend not doing a DIY project. I remember a client of ours that really loved DIY projects. They wanted to do them and then give us the items to set up their decor. One item was candle holders. They decided to buy pieces of candles and glue them together vs just buying the complete candle holder. Needless to say, they came unglued and we could not use them.
#7 – There is nothing wrong with booking your venue or vendors well in advance.
If you really love a particular dc wedding venue or a wedding vendor, book them. Don’t wait for a particular window to book anyone unless they tell you they have one. The longer you wait, the more likely someone else will book the venue or the DC wedding professional.
If you are not ready to book, ask them to send you a proposal and to inform you when any other inquiries for that day come. Then it’s up to you to quickly move forward or not.
#8 – Make your wedding unique by not trying to do the same thing you see on social media.
I get it. It’s so easy to grab a wedding photo off Instagram and tell your Wedding Florist or Wedding Planner that you want that done. Can you guess how many other couples will do the exact same thing with their vendors? To make your wedding unique, explain to your wedding professionals what about that image you like the most. Also allow them to create their own version so that it fits you and gives a different spin to what you are seeing. You don’t want a repeat wedding look. A unique wedding is all about doing something new.
#9 – Understand how to say NO to things that don’t make sense.
One of the hardest things for couples to do is to say no to people. Wedding planning brings about a lot of questions and most of those questions take money out of your pocket. Someone you barely know wants to attend your wedding. Your mother wants you to wear a different color wedding dress. Your baker wants to make a 5 tier wedding cake vs a 3 tier which is all you need.
Tons of decisions to be made and you are the decision maker. When you say no, be firm with your no and avoid having to explain why you said no. People will find any excuse to try and get you to change your mind.
#10 – Talk to other married couples to get their opinions on what they went through on their wedding day and what you should look out for.
There is no better way to get advice about a wedding than to talk to a couple that recently go married. That’s free advice they can give you. You’d be surprised as to what they wish they did and did not do during wedding planning. Take them out for coffee and allow them to talk more than anything else.