Wedding Planning Tips

As a Minnesota Wedding Photographer and a 2022 Bride, I have learned a lot this year about wedding planning. I also learned that even though I have been a wedding photographer for three years now, there was still so much that I did not know about planning a wedding. I found the whole wedding planning process overwhelming and to be completely honest there are things I wish I did differently when it came to planning. Because the only regret I have about the whole process of planning my wedding was letting it overwhelm me and allowing myself to disassociate and stop caring. I also need to mention that my mother-in-law and my mom were so incredible when it came to planning because I got so anxious I could not bring myself to do it and procrastinate. So without them, things would not have come together and I am so grateful for them.

So I wanted to write this blog to help you avoid this situation and not dread wedding planning as I did.

My first tip for wedding planning is to get a notebook or wedding planner to help you keep things in one place and organized. I had a wedding planner and one thing I regret is not using it to its full potential. I had notes on my phone, had to keep looking and different text chats, and refer to 2-3 other notebooks and sticky notes to find what I was looking for when it came to contacts, ideas, and planning. If I had just used my wedding planner my brain would not have been as overwhelmed and confused as to what was happening or what the plan was or who I had to call.

I found some good options for you for wedding planners on amazon to help you stay organized while planning your wedding:

https://amzn.to/3hVWFnA

https://amzn.to/3VoXpiZ

https://amzn.to/3PVT1Xv

(note: I may make a small income with your purchase through this link)

I chose these three based on reviews and ratings! These aren’t the exact ones that I had but they are similar. My mom had found mine at a Marshals, so there is another place for you to look at options that fit your style!

My second tip is to create a physical budget and stick to it. There were definitely some things that I wish I would not have to spend as much money on. Finance isn’t something that I am super great at so having a budget/plan on when I was going to purchase things would have been very helpful. Because I had gotten overwhelmed I put things off until the last minute and spent way more money on things in one lump sum versus slowly buying things and stocking up. Because I had to lump things together I ended up with more credit card debt than I would have liked, and that would not have happened if I had just spaced things out over a few months.

My third tip, and probably my biggest tip is to break down your wedding planning into months. One thing that really helps me prevent being overwhelmed is taking things one at a time. So if your planning timeline works out I recommend planning on things at a time. For example, in your first month of planning book your venue. In the second month of planning book your photographer. In the third month plan your guest list and do your invites. In the fourth month get your dress, and in the fifth month tackle your decoration. I had nine months to plan my wedding so I wish I would have broken my planning down into a task at a time schedule so I wasn’t booking all my vendors at once and losing track of what deposits I paid or who I need to call or what is left to do. If I would have tackled one vendor at a time and gotten them each locked in separately my brain would have been able to process what was done and what needed to be done a lot better.

A plan I had made but did not use was this:

The first half of January: Venues

The second half of January: Photographer

The first half of February: Dresses and Mitchell’s ring

The second half of February: Color Schemes/decorations

The first half of March: Suits/guest list and invites

The second half of March: Cakes/desert

The first half of April: catering

The second half of April: DJ

The first half of May- Hotel blocks/reservations

Then from the rest of May-September was time to start DIYs, ordering gifts, purchasing extra things, and finishing up the small details needed. I set this schedule up this way so during my busy wedding season I did not have that much left to do or think about until the wedding and I could work at my own pace. I had this plan in my head but I did not write it down or communicate it with my Mother in Law or my mom. So I was constantly behind texted about different things at different times and was having images sent to me and questions asked and I got so overwhelmed I shut down and freaked out at my mother-in-law and mom. Had I just communicated my plan, written it down, and stuck to it things would have been planned and prepped way in advance and I probably would have enjoyed wedding planning a little bit more. Plus doing it one vendor at a time my budget and spending would not have been so top-heavy and I would have been able to keep up with payments and have money. And if I had kept things written down in my wedding planner I could have more things straight and less confusing.

Ultimately wedding planning doesn’t need to be complicated and overwhelming. It just comes down to good communication and keeping yourself organized however that looks for you. I had an amazing support system who pushed me through but I do regret not being more present in planning and being more helpful. We still had a beautiful day and it all came together but there definitely could have been less stress had I stuck to a plan that worked for me and my brain.