WHAT TO DO DURING THE WEDDING PLANNING LULL
We know that wedding planning feels like a full time job right now. I mean if it would only stop creeping into your work day and your dreams it might be easier to handle! Right?
Believe it or not there are going to be a few times during the wedding planning process where you’ll have weird gaps in getting those items off your checklist.
Many times you want to soldier ahead but you’re finding that it’s too soon or you just can’t do that yet.
Let’s talk about the three lulls you’re going to experience during the wedding planning process. We’ll also give you some great tips for small things you can be doing to stay productive and on track during these gaps!
Lull #1: AFTER BOOKING MAJOR VENDORS
During the beginning of your engagement and planning process it’s like overdrive time. Guest list, budget, venue, photographer… you’ve now realized how fast your favorites book up! But once all of those big vendor partners are secured you might feel a little bit of a slow down.
You’re probably ready for this slow down in a big way! But it doesn’t mean that you get to completely stop until it’s tasting, trying, and testing time. Instead spend this time curating the style of your wedding.
Yes, this is our free pass to hang out on Pinterest some more! Often times your venue and budget have a major impact on the style and design options that are available to you. That means it’s time to begin researching and curating the design. All the way down to things like favors, invitations, and cocktail napkins.
By spending a little bit of time curating your personal style it will help you to make much more decisive and informed decisions when it’s time to meet with your style-based creative partners.
Here’s what to do:
Create a personal inspiration board - Go shopping or Pinterest crazy and create a curated board of inspirational colors and textures.
Shop Online- But don’t forget to look at pricing. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than falling in love with something you can’t afford and then can’t find somewhere. So look at and draw inspiration from the items that are an investment match for you.
Decide what’s non-negotiable- Like if having a grand piano in the center of your dance floor is an absolute must and no one can talk you out of it. Spend this lull time deciding what non-negotiable things you’re going to focus your time and money on.
Lull #2 THE HOLIDAYS
Around this time you might be more interested in turkey, shopping, garland, and cookies than you are in tulle, ribbons, and bouquets. You have a real life outside of wedding planning and it’s important that you take the time to focus on on the important people in your life!
You’ll also find that your creative partners aren’t responding or reaching out during this time either. Most of them are real people with families, events, and their own Santa get list to take care of too.
This means that you’ll find this to be a bit of a slower planning period for you. We hope you’ll enjoy the turkey coma and eggnog but there are a few things you can be doing to keep the ball rolling.
Here’s what to do:
Schedule and set up the things you taste and test- Want to look fabulous for your holiday pictures? Schedule your makeup or hair trial to happen right before your family ugly sweater pictures. The same goes for your tasting. What else are you going to do? Go taste cake and have a light hearted time with your love.
Go on a date- A non wedding, non holiday, non life-talk date. Trust me. You will need time to look at each other and swoon and remember all the reasons you decided to embark on a marriage journey in the first place. The place or the cost doesn’t matter. Just spend time together. Sans serious talk.
Craft the things- You already have the scissors and tape out so why not take it all the way and finish any of your DIY projects. You can do these from the couch while watching Elf for the 20th time this season. This will help you get a jump on the ribbon tying before you hop into another busy time.
Lull #3: RIGHT BEFORE GO TIME
There’s this time where you’ve ordered all the things, made all of the plans, secured all of the contracts, and the dress has arrived. But it’s also too soon for you to have your final meetings and collect your final numbers. This is probably the worst lull in the planning process because it also means that you are a cross between super excited and so over it. Waiting feels kind of like a little bit of extra torture.
Here’s what to do:
Shot and Music Lists: Your vendors are going to ask you for a few lists. Like your preferred shot list or your playlists. This is a great time to do that and to shoot them off to your family to give their input. This will give you the time you need to decide if you’re going to Dab or Macarena the night away.
Pack Up: You’re about to have lots of things to move from your home to the ceremony and reception location. It’s super easy to lose things in the movement if you don’t know exactly what belongs where. So head to the store and grab a few plastic bins. Then put items for the ceremony in one and items for the reception in the other. Label the box with a card that includes the contents of this box. This will help you to be 1000% sure you have everything you need.
Try Stuff On: Your shoes, your underwear, your tights, your dress. Everything and anything you plan to wear on the wedding day. Then wear it around for a while. Is is comfortable? Does it stay up? Do you need more alterations? Don’t wait until it’s too close to get this stuff figured out.
See, I told you it just never stops! Even in the lulls of wedding planning you can keep on going by using that time to take some of the pressure off the busy times!
Need help? Or maybe you want the whole wedding planning process to feel like a walk in the park? Reach out! That’s what we do!
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