Your wedding day will be one of the most moving, monumental and memorable moments of your life. It’s only natural, then, to feel stressed as the big day moves from being a lifelong dream to an impending reality.
No matter whether you have 18 months or 18 days to get ready, it will likely all feel overwhelming. But the pressure definitely ramps up if you don’t have long to mentally prepare and plan the actual event. So much to do, so little time.
Fortunately, having the proper mindset, focusing on the important details and using some modern advantages will make it all that much easier.
If you only have a short amount of time to plan your wedding, the following advice may just save the day — and your sanity.
1. Try to Relax
First thing’s first: Take a deep breath. Try to remember that millions of weddings take place every day all around the world. Yes, this one is yours and, yes, this one will always be the most special to you.
But the actual effort it takes to properly plan and execute the event is something people do all the time. You can do this.
Do whatever you can — get in some exercise, enjoy a massage, do some meditation and/or carve out some downtime — to relax a little bit and get yourself into the right headspace.
Don’t let panic and anxiety sap all your energy and steal your joy. As long as the day ends with you saying, “I do” and enjoying a kiss, chances are everything will end up just fine.
2. Focus on the Big Picture
Everyone wants to have the nicest flowers, table arrangements, music, photos, entrees, cake, and cocktails. Each little choice — and the shocking revelation of how much it costs — will seem major.
The reality, however, is that 90 percent of your guests won’t care that much about the little details. Sure, maybe your mother-in-law will never let you live down those purple tablecloths, but this day is about you and your partner celebrating your relationship. Your friends, family, and special guests just want to share that experience with you.
If a few minor things don’t go perfectly, it won’t matter at the end of the day — let alone five years down the road. The lasting memories and being with the people you love are always the essential signature moments. Instead, focus on the big-ticket items like the date, the venue, the guest list, and the final price tag.
These are the biggest factors in planning. Once they’re taken care of, the rest will start to fall into place and the whole event will start to seem manageable, even if you’re running short on time.
3. Use Modern Advantages
When the clock is ticking, every deadline involved in the process before the wedding day itself will be nerve-racking. When is the deposit due to the venue? When do you need to book the DJ? Is there really time to squeeze in a bachelorette party?
Any time you can eliminate something that requires significant pre-planning, you should. This is why it’s great to go digital whenever possible.
Fortunately, modern wedding websites, like Minted.com, now make it incredibly simple — and fast — to update guests on details and logistics without having to order printed materials.
This way, if anything changes last minute, you can just make a quick update and send an email rather than ask guests to rely on a card they got in the mail months ago.
Success is What We Make It
Finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with is a blessing. You’ll want a perfect wedding to kick off the marriage — and you deserve it! — but don’t lose sight of what’s truly important. This is the start of something new and special, not a day that needs to be literally perfect.
The surest way to make your wedding a success is to relax and adopt the right mindset.
If you do this and focus on the right details — and use the modern advantages of the digital age to help with logistics — you’re much more likely to forever remember your wedding day as a great event.
