Stress Less Wedding (and other)Ceremonies

Stress Less Wedding(and other) Ceremonies

5-point guide to creating a stress free wedding day

As far as I can tell, there is no such thing as a stress-free ceremony!

There will always be some little niggle that can cause a sleepless night or two in the lead up to any event, and these are multiplied when it comes to a major life event such as a wedding.

Will the outfits you ordered months ago fit?

True story – when one of my brothers got married none of the waistcoats fitted! All of the grooms party had been sent the wrong sizes and there was nothing they could do about it because the ceremony was in Eire and the suits etc had been ordered in England!!!

One of my brother’s collected all the suits for the others so there was no last-minute fitting.

Will the suppliers arrive on time? (And do a good job?)

Will the weather be perfect for our outdoor ceremony?

Will our guests enjoy it?

Will the kids behave?

Have we forgotten something?

The list can go on and on, because we can always find something to worry about.

Ask most couples after the big day and they’ll no doubt tell you, there is no point sweating about the small details, such as favours, chair sashes, entertainment for every minute of the day because guests won’t notice these details

So, get ahead of the game with my

How to stress less…

Set Yourselves A Budget

First and foremost, be realistic in your expectations for your day.

There is no point planning a ‘Pinterest Perfect’ wedding on a DIY budget…

We all have different priorities to consider, so sit down together, decide on the type of day you want and set your budget accordingly

Top eco tip – Think about hiring rather than buying, or if you are buying can you source items second hand to help with your budget setting?

Can you barter your specialism against a service from one of your suppliers? It is making a comeback, obviously not every supplier can afford not to be paid in hard cash, but some may need a service you can provide and you could make an exchange…it’s worth asking the question.

Purchase or create an organiser with a timeline and checklists and keep an eye on your money. Budgets can very easily run away from you.

Prioritise the big purchases and decide which of them is the absolute top of your list.

Check out my previous blog on some top tips for planning your day.

Delegate

Don’t stress yourselves out trying to do it all on your own…two of you are getting hitched, two of you can do the organising!

You will normally have supporters who will form part of your wedding party and hopefully family members too that can help you maintain a certain level of zen.

Find a wedding planner if your budget allows …https://weddingplanner.co.uk/wedding-planners (other sites are available) or even better see who friends and family can recommend.

Start your planning early

Give yourself time to research your venue and suppliers, the style and feel of your day , as well as to save some money and decide what it is that is really important to you.

No one is expecting you to start planning your day the day after you tell the world you are engaged, but if you are able to, give yourself plenty of time and therefore plenty of space to create the day you want.

If you are planning a ceremony under tighter time constraints, it can after all happen, think about your absolute must have’s and must do’s …

Venue ( must do)

Officiant ( must have)

These are the only 2 you’ll need to book, everything is an added bonus….yes even the rings, flowers and outfits!

Without a venue or an officiant there is no ceremony… if you have to make it legal, you’ll need to contact your registration district to see how quickly you can lawfully marry and you may be restricted on available locations. More information here

Contingency Planning

The best laid plans can always go astray, especially here in the UK if we try to rely on the weather playing ball for our outside celebrations. So be flexible!

Plan to move everything indoors if needed, have an indoor space, along with a quiet space too, just so you or your guests have somewhere you can go to decompress.

In the event of extreme heat, be prepared to wait a while or move your ceremony location into the shade. The last thing you want is your celebrant or guests going down with sunstroke…and it has happened!

Make sure someone has a needle and several threads/ safety pins and tape

Provide brollies /sunscreen /mozzie spray and a first aid kit and water If it is an exceptionally hot day.

Ensure that someone in the wedding party has a list of telephone numbers for your suppliers and they in turn have a contact within your wedding party (not necessarily you!)

Self- Care

So important when you are planning any big event, so give yourself permission to take some down time, especially in the few weeks in the immediate build up.

Remember your partner is marrying you for you! There is no need to put any ridiculous undue pressure on yourselves to conform to some warped societal ‘norms’ and that includes beauty regimes or an outfit decision.

My friend Ross has produced a wonderful book full of prose , photos and poetry that is sure to relax and uplift as you start your planning journey, be sure to grab yourself a copy soon.

Celebrated

A wedding day should be fun, yes it does take a lot of planning, but with the right people around you, from friends and family to your suppliers it should go swimmingly…

You don’t have to overspend.

You don’t have to conform.

You don’t need to invite plus 1’s or kids if you don’t want to.

There is no need to do it the same way as your parents did ( it’s not their wedding!)

You don’t need to marry in a register office or approved venue, you can go totally off- piste if you want, have your ceremony in any location, have as many or as few people present as suits you….wear any colour, any outfit and do anything that reduces your stress levels.

It’s your wedding day, do you in style and as stress free as possible!

Get in touch soon if you found this useful and want to hear more.