Planning a wedding can be a difficult task; couples often find themselves at sea when they are faced with the elaborate task of planning a wedding. If you are planning a wedding here are a few tips to help you plan your wedding in a systematic manner: Know your budget The first step in planning a wedding is making a budget. You should know exactly how much you can afford to spend on the wedding, and systematically plan various expenses. Keep in mind that wedding invitations and other sundry expenses will make up around 15% of the wedding budget and you should always provide yourself some cushion for unforeseen wedding expenses. Couples planning a wedding should stick to the budget at all costs, but at the same time be flexible. Don't assume that all your budget calculations are correct and be willing to cater to minor cost fluctuations as the wedding draws closer. The wedding invitations With so many wedding invitation ideas to choose from, you should give yourself ample time before ordering the wedding invitations. All wedding invitations should be posted at least a month before the wedding, order the wedding invitations at least 2 months before the wedding (this will give you enough time to finalise the wedding invitations and send them out to friends and family members). Always order a few more cards than you need, as even the best compiled wedding lists miss out one or two people. Choosing a caterer While planning a wedding one should look for references before looking for a caterer. Friends and family members are usually the best place to get references. When you speak to the caterer look for previous work experience and also ascertain if you can work with each other successfully. If you are not comfortable with the caterer thank him for his time and move on. Remember to discuss your budget in advance, get everything in writing and don't leave any detail for the last moment. There is also a probability that you might have to order the wedding cake from the caterer, if this is the case don't waste your time looking for another wedding cake. The wedding rings If you have not factored in the cost of the wedding ring in the wedding budget make sure you do so today. Wedding rings can cost anything from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. While planning a wedding it is easy to get carried away with the wedding rings, but only spend a little extra if you are buying just one ring. If you already have a family heirloom that will be used as a wedding ring then you might want to spend a little extra on the other ring. Choosing a wedding dress There is no denying that the bride is the centre of attention and the wedding dress will catch everyone's eye when the bride makes her grand entrance. If you want to get a real deal on the wedding dress, look for a shop that is selling wedding dresses from previous year's fashion line. Stick to the budget Having a budget and adhering to a budget are two different things, it is important to be flexible but not overspend. Remember that having a budget is only useful if you are willing to see the budget all the way through. As mentioned earlier in the article, while planning a wedding one should be willing to accommodate unforeseen expenses. Remember, the money you save on your wedding can be put to good use for your honeymoon. Also keep close tabs on all expenses so you are completely aware of the amount of money you have already spent. Only spend lavishly once you are confident that you have accommodated all the items on your budget, so that you make the most of your wedding budget.
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Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful times in any bride's life but it doesn't have to be. With a few tips on how to decrease your stress you can make planning your wedding a joy. Remember you can only control what you can control. If you recognize this one fact then these tips will be easy to follow and will prevent the development of a bridezilla.
1. The first most important tip is to learn to pick your battles. You will have to determine what elements are important to you regarding the wedding and go ahead and be firm on your preferences with these; however, you can't decided that every little detail is the most important element if you want to decrease your stress level. If you are passionate about the wedding and honeymoon locations make those happen, but maybe compromise in other areas such as the flowers or invitations.
2. Give yourself plenty of time to plan. Trying to plan an elaborate wedding in six weeks is not only a crazy idea but stress provoking. Again, pick your battle. Which is more important the elaborate wedding or getting married in six weeks. Based on which you choose, plan accordingly with either more time or a simpler wedding.
3. Enlist help from others. This one is particularly difficult for the control freak bride. We feel like we know exactly what we want and that no one on the face of the earth can do it like we can so we may as well do it ourselves. Wrong! Did you know that one of the consistent characteristics among top leaders in the world is that they surround themselves with strong people to help them? You can do that as well. Just pick people you know you can trust and that will accept guidance from you. Notice I said guidance and not bossing. Make your desires known and then let them do their work. If you try to control them, then you are not only trying to plan a wedding but also trying to manage a group of people stressful!
4. Always have back up plans. When you sit down to plan out your ideal wedding in your head, think of secondary choices for things as often as you can. That way if you get a phone call that the invitations you want are on back order and won't be ready in time it doesn't faze you. You go to plan B and move on to the next item on the to-do list.
5. Save money for the wedding. This one is a bit difficult to do because many of us don't start saving for our wedding long before the engagement. If you have sufficient funds for the wedding you want it can really decrease your stress. If you don't have the funds already saved and the wedding date has been set, consider getting an extra part-time job, having a garage sale, utilizing ebay for your spring cleaning, or doing something creative for some extra money. This will help cushion the wedding fund and decrease your stress level when picking out things you really want that may be more than you originally budgeted for.
6. Look for package deals. Many wedding sites now offer package deals that include the food and drinks, flowers, reception site, decorations, and a wedding coordinator for use at the rehearsal. Even though this is a package deal there is often the ability to customize based on your preference for services they offer. This option can decrease planning time and therefore stress, but can be more expensive.
7. Opt for a destination wedding. Often destination weddings offer package deals as well and the planning on the bride and groom's part is very minimal.
8. Remember there is no such thing as perfect. I once heard someone say that what separates the millionaires from the non-millionaires is that they anticipate things will go wrong. Because they already know that on occasion things may not go exactly as planned they don't get discouraged or give up when they do, thus leading them to become millionaires. If more things go right then go wrong it is technically a winning situation at least when it comes to money.
9. If you absolutely cannot take the stress and you really just can't manage the previous tips then consider eloping. There is very little planning involved in eloping if you go with a very simple arrangement.
10. Lastly, remember to stop often and look at the big picture. The entire reason you are even planning a wedding is to join two lives together forever. You plan to marry your best friend, your sole mate, your love.
No matter what things possibly go wrong, at the end of the wedding you will be married. That is the ultimate goal and as long as you keep your eyes on the prize everything else is just details.
And for those of you that require additional convincing that you should not allow yourself to get stressed out while planning your magical day here is one last attempt. When your stress levels increase you release stress hormones. These hormones can cause you to feel less then your best, decrease your immune system's ability to fight off illness, and worst of all can show in your face as a less than perfect complexion. That, my friend, should be enough because I know every bride wants to look like a princess on her wedding day.
Both Trent Allan & Shawn Hickman are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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