Your wedding is arguably the biggest and most important day of your life, and all that time spent planning is definitely worth it. However, it can also be a pretty stressful experience.
As those endless marathons can attest to, the event has a special knack for turning even the most pleasant amongst us into ghastly beasts of arrogance with tons of last-minute demands.
This article is an attempt to circumvent some of the “noise”. We bring to you some of the best-curated tips from experts on how to plan your wedding.
Admit You Need Help and Wedding Planning Tips
First things first. To avoid stressful situations, you should probably keep your ego in check!
Make your way through the daunting to-do list without it eventually driving you up the wall. Be sure to do a lot of research on how best to organize your wedding.
Find the best vendors, and consult the experts. After all, there is no shortage of resources for you to tap into when it comes to weddings.
From books to magazines to television shows, you name it. There’s a glut of information out there, to the point where it can feel daunting.
Set Up a Wedding Planning Meeting
It might seem like such a terrible pain to set up a meeting to help plan your wedding – it seems so “official.”
Well, whether your approach will take on the manner of an army general leading the troops or you take on a more collegial tone, these meetings at the very beginning are essential in ensuring that the wedding goes as planned, with as minimal stress as possible.
You’ll go over the budget, outline important dates and scouting visits, and figure out the nitty-gritty of other major wedding-related details.
This way, more administrative aspects are discussed early on, and expectations are kept at a manageable level.
You’ll also minimize the amount of time spent later panicking over details you neglected to talk about early on.
You don’t want to realize too late that the catering service you procured went far beyond the established budget.
Organize Your Team
You should corral all the people you want to be involved in some way. Be it the best man, groomsman, or other close friends and family excited to help out on this important day.
Make these people act as your team members. Also, find some meaningful assignments they can help you with. Listen to their advice and ideas; they can provide some good wedding planning tips.
Also, it’s customary for the groom to buy gifts for his best man. You can buy him something ordinary. But it’s essential to buy something he doesn’t have already.
Plan (and Buy) Your Wedding Attire
One of the earliest things you should do in your wedding planning is to get on the same page as your fiancé about the wedding’s formality.
This will dictate almost every decision you make, right down to your wedding attire. If she wants a formal wedding, you can count on wearing a tuxedo.
Once you know whether you will be wearing a tuxedo or a suit, find a shop to purchase one from. It is always better to wear your own clothing, rather than something you rented. You will always have great use of a very nice suit.
As the groom, you get to decide what your wedding party will be wearing. After choosing your outfit, get with your groomsmen to decide on their clothing for the big day.
You will most likely want to coordinate their suits with yours and the colors you and your fiancé have chosen. The wedding party’s clothing is a huge tool for tying together all the wedding themes and colors.
Don’t forget that you will be the center of attention that day, with hundreds of photographs taken of you and your new spouse.
You want to look good, and your clothing is an enormous part of that. Be sure that the colors are flattering on you and that the suit is an excellent fit.
Prepare the Wedding Finger
The wedding rings are the special guest star of the wedding day. In fact, these bands will become a part of you. You must not underestimate their importance while doing your planning!
About three months before the ceremony, visit a jeweler with your fiancé. Have your fingers sized perfectly to ensure that your rings fit you both?
Be sure to pick out something that you can stand having on your finger every day. If you want inscriptions on your rings, get those settled now (check and double-check all spelling!).
Once you have decided, place your order right away!
Register for Gift Preferences
Making the bridal registry is one of the most fun you will have while wedding planning. This is the part where you get to tell your guests what gifts to give you!
It may feel awkward and presumptuous at first to make out a list of what you want everybody to buy you and your bride.
However, your guests want and appreciate your guidance. Nobody wants to purchase a gift that isn’t likely ever to be used.
The goal of the registry is to set up your home for adulthood. No more eating off disposable plates or using your worn-out college towels.
You don’t have to keep it strictly to houseware, though. Be sure to register at least two different places. That will make it more likely that out-of-towners can access one of your chosen stores.
Finalize Your Guest List on Time
Generally, reception halls and restaurants will give you a deadline for your final headcount. You will need to have sent out your invitations long before this, usually about three months prior to the day.
Deciding who makes the final cut may be one of the hardest parts of planning your wedding.
The first step that you need to take before working on your guest list is determining your budget. This will help you figure out just how many guests you can afford to pay for.
Once you know that number, the list-making may commence. Obviously, start with family; they are the MUSTS of the day. From there, you can work your way out to your best friends and so on.
It may feel crass, but your friends will need to be ranked in order of their importance. You can keep expanding your circle wider until you reach your headcount limit.
Be prepared for much negotiation. Both sets of parents and the bride and groom should have list approval.
Think Outside the Box
Don’t be shy to explore other ideas that don’t necessarily scream traditional. Especially during these times, you can challenge yourself to think differently about what a wedding looks like.
Know that having a smaller affair doesn’t necessarily mean that you skimp on substance or style.
As many wedding experts can tell you, micro weddings and elopements have their own special romantic elements that are utterly unique.
These so-called “mini weddings” offer more flexibility and are highly customizable in ways run-of-the-mill weddings simply aren’t.
For example, you can get married simply as a couple and have a whole day or evening catered to you both.
Also, you can have a cozy event with you and your loved ones. It’s filled with well-thought-out wedding planning that has been curated with beautiful surprises throughout.
Regardless, the experience is personalized from A to Z and utterly unique. It’s also a great option for those who are more conscious of the budget and prefer to spend money differently.
You can conjure the wedding of your dreams. Allow yourself to let go of a few misbegotten notions of what the ceremony should look like.
Plan for the Absolute Worst
As wonderful as weddings can be, they can turn into stressful affairs, regardless of how organized you are and how much effort you and your loved ones have put into it.
Some snafus are bound to occur, and your best bet is to be as well prepared as you can possibly be. Some things may well be beyond your control, but you can do small things to help add a calm sense.
To prevent this, make sure that you have extra wedding invitations early on. Speak with your caters and see how much extra food you can swing on your designated budget.
Additionally, make sure you have a Best Man who is able to help you out with welcoming the guests. These small interventions may not seem like a big deal. But they add up and can be a lifesaver on the big day.
Establish Good Relationships with Vendors
Make sure that you treat your vendors with kindness and respect, and don’t give them a lot of lip.
Yes, it is their job to impress you and make sure that you are happy with the service, but it’s a two-way street.
Keep things professional; you’ll never know when you will need them to help with other major life events. In addition, make sure you get contracts from everyone you hire to help with the event to keep payments clear.
Also, don’t forget to look into additional fees and discuss with your vendor whether or not you will actually need them.
Neither you nor they need a post-wedding headache or full-blown argument about services rendered versus the agreed-upon budget.
Get Your Bachelor Party Plans Started
This is a task for your best man or other trusted groomsman. If you have any ground rules, be sure to lay them out ahead of time.
For example, if you really don’t enjoy gambling, maybe let your casino-happy best man know to steer clear of that activity.
Do not hold your bachelor party the night before the wedding. The worst thing for your wedding day would be to show up hungover. You’ll just have to trust me on this one.
Try Your Wedding Suit One More Time
Two weeks out from the day of your ceremony, try on your wedding suit. You need to be sure that your stress eating hasn’t caught up with you.
Does your suit need any last-minute alterations? Make certain that your wedding dress shirt is not too tight, nor is it too baggy. It must be fitted properly.
Get A Haircut
A few days before the wedding, get a nice haircut. While men have the luxury of being able to go to just about any barber for a basic cut, be sure you visit somebody you trust.
This is not the time to take a chance with a poor cut. And certainly, don’t try a new look right before the wedding!
Plan Your Honeymoon
This really should be the trip of a lifetime, so don’t be afraid to go all out! Start planning it as early as possible; you are likely to save money by booking early.
If you are traveling abroad, now is the time to make sure both of your passports are up to date. And remember: attending your own wedding is absolutely exhausting.
Be sure to leave a little downtime in your honeymoon just so you and the Mrs. can recover from all the planning and celebrating!
Keep the Bar Stocked
If there’s one parting tip we can definitely get behind, and it’s to urge you to keep the bar stocked and also well-staffed.
Regardless of the party’s size, remember that people love to drink at a wedding. It’s their chance to let loose after all that planning or traveling loads to be in attendance. It’s a nice gesture and one that will definitely be much appreciated.
Yes, a wedding is a major life event and can come with a lot of baggage. It also brings a lot of joy and fun. However, if you are organized from the beginning, set proper expectations.
If you’re willing to be creative and think outside the box, the whole affair should move along swimmingly.
Hi, I’m Alex, and I’ve studied and specialized in styling in Rome. Through my writing, I want to help men dress well and learn the purpose and significance of suits and other formal attire. My final goal is to make men more confident in their wardrobe choice and life in general.
