Balancing Work, Life, and Wedding Preparations

Planning a wedding can be stressful enough, without having to worry about balancing a full-time job on top of that. While you may have been over the moon to say “Yes!” to marrying the love of your life, the details of everything that comes afterwards can be very overwhelming, even for the most organized of couples. But don’t worry — it is possible to maintain your work life while still planning the wedding of your dreams, and we have a few tips to help you out along the way.

Create a Calendar

It can be tempting to jump right into wedding planning the second you get engaged, but the truth is there are so many moving parts to planning your big day that the best thing you can do is break it out into smaller goals. The first step is figuring out how long you’d like your engagement to be, then creating a calendar to help you plan the rest. Set aside a few tasks for each month or week so that you can be sure you’re taking the time you need to make decisions you’ll be happy about in the future. You can also check things off along the way! Documenting your progress will remind you that you’re getting it done, even when it feels like there’s still a million things on your to-do list.

Hire a Planner

Don’t have time to work out all the details yourself? Hiring a wedding planner can be a huge help in making sure your dream wedding turns out exactly the way you want it. Not only can a wedding planner take care of the details for you, they also have connections within the industry that can help to ensure you’re getting the best deals and are seeing all the options available to you. If you’re not sure where to look, start by asking your newly married friends about their wedding planning experience, and see if they have any wedding planners they can recommend.

Fix Your Sleep Schedule

It may seem like sleep is the last thing you want to worry about, but not getting the rest you need can cause you to be more irritable, upset, and much more likely to make impulsive decisions that you’ll regret in the future. After all, it’s impossible to have a level head when juggling work and wedding planning when you aren’t giving your brain the time it needs to relax and reset. If you start to feel overwhelmed, make sure you set aside time for both you and your partner to completely set aside your other responsibilities. It may feel indulgent, but it will actually help you to be more productive moving forward.

Communicate with Your Employer

The best way to prevent future mishaps is to be clear and honest with your employer. If you know you’ll have to take some time off work in the future to explore wedding venues, decide on caterers, or just spend time with your fiancé to hash out the details, letting them know in advance will ensure that they aren’t taken by surprise. It will also help you to more accurately plan out your time, so that your work doesn’t suffer in light of planning your big day.

Simplify

Even though it feels good to have options, having too many of them can often lead to decision fatigue. Take your engagement and wedding rings for example — if you are still looking for the perfect ring, sometimes having too many choices can actually make the decision a lot harder. Go for something simple and timeless, or explore preset engagement rings to make sure you don’t get overwhelmed by all the options available to you. You can also narrow down your potential wedding venues to make the decision a lot easier — go for a small, medium, and larger choice, or a variety of price ranges rather than attempting to decide between the endless venues in your area.

Compartmentalize

It can be tempting to start daydreaming about your wedding while at work, but the best way to avoid suffering in either area is to compartmentalize. When you’re at work, put away all notions of wedding planning and focus on the task at hand. The same goes when you’re planning your wedding — don’t worry about Monday’s meeting when you’re designing your wedding cake. Separating the two responsibilities can help ensure that you’re giving your all to both.

Have a Specific Plan

Develop a plan of action to ensure you’re not missing any important details. Going all in without a plan can mean you end up scattered and overwhelmed on your big day. This plan can start simple, with something like:

Booking a venue
Finding a caterer
Planning out invitations
Designing your wedding favors
Picking out gifts for the wedding party
Going shopping for wedding attire
Choosing a place to host your rehearsal dinner
Recruiting help from friends and family
Creating a seating chart
Planning space to reset and review

Prioritize

Before you dive right in, first figure out which tasks and elements of the wedding are most important to you. Are you a foodie that wants to make sure your wedding dinner is the best of your life? Then make sure you set aside enough time to figure out what you’re going to serve at your wedding. Have you been dreaming of your wedding dress since you were a little girl? Then maybe a big weekend away shopping with your loved ones is at the top of the list. Don’t forget, you and your partner can make a day out of shopping for wedding rings! This is a great time to compare notes on what you’re thinking for the wedding, as well as spend some time remembering why you decided to get hitched in the first place.