What To Do When You've Stopped Enjoying Wedding Planning

Brides, I know you've all been there. At some point, after you've spent months planning for your wedding, some things have gone your way and some just haven't, you booked your dream venue, but your favorite photographer is booked solid for the next two years, you found the dress of your dreams, but none of your bridesmaids are completely satisfied with their dresses....it just gets...a little exhausting. And at some point, especially for those brides out there that aren't a fan of planning, you get a little discouraged and maybe even start to feel like the excitement has worn off. Next thing you know, you're stuck in this stressed out rut where you don't even feel excited to work on wedding planning and it's just no fun.

Just think about it, you started out so excited, you couldn't believe you were getting married and it was like you had to pinch yourself every time you looked down at your ring finger. You bought a wedding planning binder, started your Pinterest board (or maybe you just added on to the one you already had, don't worry we won't tell anyone!), and began scouring the internet for the perfect dress you would wear on your wedding day. It was a great feeling! But now after countless conversations with relatives wondering if they can bring their three-month-old baby to the ceremony, or having to tell your second cousin that no she can't bring a plus one, you're just starting to feel run down. 

Bottom line is, nobody really tells you how much work planning a wedding is actually going to be. So today, we are about to get #REAL with all of our brides because it's time we talked about it. Wedding planning is wonderful! But it can also be, like, really stressful. We want to share with you some tips that you NEED to hear to help you get back to being excited about planning YOUR wedding! It doesn't have to be miserable and you don't have to hate everything! You can slow down and enjoy it and here's how:

Block out those haters and do what's right for you

It's a wedding, the reality is, you're going to be stepping on somebody's toes and there isn't really any way around that. At some point, you have to get to the place in your life where you know you can't please anybody, and while you're doing the best you can, you're not going to spend all of your energy on trying to give everybody what they want. It's just not possible. If you don't want there to be children at your wedding, guess what, people can get a babysitter. If you have to cut a ton of people off the guest list because of financial reasons or maybe even because of the simple fact that you just want a small wedding...GUESS WHAT? It's YOUR wedding so YOU call the shots and you DON'T have to feel bad about it. People will get over it at the end of the day and you can always give them a call to tell them why.

Find something that you DO want to plan

Let's face it, if you're reading this article, it may be because you don't want to plan anything at the moment, but I promise you, if you look hard enough, there will be something that you can do to plan for your wedding that you may semi-enjoy. If you're feeling particularly stressed, take a break from planning your seating chart, and instead, enjoy mindlessly stuffing envelopes and addressing/stamping them to send out your thank you cards while you snuggle up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, a cool glass of your favorite soda, all while watching hilarious reruns of The Office. Add in some mindless entertainment while you take care of easy, generally painless tasks that don't take much brain power. Then, get back to the more meticulous planning tasks when you've had a chance to unwind.

Don't get caught up in too much DIYing

DIY sounds so fun at first. Like so great. You can find countless DIY wedding ideas on Pinterest. But, that's the problem, there's so much that you could DIY, and sometimes less is more. The truth is, after enough DIYing, you may have ended up spending more money on crafting than what you would have by just ordering something inexpensive from Amazon. Don't get me wrong, DIY's can be really fun and they can save you money, but take on too much and you'll end up feeling exhausted, stressed, and maybe like you're going over the budget. Michael's coupons can only save you so much money. So take on a few DIY projects for your reception/ceremony, but give yourself a limit. Are you really going to have time to make all of the bridesmaid bouquets, plus personalize all of your wedding favors, and make all of the place cards yourself? Maybe not. So just know your limits and don't put too much on your plate. Sometimes it's better to just place an order and be done with it. 

Take the pressure off of yourself

If the perfectionist in you is starting to come out and you're feeling like a failure because you're worried that maybe your wedding isn't going to be pretty enough to be featured on Style Me Pretty then you need to chill. Relax. It's your wedding, it's not like the whole world has to see it. It doesn't have to meet anybody else's expectations except for your own. Quit comparing your wedding to the elaborate Tuscan destination weddings that you see plastered all over wedding websites. Do what's realistic for you. If a weekend Greecian elopement isn't in your budget or if a whole wall of pink roses is just too much for you, that is OKAY, my friend. It's still going to be great! Quit comparing everything to all of the perfectly curated weddings that you see on Pinterest. No wedding is actually perfect, but it'll be the best day of your life, and trust me, it's going to be special. So relax!

Include your fiancé in the wedding planning

This isn't just your day, it's a day for you and your husband-to-be. Don't be afraid to ask him for his input and to request that he joins you for cake tastings and visits to the florist. His opinion matters too and this shouldn't be all on you. He's got to put in some work too! Ask your man for more than a simple "I don't care", because it's not just up to you, it's up to him too! So don't put all the pressure on yourself, be willing to admit when you need some assistance and get accustomed to the idea of asking for help. It doesn't mean you've given up, it just means you have the brains to know when you're taking on just a bit too much.

Remember what the day is really all about

When it's all said and done, you won't remember this day because you had the perfect centerpieces, you'll remember it because it was the most exciting day of your life, the day you began your forever, and the day you celebrated your love and marriage with all of your friends and family. Don't sweat the small stuff and don't get too caught up in all of the fluff from wedding planning. It's not really about having a magazine-worthy reception, it's just about you and your husband and that's it, so focus on the joy you feel when you think about tying the knot with the love of your life, use that as motivation to keep you going because, in the end, it'll all be SO worth it.

Happy planning, brides! We believe in you!

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