Wedding Planning for the Workaholic

Weddings will ultimately become the party of a lifetime, but given how our lives get busier and more demanding, it feels like there's no time to give weddings the time they deserve (and require). Here are some time-saving tips to keep your wedding a dream both in planning and execution.

Make a Checklist

Checklists aren't for everyone, but they're pretty much a requirement when it comes to weddings. Every planner, caterer, venue manager, florist, and anyone else even mildly involved in your wedding will want to know at least a basic timeline for what need to be done by when. There are tons of free apps and online resources to use for your wedding day checklist, but if you have a planner, they'll happily create one for you after some consultations.

Use Recommended Vendors

None of us really spend money on anything without reading at least a handful of reviews these days, so why would you be any different with the people working on your wedding?

Recommended vendors come recommended for a reason. Sure, a single restaurant or caterer may have a cheaper option, but the cheaper option doesn't always equate to the best or most satisfying option. If someone is on a recommended list, they've earned it. They've proved to the venue and countless other wedded couples that they're worth the business. My House Social in particular is a preferred vendor in a number of venues and has even been chosen as a Knot 2018 Best of Weddings.

Organize everything

If you go into your wedding from start to finish with an organized approach, you will save time in every step of the planning process. Starting with the idea to checklist to moodboard to vendor outreach, organization is key. Even taking the time to keep a binder, notebook, or even just an e-mail account where everything can be in one place will save you from potential hours of frustration.

Hire a Professional

Hiring a professional will make your planning process go smoothly since they know everything there is about having a wedding. They also tend to already have a network of vendors that they trust to make your wedding exactly as you envisioned it. If you have the budget, you will thank yourself for letting someone else take care of all of the little details.

Stick to Your Plan (the very first one)

This isn't to say that you can't add things to your wedding. Go for the extra food station, add on the florals, but you should try to keep to your initial plan as best as possible.

Consider this, if you decided halfway through a meal to go with a different menu item, you're going to be charged for the new meal and have to wait longer to get the new item you ordered.

The same process applies if you shift gears in the middle of wedding planning. If you change your vision or change your mind on any major aspect of planning, that means all your vendors will need to go back to square one, causing you more time and money. It can also potentially mean money and time you already spent getting wasted, which will risk blowing your budget.

Don't DIY

Pinterest has about a million and two amazing ideas for DIY wedding elements. And yes while they are beautifully crafted and brilliant ideas, they cost a lot in time and money. If you're already wondering if you have the time for all of the projects, it's time to accept that you don't have time to DIY.  It's not worth it, and a professional can bring all of those creative elements you dreamed of to life! It's they're whole career to do so!

Keep a Small Guest List

This is harder for planning couples coming from big families and simply can't scale down. However, if you can make your bridal party smaller, go for that. It's a hard suggestion to make, but if you can make your guest list smaller, your life will be easier (and you'll save some money on those guest counts). Remember, you don't have to invite everyone you know, and not all of your friends have to be in your bridal party.

Delegate

If you've hired a wedding planner and still have tasks that anyone in your bridal party can take care of, then delegate them ASAP. If you don't have the budget for a planner, then ask everyone you know to help anywhere they can, even if you pay a really organized friend a small "thank you fee" to help out. Dividing tasks and taking some of the work off of your plate will give you peace of mind and avoid any mishaps from trying to tackle everything yourself. Weddings are huge undertakings, and it's totally okay to ask for some helping hands.

A version of this article first appeared on Create Cultivate with collaborative efforts from WeddingWire.