Keeping Your Relationship on Track During Wedding Planning

My proposal was a fairytale under the Parisian night sky on a whirlwind trip of my dreams. I spent weeks throwing my hand out to anyone who even slightly batted an eye at the sparkler on my ring finger. Then came the planning…

Though my fiancé and I are fairly good at communicating with one another and are usually on the same page, the stress of planning a wedding is something we had never dealt with. Between all the decisions to be made, family and friends who have opinions, and the inevitable financial strain, our day-to-day operations began to become significantly more stressful than we realized.

I started reading articles and listening to other couple’s advice on how to combat the everyday stress that comes along with planning a wedding and I want to share my favorite stress free wedding planning tips!

Stress Free Engagement Tips, Kelley Deal Photography — Photo by Kelley Deal Photography

Stay on Track

Have a discussion on the vision you want for your wedding so you always know you’re on the same page. If one day you want a small chapel wedding but then the next day you want a 150 guest outdoor ceremony – that is likely to be like riding a rollercoaster of emotions for the other person. Sit down and agree with what you desire for your special day, compromise, write down your must haves and flexible options, and then go from there. If you start to realize you’re veering off track, come back to your list and talk it over.

Your Wedding Budget

Have an open conversation with one another about how much you are willing to spend on the wedding and also how much you are financially able to spend. This is very important for couples paying for their own wedding or even most of their wedding. Come up with a detailed spreadsheet with your budget for each item and the total amount for the wedding. It will give you an overview of where your money is going so when you are questioning things and deciding what is important, you can easily access all the information. Tip: Be reasonable with your wedding budget. It took my fiancé for a huge surprise when I told him the bottom line number of what flowers were actually going to cost. Don’t let a bill surprise you and lead to tension.

Be Okay With Divvying Up Tasks

This isn’t for every couple, but in most cases there is going to be one person who really takes the reigns on planning. While this is normally the bride, it doesn’t have to be. It’s okay for one person to enjoy or want to plan more than the other. Make sure you are both okay with whomever is taking control of decisions and just go with it. It makes it so much easier than having to sit down constantly talking about flower colors when the other person has very little interest in the subject. Always consult the other person, but let’s be honest, nothing will ever get done if you both want to micromanage the entire planning process. I give my fiancé one task a week that he has to complete. He gets to contribute and feel like he’s a part of the process, but I don’t have bog him down with decisions that he doesn’t really care about.

Don’t Forget to Plan the Fun Stuff

It’s so easy to get stressed out planning the details of your day and forget there is so much fun to be planned too! Your honeymoon, fun things to register for, your first dance song! Enjoy those fun tasks that don’t feel as stressful as picking a food that all 150 people will enjoy or what color napkins go with your theme. Allow these fun parts of wedding planning to enhance your relationship and engagement experience.

Have Non-Wedding Planning Time

I read this somewhere and it was the best advice I’ve heard. One day a week, at least, schedule a date night that has zero wedding planning involved. My fiancé and I will go out to our favorite sushi restaurant, put our phones away, and not talk about flowers, caterers, or anything that has to do with our wedding day. It’s easy to get caught up in all the planning and not really enjoy your engagement.

Now that you are prepped with these tips, head over to our SB&G Preferred Vendor page and start planning!