The holidays are just around the corner, which means it’s the season to get engaged. According
to Wedding Wire, 40 percent of engagements happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s
Day. If this happens to be you, before setting the date, make sure you keep the following tips in
mind to avoid the anxiety and stress that comes with planning a wedding as a bride-to-be.
Choose a date wisely
With all of the excitement, it’s hard not to get caught up in making that dream day come quickly.
However, on average, it takes 12-18 months to plan a wedding. Couples that start early with
ample time have better choices as far as getting the venue and the vendors they really want to
work with.
Another thought to keep in mind is if you’d like an outdoor or indoor wedding, and what the
weather will be like around that time. With August being the hottest month of summer, a beach
wedding would be safer then than in the cooler month of June. Mother nature can play tricks at
times so if you’re set on an outdoor wedding, make sure you have a backup plan if some
unforeseen rain showers crash your day. A venue that can accommodate both types of
weddings is always a safe bet.
Budget with time
A big reason to choose a date wisely is to give you time to get your finances in order. Weddings always have an unexpected cost somewhere along the way and having an extra year or two can allow you to save for more flowers, your soon-to-be husband’s wedding band, or even the dress or veil that costs more than you originally planned. Because everything can add up so quickly, credit unions like Mountain America Credit Union offer flexible credit loans with lower interest rates that can help you not stress as much about not having enough for unanticipated costs. Jade Beckman, vice president of consumer loans at Mountain America Credit Union, advises to “have a credit card handy for your wedding expenses. Just be sure to have a well-thought-out plan to pay it off as soon as possible. It can relieve quite a bit of stress knowing that you have a low-interest rate credit card to rely on, so keep it around for any wedding cake emergencies or fiascos with the caterer.”
Something else to think about— free up more funds for the wedding by using the lower interest rate loan to pay off your prior debts.
Use a wedding planner
If you work full-time, planning a wedding can seem overwhelming. Appointments like cake tastings, planning menus, mock-ups, and photography sessions can seem impossible to schedule after work hours. Having a wedding planner to take care of everything for you and meet with you on your own time makes a world of difference.
A wedding planner takes the pressure and stress off of staying on top of major details, by assisting with appointments, communicating with your vendors on your behalf, staying on top of mailing out invites, keeping track of all RSVP’s, and even suggesting ideas that only they may think of with their experience in the industry. Hiring the right planner can make your wedding planning experience less stressful and more fun.
The key to a less stressful wedding planning experience is time. Get a headstart by planning at least a year out so that you can take your time finding your dream dress, discovering an amazing venue, meeting with different wedding planners, finding the perfect bridesmaid dresses, and going at a pace where you can actually enjoy the process, instead of feeling like a bridezilla.
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