Photo: Amanda K Photography via Bridal Bliss
Work on your seating chart as you go, rather than waiting for all of your RSVPs. “There are lots of great checklists available to ensure that you’re staying on task throughout the planning process — ask your planner for this if they haven’t provided one to you already. One thing I notice couples leaving until the last minute is the seating chart. Rather than waiting until all RSVPs are accounted for, create the first draft of your seating chart with your full guest list in mind. Then, as RSVPs roll in, you can either confirm the seat, or make minor adjustments to ensure that you have even seating throughout the event.” —Ashley Lachney, Owner of Alston Mayger Events
Set reminders in your phone any chance you can. “Your wedding planning to-do list is a mile long, and it’s easy to let some important things slip through the cracks with so many things on your mind. Here are some tips when it comes to the menswear in your wedding. First, groomsmen. These are you best friends and family, but they also have a lot going in their lives. Use online tools that allow you to manage your wedding party, automatically send them reminders, and make sure they don’t miss their deadlines to pay for their suit or tuxedo. Second, dads and little guys. Dad may have looked like a stud in the tuxedo he wore 30+ years ago, but it might not look as good now. Make sure to plan a nice suit or tuxedo for your dads, and you can even dress your little nephews in a nice rental as well. Third, take advantage of that phone in your pocket and set reminders. You can never have too many reminders when you’re planning this beg of an event.” —Matt Ramirez, SVP of Marketing, Generation Tux
Prioritize your task list. “When there are too many tasks, the chances of some falling through the cracks go up. The best way to manage this risk is by prioritizing tasks upfront. At Weven, every client planning portal is dynamic to your event and your chosen venue; this means you only see what the venue and yourself need to know to plan your event. This strategy can be applied at any venue, but we have seen great success for couples able to have a task list that only shows the relevant tasks for their specific event and then has those tasks dynamically spread over time — so you can look at the final things you need to do the week of your wedding, but you are being forced to see them all the time in a generic list format. This approach can help you keep focused on what is due and when.” —Meaghan Werle, Product Lead at Weven
Photo: Amanda K Photography via Bridal Bliss
Take advantage of technology. “The best way I tell my clients to tackle wedding planning tasks is to outsource. For starters, hire a wedding planner! I use systems and software to help keep clients on track with their planning tasks, and thanks to technology, it’s more efficient than ever. Not to mention after years in this industry, there are definitely things that us as planners have tackled that aren’t always top of mind for couples. There are also great trackers and to-do lists available on wedding websites that you can utilize. While you may have your tried and true way to stay organized, planning a wedding can be overwhelming with all the moving pieces. It’s best to have multiple checkpoints in place to make sure no deadline is missed or stone unturned.” —Kari Dirksen, CEO + Lead Planner, Feathered Arrow Events
Hire a planner. “The easiest way to avoid overwhelm in wedding planning is to hire a professional planner! He/she/they can set a reasonable and sensible timeline, guide you through the process, and ensure no detail large or small are overlooked. You can enjoy your engagement while someone else manages the logistics and any issues that arise in the background on your behalf.” – Nora Sheils, Founder Bridal Bliss + Co-Founder Rock Paper Coin
If you’re allowing kids, add in age-friendly entertainment. “There are plenty of pros and cons that come along with allowing kids at your wedding; however, if you’ve decided on an age-friendly affair, you’ll want to think about how both the parents and the children will have a blast. The option that will allow the most peace of mind is hiring an on-site childcare company like Wedding Sitter® to supervise and entertain the kids, just a room away close to your main reception area. That way, you’ll have the best of both worlds” the kids close to you on your special day, while still getting to enjoy yourself.” —Jessica Williams Flores, Founder, Wedding Sitter
Come up with a post-wedding plan for your dress and attire. “Purchasing your dress is one of the first and most exciting tasks that most certainly will not be forgotten about, but what about what to do with it after your special day? Do you want to save it, donate it, or sell it? Regardless of your choice, you’ll need to get your gown cleaned right away. The delicate fabrics wedding dresses are comprised of begin to yellow in as little as six months; we always advise a bride to order her wedding dress cleaning and preservation when, or soon after, purchasing her dress.” —The Wedding Gown Preservation Kit
Photo: Mosca Studio via Bridal Bliss
Play to others’ strengths. “Never underestimate the value of help during the wedding planning process! Ask trusted friends, family members, and bridal party members to help out when you feel like you need to outsource tasks. For example, ask your mom who’s such a travel pro to help set up your hotel room blocks, or ask your fashion-focused bridesmaid to help pick out getting ready outfits for you and your bridesmaids for the wedding morning. When you know you could use an extra pair of hands to help cross off all of your wedding to-do’s, it just makes sense to have people help in the areas they know best.” —Kristy Breed & Helen Semovski, Director & Designer, Le Rose Stories