What Couples Wish They Knew Before They Started Planning Their Weddings

Getting married is so exciting – but planning a wedding can be more stressful than fun. Here are 10 pieces of insider advice from a seasoned wedding planner and designer Susan Dunne who has been there.

Know Your Budget (And Stick To It)

When you pick a venue, you’ll get an idea of how much you’ll be paying for the biggest single expense of your big day – but there are so many ways your budget can creep out of control. Coming up with a firm number for how much you can comfortably spend will save you from the stress of trying to crunch numbers mid-planning. Wedding Wire and The Knot both have helpful wedding budget calculators online.

There Are No Rules For Your Wedding

Don’t want a bachelor/bachelorette? Then skip it. You’d rather not do the garter and bouquet thing? Don’t. Just because wedding traditions exist doesn’t mean you need to observe every single one of them – even if your older family members have different ideas about that. Break up with the idea of what your wedding “should be” and focus on creating a day that makes you and your partner truly happy. Remember: if no wedding tradition was ever broken, we’d never have had the donut wall.

You Can’t Do It All Yourself

Even the most put-together couples can’t possibly manage every task involved in planning a wedding and escape unscathed. And trust us, the last thing you want is to limp across the finish line as a sleep-deprived, stressed-out mess on your wedding day. Get comfortable delegating. Your friends and family want to help, so let them.

You Especially Can’t Do It All Yourself On Your Wedding Day

There is nothing less magical and romantic on your wedding day than fielding 100 calls from vendors with delivery questions while you’re getting ready with your bridesmaids. This is where a wedding planner comes in. Not only will she be the point-person day of so you’re free to enjoy yourself, she can also be the bad guy when it comes to explaining to your family that no, nobody will be throwing rice, even though yes, it was what they did back in the day. That’s on top of all of the hours of research she’ll save you, and how much you’ll save from her help in avoiding costly mistakes.

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

This is especially true with the small stuff that’s out of your control. Sure, you should double check that the flowers are going to be what you picked. But should you be fretting about it to the point where you’re having stress dreams about the wrong arrangements at your wedding? No. Nor should you worry that the bar won’t stock enough red wine, or that the alterations on your dress won’t be done in time. You hire professionals because they’re just that – professionals. Besides, it’s your (professional) wedding planner’s job to worry about all of that stuff, anyway.