Plan your wedding with intention and efficiency so you can get back to enjoying your engagement.
Productivity has been a buzzword for a few years now, and the concept can be applied to all aspects of life if you get creative. Wedding planning is especially ripe for some hacks in the efficiency department. There can be a lot to do and varying timelines in which to do it!
DO delegate
According to the 2020 WeddingWire Newlywed Report, the planning responsibilities* break down like this: 67% Bride + 14% Groom + 13% Parents + 6% Other. We’d like to flip the script and encourage those grooms to step into a planning role. There are so many tasks that can comprise a wedding that everyone has ample opportunity to find their role in the planning. The most important thing is that no one resents one another for their contributions or lack thereof to the wedding planning. Communicate. Delegate. Make someone the point person for the task. Make sure everyone is comfortable with the distribution of work. Make sure everyone is heard (yup, parents included). Revisit this every month or two to make sure everyone still feels appreciated for the work they are doing.
*based on heterosexual marriages
DON’T spend every waking moment wedding planning
The long list of to-do’s can be daunting. And it can be tempting to talk about wedding planning A LOT. Especially when friends and family constantly ask how it is going (and you kindly want to remind them that there’s more to their life than wedding planning). Make a date night with your partner each week where wedding talk is off-limits. Use the time to get to know each other better (there's a section in The Engagement Journal for that). Didn’t grow up in the same place? Ask about what it was like growing up in their hometown. Love to travel? Make your bucket list of places to go together. Movie buffs? Create a list of the movies you’ve seen together, and make another list of ones to watch.
DO spend time researching
The more you research, the more you’ll be confident in your decision-making. Make sure your vendors are well-reviewed and have shining testimonials. As a former wedding vendor, we had been in the position where we were the second business approached because the “first one didn’t work out.” Do your homework so you choose with confidence and don’t have to use your plan B.
DO have a plan B
Speaking of plan B, how many of you are enacting one at this very moment? Before COVID-19, we hadn’t heard or read much about having a MAJOR backup plan (aside from, say, a plan if it rains). Wedding planners and those of us who struggle with anxiety will appreciate thinking about your wedding from every angle and for every possible scenario. As we grapple with the realities of planning a wedding in 2020 and 2021, a backup plan is absolutely necessary.
DON’T try to DIY
Now this topic I HAVE read into. And I’m here to tell you that DIY is many things, but it is not productive. Sure, it can absolutely be fun, rewarding, and enjoyable. But if productivity is the name of the game, DIY is not our first recommendation. See point #1 and DELEGATE. If you have the budget, hire the expert. They’ve likely worked hundreds of weddings and can answer your questions and “do the thing” in a fraction of the time it would take you, your bridesmaids, mothers, or whoever got roped into the DIY session. If you don’t have the budget, explore if this is really in your priority list for what you value.
DO communicate progress
Planning a wedding can take 3 months or 3 years. Revisiting communication throughout your season of engagement is crucial. When you’ve accomplished a task or hit a milestone, celebrate it. Celebrate the wins, big and small. Yes – there will be one large celebration at the culmination of your planning, but don’t forget to enjoy the process and appreciate the work it takes along the way.
What have you found to be a good productivity hack in your life?
Leave a comment