Wedding planning can be a complicated process. It’s rarely quite as simple as meeting your partner at the ceremony and saying your “I do’s”— with so many professionals to hire, bookings to make, and loved ones to invite, it’s probable that a few items on the to-do list will be neglected or entirely forgotten by accident. This is completely normal, but to help you avoid the stress or embarrassment of realizing you’ve missed something, here are a few oft-forgotten aspects of the wedding planning and budget process that you might want to remember.
To Establish Priorities
In the initial stages of planning your wedding, it’s vital that you determine what the top priority items are within your budget to avoid overspending. For example, do you have your heart set on a gorgeous reception venue? Is it your dream to dance the night away to a great Chicago wedding band? Have you found a photographer whose style mirrors the essence of your very soul?
Once you’ve established the components of your wedding budget that are most important to you, it will become much easier to allocate your funds exactly how you want and cut back on other non-essential expenses. By this time, you might be working out of a suggested wedding budget template you found online. If you haven’t, refer to your recent transactions via your online bank account and see what proportions of your budget are left for the things you still need to book. The more steps you take to reduce your financial stress in the beginning of your wedding planning process, the easier it will be to relax and enjoy yourself on the day of the event.
Crucial Pieces of the Emergency Kit
These days, most brides have it in mind to pack an emergency kit with tools for makeup touch-ups and mending any last-minute dress tears, but there are a few items that you might want to add to the kit for the absolute worst-case scenarios. Of course you don’t want to think too pessimistically about how your wedding day will play out, but planning for surprise misfortunes like food poisoning, Aunt Flo’s untimely appearance, or drawing a complete blank on your vows (why are you marrying this person again?) will give you greater peace of mind when the day of your nuptials arrives. Hopefully you won’t have to bust out the Imodium for you or your guests at any point during the day, but you can never be too prepared!
To Be Comfortable
Once you’ve found the dress of your dreams, it can be hard to think of anything else but how beautiful it’s going to look as you walk down the aisle. But bear in mind that you’ll be wearing the gown for hours on end, so you’re going to want to make sure that it isn’t unbearably tight, itchy, or in constant need of adjustment. When choosing your wedding dress, seek out options that leave you both looking and feeling spectacular.
Another way to prioritize comfort later in the day is to bring a reception dress in addition to your bridal gown. Reception dresses are often cheaper, shorter, and more relaxed in silhouette, so you won’t have to spend your evening unable to move (or, more importantly, dance) freely, nor will you have to worry about spilling wine or cake on the pricier gown.
To Put Their Own Needs First
It’s all too easy to find yourself caught up in family drama and to feel as though you need to set your wedding plans with those inter-relative tensions in mind, but remember that this is your day. Sure, there are certain things you can do to help keep the peace, but you shouldn’t have to bend over backwards for the sake of your guests. If you feel as though your event would run more smoothly without certain friends or family members in attendance, don’t feel obligated to invite them. Sending courtesy invitations isn’t worth the headache their presence might cause you, and you deserve to have a wedding day where you feel nothing but joy and excitement. In this instance, putting your own wants and needs first will make your wedding much more enjoyable for you and your spouse-to-be.
To Have FUN!
Of course you want your wedding day to be absolutely perfect, but perfection is often an unrealistic expectation. Every wedding has a snafu or two, so there’s no point in worrying over the little things that are out of your control. Don’t be afraid to let go of the reins and just appreciate your wedding day for however it unfolds. When you choose David Rothstein Music as your Chicago wedding band, your separate and designated emcee will take care of all of your announcements and transitions so that you can do just that.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, so focus on having as much fun as you can with the people you love most in this world. Laugh until your stomach hurts, dance until you drop, and celebrate the heck out of your new relationship status. Give this new chapter of your life with your spouse the proper kick-off it deserves!