Do you have a full-time job? Do you have to do things like eat, wash clothes, and clean your house in order to have a functional life? And did you recently take on an additional full-time job by getting engaged? If this is you, I bet you are feeling the stress of, “HOW IN THE HECK AM I GOING TO GET ALL OF THIS DONE AND STILL DO REAL LIFE?!”

This, you beautiful bride-to-be, is a tricky, tricky question, but never fear! I have some tips to help you out!

#1: Hire a wedding planner/coordinator

It’s worth every penny, ya’ll. Even if you just hire a day-of coordinator, he/she will help you tackle wedding to-do’s on a schedule so they don’t pile up. Because most people experience the same feeling when To-Do’s pile up: STRESS. Getting your wedding to-do’s done on time or ahead of schedule will also free up some time for ya know, life’s necessities.

#2: Ask for help/delegate

If you are feeling overwhelmed, do not feel like you can’t ask for help. If you feel like you just cannot plan a time for your bridesmaids to try on dresses, ask your maid of honor to coordinate with everyone. If you don’t have time to pick up your dry cleaning because of vendor meetings, ask your fiance to grab it on his/her lunch break or on the way home from work. Look at your to-do’s for each week and see if there are little things you can ask your fiance, maid of honor, or mom/dad to help out with! Although we are all Wonderwomen, you can’t do it all, dear.

#3: Meal plan

This is something that I started doing while wedding planning and it has totally changed my life. I still do it religiously and I can’t imagine going back.

At the beginning of each week (on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday depending on weekend plans) look at your schedule for the week and pick out your meals. This will save you SO much time and stress during the week and will free up time for wedding planning. Here’s how I do it:

• Look at my weekly schedule and see what events/meetings/To-Do’s we have lined up each evening. On the nights we have no plans, I cook, on the nights we are busy, I pick quick meals or pre-plan to just go out and grab something.
• Fill in your schedule with the meals you pick for each night. We fill ours in on a dry erase board that hangs on our refrigerator. With this schedule posted for both of us to see, there is no question about what we are having for dinner!
• Make a grocery list. After I pick out my recipes for the week, I make a grocery list with everything I need. Then we make our grocery run on Sunday evenings. That way we don’t have to make grocery runs every single night! This also helps us save money!
• Stick to it! Pre-planning weekly meals is so beneficial not only while wedding planning, but always! It saves you time, money, avoids stress, and helps you to eat healthier! Which is super important for bridal beauty!

#4: Plan/Take Care of small things when you can

Have a day off? Have an extra hour in between meetings? Get something done, honey! Even if it’s something as small as searching for and ordering your bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, or bachelorette party dresses, mark it off the list!

Doing small things like this when you can will avoid a lot of stress in the long run! I mean have you ever felt stressed about picking out an outfit for an important event? Um yeah, me too.

#5: Designate your time

I like schedules. I mean, I really like schedules, so if you do too, this one is for you. If you aren’t so fond of scheduling or planners, this may not be too helpful for you, but if you feel compelled, try it!

A mentor of mine once said, “if it’s not on my calendar, it won’t happen,” and I totally agree with her. She told us that she even puts working out, calling her sister, and doing the laundry on her calendar. She does this so number one, she won’t forget, and number two, so she can visually see that she has enough time in the day to get it done. I adopted this practice while I was planning my own wedding, and guess what? It works.

If you have a lot of wedding to-do’s to get done during the week, put them on your calendar in time blocks after work with dinner worked in. This will help you be more productive and will help you know exactly what will get done, when!

You Can Do It!

I know wedding planning can be super overwhelming and stressful, but please don’t feel discouraged – you can do it! And at the end of the day, you’re planning this event to celebrate marrying your person, so just think about that when you’re feeling stressed!

And if you have any questions about my stress-relieving strategies, just let me know- I’m here to help!

Happy Wedding Planning!

xoxo,

Sammy

Interested in having the Jackson & June team plan, coordinate, or design your wedding? Find out more info here!