5 Tips to Avoid Last Minute Wedding Stress





Now that the warmer weather has finally arrived and the first long weekend of the season is upon us, I am looking forward to the upcoming flurry of weddings and all the excitement that they brings!  For those getting married this summer/fall you are in the final stages of planning and the countdown has begun; a prospect that can be both exciting and a little stressful for most.  So, for today's blog post I have put together a list of 5 things that you can do to get organized and banish some of that pre-wedding stress. 
  • First and foremost, if you haven’t done so already, hire a “month-of” coordinator to help you in the home stretch!  A month of coordinator will make sure that all those last minute details come together exactly the way that you have carefully planned them!  Just knowing that your coordinator will be there to manage the wedding day for you (with their emergency kit and tons of knowledge), goes a LONG way in eliminating lead up stress.
  • Avoid procrastination and get your seating chart finished as early as possible!  This little “guest jigsaw puzzle” is often a challenge – especially when left to the last minute.  As soon as your RSVP deadline has passed start calling those stragglers and non-respondents so that you can begin plotting the tables early.  Having this guest information early means that you can also finish your escort cards/seating chart etc and knock a few more things off your last minute “to-do” list.
  • Avoid wedding burn out and plan a few “wedding planning free” days – mark them in the calendar and make sure to spend this time relaxing (date-night, perhaps?).  I know it is hard when you feel like there is so much to do… but taking a break and letting your thoughts catch up with you will make you much more efficient when it is time to work.   
  •  Create a wedding “command station” in your house to organize all of your wedding supplies (wardrobe, decor, cake knife, guest book etc).  Pick up a few Rubbermaid bins (or similar) and label them: “Ceremony decor” “Reception decor” “Wedding Coordinator” “Wardrobe” etc and divide your gear accordingly.  From this point on, every time you come home with a new wedding related purchase*, place it directly into the correct container.  You will be so thankful for this organization later when all you have to do is throw the pre-packed and organized bins in the car!                                                                                                             * note: make sure to clean/polish and remove any stickers or tags from all of your items before adding them to the correct bin.  Doing this one item at a time is less stressful than in bulk the day before your wedding.
  •  Spend half an hour (now) organizing all of your wedding paperwork into a binder or accordion file (vendor information & contact, contracts, guest list, etc)- keep adding any new paperwork as you move forward.  When it comes time to meet with your coordinator 4-6 weeks before the wedding, take this binder/folder with you. Having everything readily available in a well organized binder will make the flow of information to your planner very efficient – which means you will have more time to spend talking about the things that are really important to you on your special day.  

Getting these few things out of the way NOW means that you can relax a little and enjoy the summer sun!
If you have any great tips or tricks that you can share, leave them in the comments below! 

Let’s keep this wedding season exciting and as stress free as possible! 
Have a great long weekend everyone and Happy Planning! 


* "Erase Stress" (left) image in the collage above is by: Alan Cleaver

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