Today’s blog post is a reader Q&A! I’ve chosen a couple of your most pressing wedding planning questions to answer. Here we go!
Question #1
The first wedding planning question comes from Rachel and she says, “My current most pressing wedding planning struggle is trying to figure out what the overall theme and feel should be. Do we want full-on rustic, DIY, romantic, casual, or something else entirely? I know the rest of the decisions are going to follow this and it's just putting a lot of pressure on to figure out what our grand plan is.”
Rachel, great question! What I want to say first before I dive into my specific ideas about finding a theme that suits you is to be gentle with yourself. You see, these are the decisions that can get frustrating if you let them. Racking your brain and reading a zillion articles to help you pick the perfect this or the perfect that is what becomes insanely stressful about the wedding planning experience.
So first, take a deep breath and make decisions that feel right to you, that reflect your preferences and style. Don’t do anything because of what you think it should look like or should feel like. If you have to use the word “should,” chances are it’s not right.
The theme that will best fit you is the one that best fits your personality, your joint personality that is, and style.
Have this equation in mind: Wedding theme = your style + your personality.
So to get started on deciding on a theme, just think about yourself! Easy, right?! Are you laid back? Do you prefer the city, the suburbs, or the country? Do you dress casually or do you love every chance you get to dress up?
What’s your preference? Circle the one that reflects you most:
Rustic or chic
Formal or casual
Left brained or right brained (artistic or not)
Sentimental or pragmatic
Simple or extravagant
Old or new
Evening or daytime
Beach, city, rural
I recommend doing this exercise with your fiancé. It may be my own personal preference, but I wanted to include my now husband into wedding planning because our wedding day was about us, not about me.
Doing this joint reflection is a great date night activity! Go to your favorite restaurant, have a glass of wine, and talk about your joint personality and style preferences, and you’ll be on your way to a theme that’s uniquely you in no time!
Question #2
Sarah asks, “What’s the best way to deal with wedding planning blues? I’m midway through wedding planning and I’m exhausted with making so many decisions. Help!”
Ah yes, Sarah! I feel you. But not to worry. I’ve got 3 ideas to help you get over your wedding planning blues and re-energize to keep moving forward.
You need a wedding planning break!
Chances are you think about all the things you have to do for your wedding several hours a day. That would tire anyone out! I’ve got a 3-step action plan to help.
Go on a date! Plan a night out with your fiancé, and set one ground rule. You can’t talk about your wedding. Not even once. Talk about anything else. You had a life before you got engaged that was full of wonderful and meaningful conversation that had nothing to do with your wedding. Pick up on those discussions. Daydream about your next trip. Talk about weekend plans. Anything but the wedding.
Call your bestie. Sometimes when we’re planning our wedding, we forget that our friends have things going on too. They have exciting news to share or maybe even some advice they need on a personal issue. Call your best friend and don’t talk about you, talk about her.
Make a schedule and stick to it. Now that you’ve started taking a few steps to get outside of 24/7 wedding planning mode, make a schedule of when you’re going to tackle your to-do list and when you’re going to focus on having personal time that has nothing to do with your wedding.
Thanks, Rachel and Sarah for your questions this week!
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