4 Steps to Prevent Wedding Planning from Taking Over Your Life

Alright, I know you’re beyond excited to be engaged! I bet for the first few weeks after the proposal, it was all you thought about. Something related to your wedding probably popped into your mind at least once every 2 minutes – or at least it felt like it! Now, even though you try your hardest not to bring it up at lunch with your best friend, or every night at dinner with your fiancé, you can’t help it! Wedding ideas, hopes, concerns just spill out of your lips uncontrollably.

Not to worry. You’re not alone. It’s natural to feel this excitement/borderline obsession. However, it is also a good idea to do your best to keep it in-check! Here are 4 actions you can take to prevent planning of your wedding from taking over your life.

1. Keep business as usual. Okay, I know this is easier said than done. But it’s really important. Don’t completely change your usual way of life just because you’re engaged. If you used to go to your favorite spin class 3 times a week – keep doing it! Even if it forces you to reschedule your appointment with your florist until the weekend. If you usually volunteer at your local food bank once a month, make sure you still make time for this activity – in between planning your wedding. Even though wedding planning is time consuming, it is important you still prioritize your pre-engagement activities. Don’t let these other activities fall by the wayside just because you’re getting married.

2. Keep your wedding in perspective – only focus on what REALLY matters. Remember your wedding is one day of your life. Remember to keep this in mind when you begin investing time and money into the wedding details. Will your guests really notice and appreciate the $8 napkin rings? Probably not. However, will your bridesmaid remember the personalized note you wrote for her and placed at her table at the reception? Of course, she will. Remember, your wedding is approximately 5 hours of your entire life. Be sure to focus on the details that will make the experience more meaningful and memorable for you and your guests. If the detail you’re worrying about doesn’t add to the emotional significance of your wedding – ditch it and move on!

3. Fight your inner squirrel. Set parameters. It happens to all of us. We meant to just do a little Pinterest research to see if we could find a few creative escort card display ideas. But then, one thing leads to another, and the next thing you know it’s 2 hours later, you have selected a cake recipe to bake this weekend, you found a new hair style you’d like to try and you’re pretty sure you can create your own wedding stationary for half the cost by only using grocery store paper bags; but you still have no idea how you want to display your escort cards. To fight our inner attraction to being distracted by bright shiny things on the internet (and elsewhere!), I suggest you limit the amount of time per day (or week) you spend “working” on planning your wedding. You know yourself best and probably have an idea of what your personal time limit needs to be. However, in case you’re lost and would like a little guideline, I suggest limiting yourself to 30 minutes per day. I know that might sound drastic to some of you junkies out there, but you’d be surprised how much you can accomplish in that short amount of time on a consistent basis. Setting these time limits for yourself will also help prevent the post-wedding withdrawals – which are very real. When you get to this stage, definitely check out my blog on how to fight the post wedding blues.

4. Keep your eye on the prize – and I don’t just mean the honeymoon. Remember to keep looking forward to your new life after your wedding. Keep imagining how fun it will be to begin to build your new life together, selecting the decorations for your first apartment/home, hosting your first Thanksgiving as a couple at “your place”, creating your new “traditions” together, engaging with your community as a couple, or learning new skills together. (I highly recommend tennis lessons!) Always keep in the back of your mind, your wedding is just the beginning of a new beautiful chapter in your life. Yes, your wedding should be a special memorable event. But remember, the best is yet to come.

I hope this post helps you keep planning your wedding in perspective and shake your planning addiction!

Action Steps: What tips and tricks you use to prevent wedding planning from taking over your life in the comment section below.

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