The most wonderful time of the year is nearly upon us, but it’s also one of the busiest. From family gatherings to holiday parties, gift shopping, decorating, wrapping and more, we have very little room on our calendars for much more. If taking a few weeks off from planning your wedding isn’t an option then I hope these tips for planning your wedding during the holidays makes things a little easier for you.
Tips for Planning your Wedding During the Holidays
Make Your List and Check it Twice
There may be different reasons for not taking a little time off planning your wedding during the holidays. Regardless of your reasons, you need to stay organized and be a great planner from the start so that you are taking on too much (and potentially getting behind) during the holidays. So what exactly does this mean?
For starters, if you need to schedule appointments with any of your vendors in November and December, you need to get those appointments scheduled well in advance. Just like your busy calendar, your vendors will have holiday plans too so they may not have the same availability as they would other times of the year.
Here at Raspberry Creative for example, family is our first priority so we shut down for a week over Thanksgiving and shut down for almost two weeks over Christmas and the New Year. This time off takes advantage of our slower time of year and allows us plenty of time to spend with our family enjoying life and each other.
Planning ahead and getting things scheduled will also help to keep you focused on on task even during the more hectic time between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
Take Advantage of Time Together
Take advantage of the extra time spent with family to get input, figure out things like budget and the guest list and make use of a few extra hands for assembling favors, stuffing invitations, etc. What you can get done will depend on the stage you are in, of course. For example, if you are recently engaged those big picture topics may be helpful.
As mentioned above, things like discussing budgets, who is paying for what, setting a guest list, talking about venues or maybe narrowing down a potential short list of wedding dates. If your wedding is closer, then getting ideas for family photos or collecting ideas for the dances may be more appropriate.
The key here is balance. Make a list ahead of time of things you need to talk about or do with family when you see them and stick to the list. This eliminates unwanted advice or suggestions from others relating to things you want to handle on your own and it keeps you from overshadowing the holidays with nothing but wedding talk. Not everyone will be as interested in planning your wedding as you are.
Think Beyond Holiday Shopping
Black Friday and all the amazing sales that come after are great for all those holiday gifts, but why not check of wedding shopping off your list too? From wedding decor and DIY supplies to bridesmaid’s dresses, wedding party gifts and jewelry for your wedding day accessories, the holidays are also the perfect time to save on your wedding day needs too. This is the perfect time to find beautiful picture frames on sale to use as parents / in-law gifts.
Think beyond gifts too. The holidays are also a great time to scope out travel deals and destinations for the honeymoon. Watch for deals on flights or hotel rooms too. Be creative and save!
Wrap Up Early
One of the things that seems to catch me off guard every year is wrapping and I’m not planning a wedding. Because you already know you’ll have more on your plate than usual, stay on top of your holiday wrapping by wrapping gifts as you go. That also means you need to get your holiday shopping done early which means you have to be a good planner.
Getting your shopping done and your gifts wrapped early means you’ll have more time to spend planning your wedding. You’ll be much less stressed over the holidays too!
Give Yourself Time to Relax
The holiday season is wonderful but it’s also stressful. It’s easy enough to get run down and sick this time of year without a wedding to plan on top of it. Even if you can’t take a few weeks off from wedding planning altogether, make sure you give yourself at least some time to relax and enjoy the holidays. Make a point to be present and enjoy time with family and friends free of wedding planning talk.
The holiday season is a special time of year full of parties, family and great food. It can also be stressful and busy to the point that it becomes easy to get caught up in all the stuff that we miss it’s true meaning. This can be made even worse when trying to plan a wedding on top of everything else. If you must continue to plan your wedding during the holidays, planning ahead and staying organized is a must but taking advantage of the time with family and holiday sales can prove to be a benefit. I hope these tips help make your wedding planning over the holidays a little easier and less stressful.
