Most people don’t want to have to plan a wedding in college. Aren’t we already stressed out enough?! But, sometimes graduation dates get moved back and you end up having no choice. I got engaged last November (yay!!) and have been tirelessly wedding planning ever since. As the big day draws closer, I keep thinking of things that I’m glad I did and things I wish I had done and decided to share these with y’all so you can have a leg up on this crazy, amazing process.
1. Make a location choice and stick with it!
When we first got engaged, our first location choice was obvious: Disney World! What girl doesn’t dream of riding up in Cinderella’s Carriage? Then it changed to the beach, then the zoo, etc. However, as we discussed it, we realized that we would have to have our wedding at home to have everyone we loved there. Luckily, we are from the same city, but if you and your boo are from different areas, just talk it out and decide what the best option would be.
2. Look for all-inclusive venues.
Seriously, this is the BEST decision we made. Our venue does everything from decor to music to food, and we couldn’t be happier. This brought our stress level way down and has made payment easier as well since most of it goes to one place. It also makes logistics easier since you only have to communicate with one business.
3. If you live far away, designate a point person (if possible).
My mom was this for us. She lives in the town where we’re tying the knot, and she was able to go look at venues for us, communicate with our vendor, and basically go see or do whatever we needed her to. She toured our (extremely popular) venue and put down the deposit that day so that we could have the wedding we dreamed of. This way I didn’t have to try to work things out from over 4 hours away. Of course, if it’s going to be a destination wedding, this could be more complicated but if it’s an option for you definitely take it.
4. Set aside wedding time and space.
One thing that took me a while to do, but I’m glad I did, was set up one portion of my desk as a wedding planning area. I have a special planning notebook, tons of samples of invitations and fabrics, and really everything I need to be organized in one spot. I also had to stop and say “okay, I’m going to study for an hour when I get off of work and then spend 30 minutes on wedding stuff.” Try to make separate time and get things done ASAP so you don’t have to stress during finals or anything.
5. Have fun!
College is supposed to be fun, and so is wedding planning. You get to bond with your friends, your partner, and your family. There’s dress shopping (if you choose to wear one of course), cake tastings, picking out invites, etc. It’s a ton of fun, so don’t let it stress you out too much! Make sure you appreciate it while you can because before you know it, you’re walking down the aisle!
I’m in no way saying that this is a perfect list for everyone, or even that you should get married at all, much less the way that I am! But, I will say that these tips will help take some of the stress out of planning the biggest party you’ve probably ever hosted.