Just the Two of Us: Planning Your Wedding With Your Partner
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Ideally, a couple’s wedding and reception should be a reflection of their love, commitment, and personal style. However, splitting up the responsibilities of wedding planning can be tricky business. How can you and your honey do double duty and keep stress under control? Read on…
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Share Your Dreams.
Before planning begins, discuss your ideal wedding scenario. Are you considering a destination wedding, a big traditional wedding, or something small and intimate? Each has its unique planning challenges, but with discussion you can figure out what works best for you and the demands of your life.
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Make a Master List.
Create a full-blown list of everything that needs to be done for your wedding. Arrange a time to go through it and decide who will handle which responsibilities. While it seems most fair to divide the tasks evenly, one of you may have a heavier load at the office or other outside responsibilities. Discuss your schedules and keep an open mind about what you each can sanely accomplish.
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Budgeting.
Budget restrictions and family opinions often seep into the best-laid plans. Make sure to discuss what type of funds you have at your disposal. Most importantly, make a vow to each other to remain calm when you realize things are more expensive than you had hoped. The key to happy planning—and a happy marriage—is to discuss challenging matters as respectfully and thoughtfully as possible.
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Create a Status Report.
Track your progress on a status sheet (much like you might do in your workplace). From addressing invitations to writing thank you notes, keep every detail on your status report. Set deadlines for getting certain tasks accomplished and do your best to stick to it. If you or your partner starts to become overwhelmed, be open to reassigning tasks.
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Things You Should Do Together.
Some bigger tasks are best done together since they reflect you and your union. These include deciding on your wedding party, choosing wedding rings, selecting the reception venue, creating the content of the ceremony, and entertainment at the reception.
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Delegation.
If you have family members or friends who love the idea of helping out, take advantage of their services! Perhaps your mother can research fun wedding favors, or your brother can do some research on the best limo company in town.
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Understand Your Strengths.
You may be better at negotiating prices than your fiancé, or perhaps your partner is passionate about menu selections. By identifying your key strengths and interests, you can make planning more fun and productive.
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Weekly Meetings.
Try not to allow wedding planning to take over your daily life. Some couples find that creating a set time to discuss plans and progress is more effective, and pleasant, than discussing wedding tidbits all throughout the week.
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When the going gets tough, remind yourself that you’re going to all this trouble because you want to celebrate your love and commitment. Family issues, money, scheduling, and time constraints are all part of planning a wedding. As long as you have each other to lean on, your big day is sure to be an affair to remember.
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