Friends, it’s no easy task to balance wedding planning and working full time. I’ve done it before, and it can take a lot out of you if you’re not careful.
The thing about wedding planning is that it can become a full time job, in and of itself. You’ve got calls to make, decisions to vet, appointments to go to, and a host of other items to take care of. Add it on top of working full time at an actual job, and you’re suddenly a very busy person. Being busy can be great and all, but it can also be stressful if you don’t plan for it.
I do have great news for you, though. With some intention you can balance wedding planning and working full time without driving yourself crazy. All you need to do is create some boundaries, manage your time, and recruit some help, among other items. If you do so, I promise you’ll continue to thrive at work, while enjoying wedding planning.
How To Balance Wedding Planning and Working Full Time
This post is going to walk you through how to balance wedding planning and working full time. I promise it’s not complicated. Common sense, and some thoughtfulness is all you need to achieve a nice balance. Of course, if you have an insane job that is highly demanding, some of these tips will be more difficult than if you have a more flexible job with downtime. You’ll have to figure out which tips work for you, and work through them accordingly.
Let’s get into it!
SET ASIDE TIME FOR WEDDING PLANNING
Just as you probably have set hours of the day, and days of the week, that you’re at work, it’s important to do the same with your wedding planning.
What does this look like? Well, take a review of your current weekly schedule. Find the pockets of time, outside the hours you’re working, where you can focus on wedding planning. It may involve the weekends, evenings, or lunch breaks. Find pockets of 30 minutes to two hours if you can, and plan on working on your wedding during those hours. And, actually stick to the schedule.
You’ll find that planning time to work on your wedding allows you to focus on your job at work, and wedding planning when you get to it.
HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER, IF IT’S IN YOUR BUDGET
Friends, if you’re a very busy person, wedding planners can be a lifesaver.
Wedding planners vary in the services they provide, but let me highlight what you can probably expect out of them. They will meet with you, to find out your vision, schedule, details, etc. And then they will run with it. Wedding planners will vet vendors, monitor expenses, set up your wedding planning schedule, and keep everything on track. They take the heavy load off of you, so you can focus on other things.
BE CAREFUL OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I don’t know about you, but I need some “free time” in my life. When I’m overly scheduled, I get tired and anxious. Downtime is what gives me peace.
However, when you’re in the midst of wedding planning, you may find that your downtime is taken up with wedding-time.
Because of this, you may need to limit your extracurricular activities while planning your wedding. Of course, if you find that spending time with friends and keeping busy helps with your sanity, go for it. But, if you need rest and relaxation to recharge, limit how much you commit to other people. For a limited time, you have two main focuses – work, and wedding. This will help you balance wedding planning and working full time without causing you to become exhausted and over it all.
KNOW IT’S OKAY TO SAY NO
To piggyback on the last tip, in order to maintain balance in your life know it’s okay to say “no”.
What do I mean by this?
Well, it means that you hold your boundaries, and stick to them. Across the board. If possible, say no to extra assignments at work. Say no to taking on more responsibilities, for the time being. Tell your friends no when they want to go on a trip that eats into your downtime. Say no whenever it suits you. It doesn’t have to be rude, and it’s not selfish. It’s simply you holding boundaries so you can maintain balance.
CREATE AN ORGANIZATION SYSTEM, AND MAINTAIN IT
One of the best ways to manage wedding planning and working full time is to stay organized.
Did you know that the average person spends one hour a day looking for things? How crazy is that?! When you’re a busy working person, planning a wedding, you don’t have that kind of time to waste. Do yourself a favor, and create systems to stay organized. It could be folders on your laptop, in your email, or even hard copy on your desk. Create trackers, update them, and stay on top of changes. Your sanity will thank you later.
START EARLY WHEN IT COMES TO BOOKING APPOINTMENTS
Trying to fit in time for appointments can be stressful when you have limited time available. Because of this, do yourself a favor. Book all your appointments as soon as you can.
What appointments am I talking about? Well, how about touring venues? Trying on dresses? Hair appointments? All of the above. Just get them on the calendar, and don’t worry if it seems pre-emptive or too soon. You can always push them back if you need to.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH
Have you checked out my recent blog post on kickstarting your wedding wellness plan? If not, you should check it out.
In order to maintain balance wedding planning and working full time, you have to take care of yourself. This means moving your body. Eating a balanced diet. Sleeping enough. Maybe meditating, or spending time on things that aren’t related to work or wedding. You have to find outlets for stress that work for you, and it’s important to keep your body in ideal condition to help support what your brain is working on.
LEAN ON YOUR PARTNER
Don’t forget. You’re not planning this wedding alone. You have a partner who should be able to help you.
Now, of course, not every partner is the best helper. But, there is hope for most of them.
Look, part of maintaining balance while wedding planning and working full time means knowing your limitations and leaning on your team. You can’t do it all, and you shouldn’t have to. So, delegate. Ask your partner to take on certain tasks. Assign based on their skillset, and be clear about what you’d like to have happen. Your partner doesn’t want you stressed out, and is likely excited to jump in and be there to work on the wedding, too.
GET GOOD AT TIME BLOCKING
Have you heard of time blocking? If not, let me tell you about it.
Often the hardest part of accomplishing a task is simply getting started. And, once we start, it’s easy to get distracted. Enter time blocking.
If you are trying to balance wedding planning and working full time, you have to block time to do both. In particular, wedding planning. All you need to do is set aside some time, have a task you’d like to accomplish, and set a timer. No matter what, while that timer is going, you need to work on that task. The amount of time you set is up to you, but I suggest a relatively short amount of time. Twenty, thirty minutes. Set the time, silence your phone, and work on your task.
If you do this effectively, you’ll find that you’re able to cross items off your wedding to-do list, and feel less stressed and overwhelmed.
TAKE TIME AWAY FROM WORK, IF IT’S AVAILABLE
This option isn’t for everyone, but work it if you can.
If you have a job that has vacation days, or allows for time off, take advantage of it while you plan your wedding. Finding time on nights and weekends isn’t always easy. Perhaps taking a full weekday off once in awhile, while planning your wedding, will be helpful. You can use this time away from work to work on your wedding, or just take some time to yourself. You deserve it.
GO FOR ALL-INCLUSIVE VENUES
Do you know about all-inclusive venues? If not, let me fill you in.
All-inclusive venues are just as they sound. Wedding venues that provide everything. These are the venues that will help you with your DJ, florist, day of coordinator, photographer, and sometimes even wedding invitations and décor. These venues may be limiting to some engaged couples. However, for really busy people, they are a blessing. All-inclusive venues will essentially take the guess work out of wedding planning for you, and guide you every step of the way.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR DAYS OFF
Don’t have a job that has lots of vacation time, or need to save that vacation time for your actual wedding?
No worries. Chances are you have days off each week. To maintain balance, you’ll have to maximize them.
To do this, you need to be intentional. Go into your days off with a clear list of what you want to accomplish in life. It could be wedding related, life related, or for your mental health. Be sure to minimize the time you spend deciding what to do in your time away from work. Knowing what you’ll accomplish, the priority of what to get done first, and how long you’ll spend on each thing will help you work through your overwhelm, and feel empowered.
KNOW THAT THIS IS ALL TEMPORARY
It’s not easy trying to balance wedding planning and working full time. Luckily, it’s not a permanent thing.
Remember, once your wedding is over, there isn’t much left to do wedding-wise. All of a sudden, you’ll have a lot more free time and life can go back to “normal”. If you feel like you’re balancing a lot right now, it’s because you are. Remind yourself that there is an end in sight, and this is all temporary discomfort for a long term benefit.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Friends, it’s not easy balancing wedding planning and working full time. Sometimes it can even feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends. Remember that there are ways to manage your time as best as possible. When in doubt, lean on your partner, hire a wedding planner, or look into all-inclusive venues. You’ve got this! Happy wedding planning.
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