Stress Free Planning: Five Tips to Keep You Calm from the Penn Oaks Golf Club

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting times in a couple’s life.  Planning the wedding should be as well, but the countless details and errands to juggle might seem overwhelming at first…and right up until the wedding day.  At the same time, couples have their own jobs and lives to maintain, so having a strategy to approach planning with is important to keep stress levels down.  Here are some suggestions:

Start Early: Giving yourself enough time to plan is recommended.  You’ll need at least a year to spread out the work over time, and more importantly, to have more options for the ceremony and reception hall booking dates.  You’ll also have flexibility with your first-choice vendors.

Get Help:  Look for a reception site with their own event coordinators, preferably a site with more than one, so there will always be someone to answer questions.  The coordinator will work with you throughout the planning stage and on your big day, and will be the difference between an enjoyable experience and a disorganized one.

Stay Organized: The basics: keep a large binder with dividers to hold all your receipts and contracts.  You may want to consider another section for ideas, like magazine clippings and fabric swatches, and for resource and vendor information.  Keep anything wedding planning related in one place—such as the corner of a guest bedroom.  Keep a calendar where you can have a quick view of timelines, and write everything down.

Take Breaks: It’s easy to get wrapped up, but you’ll be more efficient if you take restorative breaks.  Catch coffee with a friend, take a new yoga class; think and talk about things non-wedding related.

Be Grateful: When you start to feel stressed, take a moment to remember all the things going well in your life.  Take a break (see above).   Let your coordinator help too! (see above).

For more ideas and a great venue contact Penn Oaks Golf Club.