Time Management for the Modern Bride

Stress-Free Wedding Planning Checklists Help with Wedding Details

Currently, I’m a project manager at an advertising agency. My day is full of setting time lines and priorities and making sure projects are completed right and on time. It’s only natural that I would take that approach with the biggest project of my life—my wedding. If you’re like me, you have a full-time job, social and family obligations, a household to take care of and finances to manage. With all that going on, do you ever wonder where you can possibly squeeze in wedding planning?

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Well, the modern bride can get it done … especially when she has a plan. The best way to get your head wrapped around all your wedding details is to create a calendar that is just for the wedding details. I created mine in Microsoft Excel. Work back from your wedding date and indicate milestones along the way. For example, my wedding date is May 1, so I counted back about eight weeks to figure out when I needed to have all my invitations out the door. From there, I can figure out when I need to have them addressed, then ordered, then picked out. Working backwards almost guarantees you’ll hit your milestones. There are plenty of resources on the Web that provide wedding calendars and countdowns so you can figure out when your milestones should be. Each time you’ve accomplished something, mark it on the calendar and by the end of the month you have a record of everything you’ve done.

Photo Credit: BayAreaWeddingReview.com

Although modern brides can do just about anything, modern brides can’t do it all. There’s nothing wrong with delegating. Politely ask your bridesmaids if they can make calls for you or run a few errands, but don’t take them for granted. It’s your wedding, but they have lives, too. Be specific with your requests and be sure to show them gratitude for helping you out.

If you can get away, run your bridal errands or make your phone calls over your lunch hour. That way you’ll catch vendors during business hours and you can avoid weekend crowds.

And most important, make time for yourself. A tired and worn out bride is a useless and cranky bride. Make sure you reserve some time to relax and not work on wedding-related items.

Photo Credit: Ross Oscar Knight Photography

So far, my time management skills have worked to my advantage. Wedding planning has been virtually stress free and I have an idea of what I need to do in the weeks and months ahead. That may be a different story weeks before the wedding. What are some of your modern bride time management tips?