Three Must-Read Tips for Couples with a Long Wedding-Planning Timeline
Some couples choose to have a long engagement—and we're all for relishing in your new relationship status before you start planning the big day—but others simply don't want to wait. But here's the thing: As any 2020 couple will tell you, what you want isn't always what you get. Whether your wedding was postponed in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic or you're a newly-engaged couple unable to get a wedding date before 2022 due to all those postponements, so many brides and grooms are now facing very long planning timelines—whether they wanted them or not. So, how do you stay organized? Here, we share our very best tips.
Related: Tips for Planning a Wedding on a Tight Timeline
Find a Great Wedding Planner
Since you have more time than you anticipated, you might want to consider researching local wedding planners if you haven't already. Sure, it's an additional expense, but they'll handle everything that comes next: sussing out great vendors, helping you choose floral arrangements, cake flavors, the wedding menu, and more. And, perhaps most importantly, they'll be tasked with keeping you on track. While having a great deal of time to plan may seem like it would make the process easier, that's not always the case. With more time to second-guess decisions, planning your wedding with a long timeline can actually be more stressful.
Schedule Meetings in Advance, Then Create a Planning Timeline
Once you've booked your vendors, try to get future meetings on the books. For example, schedule a meeting with your venue to discuss floor plan in three months, and then plan to have a rough guest list by then so you can accurately map out the party. Make an appointment for a food tasting with your caterer, then a second meeting to discuss those final selections. Knowing when you need to have each task completed by will help you stay organized and on track.
Keep the Love Alive
With a long engagement, it may be easy to forget that at the end of the long road of planning, you're getting married to the love of your life. Make time for date nights, pre-marital counseling, and spending quality time together. The engagement should be all about planning!
