10 Commandments of Wedding Planning

It’s also possible that you aren’t looking to tack on any extra expenditures by doing everything yourself. Whatever the case, the process isn’t always a walk in the park. To get you through it all, here are the 10 commandments of wedding planning that you won’t even have to travel to Mount Sinai to hear!

1. Thou shalt not leave planning until the last minute

   

When the average length of an engagement in the U.S. is 14.5 months, it may seem like you have so much—even too much—time to do everything. But don’t let this fool you. There are simply too many things to do, and some of those tasks require much more time than you’d think. For example, if decide to have your wedding dress designed from scratch, it can take up to 8 months to get it produced (and that’s not counting the extra weeks needed to make alterations).

2. Thou shalt not compare thy wedding setup to influencers and movie stars

If you’ve done any amount of research on wedding advice sites or social media, you’ve likely come across your fair share of celebrity wedding stories or photo galleries. While these can trigger excitement for your own forthcoming nuptials, they can also set you up to be disappointed if your big day falls short of those with million dollar budgets or those having parts of their wedding sponsored by a major brand. Your wedding day is unique to you. As such, try to avoid feeling the need to compare yours with others. As long as it makes you happy, that’s all that matters!

3. Thou shalt not ignore thy budget

   

It can be tempting to book the most beautiful venue during peak season, but heed your discretion. Your budget is a finite thing that should cover all wedding-related expenses. Spending too much right off the bat might not leave enough room for beautiful decorations, flowers, and other elements of your wedding that will make it simply breathtaking. Therefore, it’s important to establish a budget right from the beginning and make purchases accordingly. Make use of online budget recommendations and handy tools that help you log your transactions in real time, like for example this one. That way, you’ll get the most out of your money and won’t be stuck paying off unexpected debt after your wedding day.

4. Remember to keep thy wedding day romantic

Your wedding day will likely be the biggest party you’ve ever thrown. As such, you’ll probably feel obligated to interact with every guest you included on your guest list—and you certainly should, but to the best of your ability. Sometimes it’s simply not possible to give everyone as much attention as you’d like. On your big day, you and your partner are the stars of the show, and everyone wants at least a small portion of your time. But don’t let that get in the way of the magic of the moment. Remember to be present with your spouse and indulge in all of the fun festivities together.

5. Honor thy father and mother (and any other family or friends thou may hast)

   

With all of that said, there are still some guests that may be a greater priority than others. These guests—like your father and mother (or any other person that has helped you throughout life or whilst wedding planning)—deserve to be included a little bit more in the wedding. Whether it be to include them directly in one of your ceremonies or simply taking the time to greet and thank them for being there, it’s up to you!

6. Thou shalt not murder thy spouse whilst planning a wedding with them

This one speaks for itself!

7. Thou shalt not cheat on thy wedding planner or book anything without thine partner knowing

If there’s anything that wedding planning requires, it’s constant communication. If you’ve recruited a professional to help you throughout the process, make sure you’re being as transparent with them as possible. Your wedding planner will always try to do what’s in your best interest. Withholding information about your budget, your schedule, or anything else could end up working against you. This same logic also applies to your partner. In general, wedding planning is always smoothest when things are agreed upon.

8. Thou shalt not steal wedding ideas from thy friends

   

That is, of course, unless they’re sharing them with you! By the time of your engagement, you might find weddings to be quite a common trend among your circle of friends. While that taco bar that everyone was raving about may have been a hit, it might come across as disingenuous to a friend if you decide to go the same route. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything your friends have or book the same venue. Just be sure to get most of your wedding inspo from outside sources so your big day is unique to you and fun for everyone involved!

9. Thou shalt not partake in any wedding drama

Unfortunately, drama happens. And yes, it can even happen at a wedding. As much as we’d all like everyone to be on their best behavior, it’d be unrealistic to think there isn’t someone out there who might be a little PO’d that they didn’t make the guest list, or to think that a conversation between guests might go a little sour after the reception is underway. But no matter what happens, don’t feel obligated to fix every little mishap you see. There will likely be plenty of guests who will do their utmost to make sure your day is sailing smoothly.

10. Thou shalt not forget about the future

    

Your wedding day cements your relationship as one that will last a lifetime. Therefore, as you approach your big day, try to keep a positive mentality. Filling these days with excitement, love, and joy will ultimately make it easier to build these emotions into the foundation of your marriage, so that you can start your new life out gleefully and on the right foot!