This should be possible, right? It shouldn’t be THAT hard to plan a wedding? People do this every day! L-O-L. That’s what I thought before I started actually trying to plan (and budget) for one. I quickly realized that a) people have all kinds of fEeLiNgS about weddings, and b) no matter how low-key, laid-back, or chill you think you’ll be when you start the process, midway through you’ll feel like a towel that’s been wrung out one too many times.
My advice: Pick the things – could be venue, guest list, overall aesthetic or theme, whatever – that are really important to you and your partner and stick to them. People can’t wait to give you all kinds of well-intentioned advice, but weddings are so intensely personal that it’s almost impossible to get through the whole timeline without inadvertently offending someone (or being the offended party). But knowing exactly what’s most important to you will also help you when you inevitably fall down the Pinterest rabbit hole and find yourself thinking – despite the fact that you live in NYC and are getting married in a wine bar – “An adorable beer burro with a flower crown is exactly what my wedding needs right now?? Why didn’t I think of this sooner??” Weddings! They make you crazy, I tell you.
The good news is that all this planning is GREAT fodder for story ideas. Check out the first few pieces I’ve done for Zola here: 11 Surprising Wedding Costs to Budget for at the Beginning (cake-cutting fees, I hate you!) Should We Send an Invite to Someone We Know Can’t Come? (My answer: yes!) and Should My Plus One Sign the Card? (also yes!). And keep an eye out for more wedding-related ideas/complaints – I’ve got a million of ‘em!