I feel so overwhelmed with my wedding planning?

Question

I have only been engaged for a couple of days and I am already totally overwhelmed. No one is putting any pressure on my I am totally doing it myself. My problem is that I have no idea how to plan a wedding and I have a very small budget. I want to it to be beautiful and unique, but I don't know how to make this happen. There is no way that I could afford a wedding planner.

Answer 1

Go to www.weddingchannel.com and click on some of the items in the left side bar. I used this site and set up a web page, and kept track of everything here. It has a budget manager, a guest list tracker, I was even able to choose who sat at which table. There is also a lot of information on this site that may help you. Remember, you can search the web for just about anything now days. I hope this website helps you as much as it did me. I've also seen a lot of people telling others about www.theknot.com, but I've never used that site. Relax, sweetie, everything will turn out great. Be sure to check out the planning checklist. It tells you what you need to do by when. Good luck!

Answer 2

Think again about being able to afford a wedding planner. There are wedding planners that are out there that are paid only by the vendors. The school that I received my certification from also offers a service to brides for a free wedding planner. These are usually people closer to their certification. I will list that website below.
Another thing to think about: Wedding planners do not necessarily cost you "more" money. Many times we have built relationships with vendors that we are able to get professional discounts on goods and services, thus saving you money or stretching your money.
If you have a really tight budget, and still do not want to hire a wedding planner, try your library first. Ask for help to find the wedding planning section. It should be in non-fiction in the 395 range. Check out a few of these books and take notes. They will give you a good start toward planning. A good book to buy is "Planning a Wedding to Remember" by Beverly Clark. This is a well thought out write in book. It can run from $5 on E-bay or Amazon to $30 for a new copy at Wal-Mart. Feel free to e-mail me if you would like more information. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

It can be overwhelming, but instead of worrying about 'what color will the name tags be' at this point, plan (don't worry) about the basics. What city, what location, what church. These are very simple questions that have to be answered before you move to the secondary things. What dress, what kind of reception, photographer, food, etc. Then deal with the final things, what readings, what kind of program notes, name tags, etc.

You have to plan out--there are plenty of sites on the Internet that list all the things to consider. You really should make a list (I recommend a spreadsheet) and then order the priority 1-2-3-4, 1 being now and 4 being much later. Tackle one or two tasks at a time, and then move down the list. You'll add things as you knock them off, but having a list is a really really good place to start and will help fend off the feelings of being overwhelmed.

Answer 4

Hire a wedding planner. A good one can pull off a great wedding on a small budget and pay for herself in the process.

A great wedding planner can cut enough costs out of your budget to pay for herself.

It is people with the smaller budgets that really need a wedding planner to make their budgets go further.

Answer 5

Ok, first and formost...Stop panicing. Look online, there are a lot of Do It yourself giudes. Remember, it's the simple things that add so much to decorating. Second, see if a few of your friends or family members would volunteer themselves to help with ideas and crafting. As far a the budget goes...You could put your story up on e-bay, ask for a dollar donation. If enough people donated one dollar, you might be able to afford a wedding planner. One last idea... There are certain places (e.i. wedding chapels...Not el cheapo cheezy) that for one thousand dollars, will plan everything for you...Good Luck!

Answer 6

Here's some wedding planners advice for free.

1. Go the The Knot (http://www.theknot.com) and sign up for a free account. This will help you with time frame, budget, creative suggestions, vendors, etc.
2. If you know anyone that works in the hospitality industry (i.e. restaurants, banquet halls, hotels, etc), and have chosen to make a career out of it (as opposed to a job to pay the bills), ask for their help. I started out my career by helping my sister's best friend make sense of the reception details that the hotel was trying to confuse her with.
3. Take your time and try to relax. This can be a lot of fun but you have to let yourself have fun.
4. WHEN YOU NEED HELP - ASK FOR IT! Too many brides burn themselves out by not asking for help. Whoever you ask to be your maid of honour and/or bridesmaids, hopefully you have chosen them because you think they can help you get through your big day. The thing is that they should also be there to help you with the planning. Choose your bridal party carefully based on this. It will help you so much in the end if you have friends helping you that are willing to help.
5. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me.

Answer 7

I didnt use a wedding planner, u dont need it, u need the wedding be like u want it, send me how much money and guest, and i gladly can send u some ideas, first, for favors gifts ideas, go to a 99cts store, they are nice and low and price, and also u can make them ur self, i dont know where are u from , but in LA, its good in prices,, go to ebay to find wedding prices and compare,

Answer 8

Happy to help -- I LOVE planning wedding (actually, I love planning anything!). First, get yourself a 3-ring binder and some dividers (preferably the kind with pockets in them). You're going to make chapters for your binder for each item you need to cover for the big day (flowers, clothes, music, location, food, vows, etc). Next just start looking around to see what you like -- you know, types of dresses, flowers, specific songs you like, churches and halls, prayers, readings, stuff like that. Just start throwing everything you like into the correct chapter and don't worry about making any decisions yet.

Once you get a stack of stuff in each chapter, you'll want to go through each one (one at a time, otherwise it can be kind of overwhelming). Pull everything out of the chapter and see what you've got. Most likely you'll see a pattern (all strapless dresses, for example, or all bright pink flowers). This will give you an idea of what you want to do in each area.

Once you get some of the areas narrowed down, start looking at what you can do yourself. Also look at what other people can help you with -- most people love to be useful, especially for something like this. Do you have a friend who can sing? Does your future sister-in-law secretly make fancy decorated cakes for family parties? Does your brother have a knack for flower arranging? You just never know, and anything you can find someone for is one less thing you have to stress about!

Mostly, remember that this is just one day. Although it's important, the most important thing is the marriage itself. Congratulations!!

Answer 9

you should take some time and enjoy the engagement before you dive into planning. it's alot to take on all at once. I got engaged in June and am just now putting my plans into action. (Dec. wedding)
there are alot of helpful websites that have checklists- theknot.com
or you can buy bridal mags with the same thing.
determine your budget and go from there.

good luck!

Answer 10

My advice for you would be to buy a wedding magazine that has a wealth of information, wedding countdown/timelines and checklist of things to do, that way you know you are on track as your day nears. You can also gather decorating ideas, etc. I also watch wedding programs on cable (Who's Wedding Is It Anyway and Bridezilla). Very helpful.