Wedding planning should be such an exciting time, however, the idea of planning your perfect day can quickly turn into a nightmare when those quotes start coming in, family offer their own ‘helpful’ suggestions or simply because you didn’t realise just how much goes into planning a wedding.

Written by Keelie Briggs, The Clued-Up Bride.

I’ve put together my top five tips for enjoying the whole wedding planning process, so take a few minutes, grab a cup of tea and read on…

GET ORGANISED

Whether it’s a notepad, a spreadsheet or a fancy wedding binder, you need somewhere to organise all of your plans. This includes knowing your budget and where it’s coming from, so that you don’t run into any nasty surprises later on. Keep all quotes, invoices and receipts together, then if you need to check any details it’s a two-minute job, rather than a mad blame-filled rush around the house.

TAKE NIGHTS OFF FROM WEDDING PLANNING

As exciting as planning a wedding is, it can also become an unwelcome intrusion into every conversation between you and your partner (us women are particularly guilty of this). To keep things balanced, you may find that it’s best to choose just one day or a couple of evenings to fully commit to your planning. Wedding-free time is important, so make time to enjoy a nice meal or go and see a film together; do something that you enjoyed before the big question was popped – but no one mentions the ‘w’ word!

ENJOY THE FREEBIES

Suddenly, you’re getting married and everyone is offering you free stuff! Canapés at the venue, a glass of champagne at a wedding fair, a free engagement shoot from your photographer… Even distant friends might offer you lunch so that they can hear all the juicy details. You’re spending enough on the big day; embrace the freebies!

DELEGATE

How often do you get an entourage of people at your beck and call? The bridesmaids aren’t just there to look pretty in their dresses, likewise the groomsmen can do much more than seat your guests. Write a list of all the irritating tasks and start dishing out those duties! You’ll likely find that they’re thrilled to be trusted with one of your ‘important’ wedding jobs.

KEEP IT REAL

Step away from Pinterest! Social media is great for wedding inspiration but unless you have the budget of an A-list celebrity or happen to be a relative of the royal family, the reality check of those first quotes can hit you hard.

Just take a moment to realise, as breathtakingly beautiful as these weddings may seem, they are missing one very important detail; your husband/wife at the end of the aisle.

Let your fondest memory of the day be the love and emotion that you felt. You’re in this together, decide who you want there, what is important to each of you and don’t sweat the small stuff!

Keelie is passionate about helping brides and grooms have fun with their wedding planning and make great decisions with their budgets. For more big day advice, money saving tips and DIY ideas visit TheCluedUpBride.co.uk or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.