Relieve Wedding Stress: Set Priorities First
Stepping into the realm of planning a wedding means dealing with time, money and the possibility of emotional decision making. Are you prepared to deal with the stress? Do you know how to nip it before it takes over?

Heading Off Stress Through Priorities
Setting priorities is an important point of reference in any planning situation. Weddings offer a highly charged setting for emotions to bake in. If you have a set of priorities to reference at the crazy points, then you have a way to pull yourself back to reality and away from a meltdown. Without the priorities, your wedding could get the best of you.

Here are some ideas about determining your priorities and knowing your limits.

Ask These Questions

1. How do you both feel about the wedding and what is it you want the wedding to express? This is an opportunity to determine size, venue, and music.
2. What are the top three most important things that must happen at the wedding? Now you know where to focus your energy.
3. What are the “must haves” of the wedding and what are the disposable things, the things that you can do without in a crunch? With this information you can eliminate unnecessary worry and spending.
4. What do you want your guests to remember? Here you can identify the meaning and memory you want others to take with them.
5. Who is responsible for what? Who pays for the ring, who pays for the wedding? Are there relatives or family friends that are contributing and if so who has control over the final decisions?

Know Your Limits
Knowing your limits both financially and emotionally can keep you on track. Limits and boundaries are important because they tell you when you are going overboard and away from the purpose of the wedding. Using limits keeps your focus directed toward creating a memory and not on tiny details that no one will remember.

Budgets are a must, as are lists and time frames. Without these you have no way of knowing if you are on track or not. 

What Makes A Wedding Memorable?
Invitations, food, photography, wedding dress, flowers, venue, entertainment, vows, what makes a wedding memorable for you? 

The day is about both of you and your connection and not about the biggest, the best or the most impressive or expensive. Weddings are expressions of the marriage so make sure you know what your marriage means to you both and then setting priorities will happen easily.