I am extremely organized, and sometimes even overwhelmed by all the details involved in planning a wedding. It can be a logistical nightmare, but it doesn't have to be. There are so many providers, so many opinions, and so many personalities. So how do you deal with the torrent of information? Easy.
Daniel Krieger
Not only in terms of telling each other what you want, but also responding. Every vendor - the florist, the caterer, the band leader, the wedding planner - thinks their part is more important, so it's best to keep an honest and open line of communication. For me, that's preferably by email. I gave each of them my email address at first and told them to contact me whenever they needed anything. Turns out I'm good at keeping up with email, but I also didn't want to be called or texted at all hours of the day. Don't prepare to be swamped or upset. You are the boss of your own day, so let them know how you prefer to be contacted.
It also makes it a lot easier when you know what you want, or at least have a good idea of what you want. Bridal Pinterest boards may be cliché, but there's a reason they're so popular:they're easy to use and share. I sent the florist a link to my page and she was able to measure the color, the type, the size, the style, everything that she had in the photos that she had put up. She makes her job easier, which makes your life easier. And she gives you a point of reference in case of any conflict or question.
If your parents, siblings, or best friends are nearby and interested in helping, use them as barriers and proxies. Put them to work! They will love it. I made my mother the main point of contact with the wedding planner so that she could serve as a buffer:ask me about the details that would interest me and I would make other decisions on her own that we had already discussed. When one of my friends went to book a hotel room and the room block had filled up, I just sent my friend's email to my dad and asked him to help me get to the bottom of it. Done.
Everyone asks how we got married in four months, and honestly, it was mostly because my parents and their willingness and enthusiasm were part of the planning. They helped pick all the people involved that we would work with, people we could trust, who were responsive, knowledgeable, and personable. We wanted this experience to be easy and fun, and because of all of them, it was.
As the day of the wedding approached, I told everyone that as long as my boyfriend, my band, and alcohol showed up, I didn't care about anything else. Everyone told me I didn't have to worry about any of those things and guess what? They were right. Everything comes together and everyone appears. And someone who doesn't? It's your loss.
Jamie Shupak Stelter and Brian Stelter know television:she is the traffic reporter for NY1 in New York City and he is a media correspondent for CNN..
