5 Tips for Planning Your Wedding If You're a Student
Planning a wedding and going to school to earn your degree are two totally different things, but they each require a good amount of time and focus.
Photo: Lexie Rae Photo
Planning a wedding and going to school to earn your degree are two totally different things, but they each require a good amount of time and focus. When you’re trying to juggle both at the same time, you might begin to feel a little overwhelmed, and we completely understand.
To help you stay cool, calm and collected, we’ve listed five things you should do if you’re a student (full-time or not) who’s also planning a wedding.
Stick to a schedule
Following a regular study schedule is a good way to stay on top of your school assignments. But when you add wedding duties, a job, and a personal life into the mix, your free time (known going forward as wedding planning time) might feel like it’s slipping away. Stay on track by choosing one or two days a week to focus mainly on wedding planning (Sundays and Mondays are the most popular, according to the WeddingWire Newlywed Report). Motivate yourself to make the most of your time with your favorite music, a glass of wine or a few sweet treats. Set aside the remainder of the week for your studies or other activities, and try to keep wedding talk to a minimum—that means no browsing through Pinterest during class. By keeping school and the wedding totally separate, you’ll be able to clearly see what needs to be done for each, which will save you a lot of time, stress, and confusion.
Plan ahead
Create a master calendar that lists all of the important wedding and school dates for the next several months. Update it as often as possible, and be sure to include any major school presentations, exams, or ceremonies (like graduation). Then, add the wedding-related dates, such as your engagement party, bridal shower, bachelor/bachelorette party, and deadlines for booking vendors or making deposits. Once you have all of the dates written out, it will be easy to see if anything overlaps or if there are times when you might be extra-busy.
Manage your budget
When you’re creating a budget for your wedding, take into account all of your tuition and school expenses (books, supplies, commuting costs, etc.) that will be due in the months leading up to the wedding, since this is when you’ll be making deposits for vendors. Also factor in any major expenses or recurring payments (for example, student loans) that will come into play shortly after your wedding is over. Once you’ve found vendors that fit your budget, ask them what their payment schedule is so you can plan ahead.
Prioritize tasks
If you know you have an important assignment or major research paper due, you’ll want to take care of that before putting all of your energy into time consuming wedding tasks. On the other hand, there are certain wedding-related things, such as sending your save-the-dates, booking a venue or hiring a photographer, that are timely and should be crossed off your to-do list sooner rather than later. Focus on one thing at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed, and stay on top of your planning with WeddingWire’s customizable checklist.
Make time to relax
When you’re balancing school and wedding planning, it’s important to know your limits. Don’t feel guilty about taking a few moments, hours or days to step back and re-focus on the big picture. Pencil breaks into your schedule and force yourself to put the laptop down, close the books, and have a bit of fun. Reward yourself for nailing that mid-term or signing the contract with an awesome vendor—no victory is too small to celebrate!
