Yesterday,
I had a conversation about how finishing planning early might not be the best
decision because it leaves time for other issues or planning details to arise.
Essentially, I was reminded of the fact that “a wedding is a marathon, not a
sprint”, and to plan accordingly (thank you, Heather).
The
fact of the matter, though, is that Heather is right. Planning is a marathon,
and is so for a very specific purpose: to avoid over-planning.
Over-planning
is a very real problem; I’ve experienced it (but apparently that doesn’t mean
that I remember that experience all the time), and found it to be a difficult
situation to handle. It’s extremely difficult to tell a bride – or myself –
that enough is enough, that something doesn’t really need to be done, or – most
importantly - that further planning may just overcomplicate the day.
Planning
just for planning’s sake – meaning continuing to deal with things, handle issues
or make schedules once every required aspect for a day is complete – makes a wedding
day messy. It adds extra elements that may overshadow previous, painstaking
details or add just “too much” to a wedding, putting the event over the top and
detracting from the original décor, theme or even the main purpose of the day,
the ceremony. This is why it’s extremely important to know when to stop
planning.
How
do you know it’s time to stop planning?
- Your checklist is complete.
- You’re only a few weeks out from the wedding and have made all of your necessary decisions.
If
you’re still confused, ask yourself: “If I make this change, will it cost me
something?” If the answer is “yes”, usually because you’ve already paid vendors
in full, then stop planning.
If
you’re still, still confused, ask yourself: “Is this something I originally
wanted, or did the idea of it only recently arise?” If the answer is “yes”,
usually because you’ve re-read all your wedding magazines and fallen in love
with new photos, then stop planning.
If
you’re even STILL confused, ask yourself: “How much work do I expect this to
take and is that amount of time worth it?” If the answer is “yes”, usually
because you’ll be required to entirely revise an already-planned aspect of your
day, then stop planning.
However,
just as important as it is to know when to stop planning is to know when to
take a break. Momentum in planning is essential – it’s a well-known fact in the
industry that most couples fall off the radar for a few weeks when they’re a
few months into planning.
That’s
just fine. Even marathon runners stop to walk once in awhile.
