Disney Bride Laura is planning an “At-Home” Disney wedding for July 2018.

I have gotten these questions MANY of times in the process of planning our wedding:

“How do you do it?”
“How are you even getting anything done?”

As many people know, nursing school – or any form of school, full time job, or even raising a family – is extremely difficult as well as time consuming. So, I have compiled a few pieces of advice for those who have these intense situations while planning a DIY Disney Wedding.

7 Tips for Fitting Wedding Planning Into Your Already Busy Life

• #1 – Plan Ahead: This may seem obvious, but sometimes in the craziness of life we simply forget to plan out what’s coming next. What worked for me was using the calendar on my phone and filling out what projects were due when for school, as well as what meetings I had planned for wedding related things. These would have reminders on them for a day ahead and alert me, so I wouldn’t forget or miss them.
• #2 – Have a Support System: Do yourself a favor and have someone (whether it’s your fiancé, mother, father, best friend, cousin, sister, etc) who can help you throughout this process. I cannot tell you what a Godsend it was too have my mom help me in the most stressful parts of my life.

• #3 – Extend your Engagement: My engagement was just over 2 years and honestly that was the best decision for my situation. I know, as brides we just can’t wait to put a ring on it! But, take it slow and let yourself enjoy the process. I know this isn’t ideal, but in the long haul giving yourself that extra needed time will REALLY benefit your mental and physical health.
• #4 – Prioritize: Of course school, family, and friends are a priority, but it is also super important to not procrastinate during this moment in time. This is a time in your life to be selfish (without become a ‘bridezilla’ of course). Plan the most important aspects of your wedding first so that you won’t stress over them later. For example: photography, the dress, and catering were my priorities. I made sure to book those at least a year in advance so that I could have the peace of mind knowing they were done.
• #5 – Have an Open Mind: Naturally we all would love for everything to go perfectly as we imagined it. But, during this stressful part of your life (paired with whatever other stressors you have going on) things may go awry; and that’s ok. To quote Elsa, “Let it Go!” The less you focus on every specific aspect going perfectly to plan the more likely you will be to enjoy the process. Sometimes spontaneous events or altered plans can make for the best memories. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t stand your ground for something that you absolutely must have, but know when to pick your battles and what truly will make or break your wedding. At this time it may also be helpful to have others troubleshoot some ideas with you. This will not only help you, but it will allow the other person to feel they are contributing to your big day.
• #6 – Plan in between Semesters and Quarters (or Breaks in Your Schedule): This won’t necessarily apply to every person reading this, but to those in school it will be beneficial. Do not attempt to heavily plan while in school. Of course, it is natural to want to take breaks and Google little wedding aspects here and there, but do not become consumed by it. Instead, plan out your meetings, dress fittings, venue tours, tastings, etc ahead of time for when you will be more available. For example, what I would do is allot myself one day during the school week to research wedding related activities. During this research I occasionally would schedule meetings for when I was out of school. Planning in this manner not only allows you to primarily focus on school, but also helps you accomplish wedding tasks at a comfortable rate. If you work full time, maybe you’ll need to take a day off from work here and there to handle wedding meetings. Or maybe you’ll need to schedule meetings while the kids are in school or you can hire a babysitter. Whatever your situation is, it will be helpful to create pockets of time you can devote to wedding planning.
• #7 – Take some YOU time: Seriously, take some time for you. Whether it’s one day, a month, or every couple of weeks do something for you. This tip is one of the simplest concepts, but the most over looked. Every Sunday, I would take some me time and just vegetate and watch TV. Whatever gets you to relax (even a trip to Disney here and there); do it. Your mental health … and maybe some family and friends … will thank you.

As we all know, wedding planning can be one of the most stressful times of a person’s life. It’s important to prioritize, relax, and have a support system throughout this whole process. Utilizing these tips and tricks helped me throughout my planning process; I hope they work just as well for you.

Busy brides – what advice would you add to this list?