Planning a wedding is hard work, no reminder needed. Well, if you’re anything like me you’ve been thinking about all of the possibilities that this day holds for a while now. You might not have every last thing planned out, but I’m willing to bet that you’ve thought about all the specifics on more than one occasion.

Suddenly all of those bridal pin boards you’ve mindlessly scrolled through here and there have real meaning! You’re thinking about what to wear, the venue, food, music….Everything! It’s overwhelming and exciting, but in the back of your mind you’re thinking, “How are WE going to do this?”.

Often times there is the stereo type that brides do all of the planning and the grooms are just along for the ride…only sharing their opinion on a few occasions.

Even though this isn’t every couples situation, we want to help make this process as much about you, the couple, as possible.

We have five tips to get you and your groom through the planning process with some creative suggestions that will keep you and your man sane through it all:

Tip 1: Don’t assume that your partner only wants in on the “fun” stuff.
We all know that picking out your reception playlist and tasting your dinner options are some of the best perks of wedding planning. You may think your man might not have as many ideas in the works as you do, but you may be surprised. Now you both get to sit down and talk about which parts of the wedding you’re most looking forward to and which parts you’re less than thrilled about. Find common ground here and work with each others strengths and weaknesses! You might even be surprised to find out how much your bae has already thought about what he wants for the big day.

Tip 2: Make a night of it!
The promise of a chill date night takes some of the pressure off of the less exciting aspects of planning. Staying in for a date night planning session reminds your partner that you want their input and that the process is better with both our your ideas present in the event. Plan to work together for two hours, but have a bottle of wine and your latest Netflix binge picked out and ready to go. Our next tip is the best way to get the most out of your date night planning sessions!

Tip 3: Document the process.
Either publicly or privately (depending on your style as a couple) make it a point to post a picture on Facebook or a new Instagram story. You can save these memories for the future as a little reminder of all the hard work you both put into your wedding day. You can post on each others social media if you’re doing a tasting, visiting a venue, meeting with the wedding planner…or If you’re more private, buy a polaroid camera and document it for just you two. Make an album to remember the past year (or however long) that you’ve spent working with each other on this special day.

Tip 4: Decompress after meeting with vendors together.
Since the process of planning can get overwhelming, don’t neglect the times when you need a break. Plan time to sit down and talk about how well the vendors fit for your event over some stress free coffee from your favorite shop to visit together. Talk about the good and bad, and then leave it alone for the night. There’s plenty of time to talk about logistics together so take a well deserved break when you both need it. Check in on each other so that you and your man can vent when you need it and keep the positive ideas flowing between the two of you!

Tip 5: Get the conversation going!
Slide into your guys texts with a link to this blog post as a first step to sitting down together and talking dates and times. Set time aside to let them know that you’re excited to do this together! Your partner wants to be a part of this special day, so let them know that you can’t wait to see what you both come up with at the end of it all.

Featured Vendors:

Design and styling: @em_and_e_events
Hair: @caviar_curls
Makeup: @emily_artistry
Dress: @lunasewickley
Suit: @commonwealthproper
Stationery: @ohjoyfulday
Flowers: @sapphireandlace
Photographer: @adam_michaels
Rentals: @eventioneers
Rentals: @osvintagerentals
Cake: @bellachristiez
Location: @orthewhalepgh & @distriktpittsburgh
Models: @chefjessicaa & @chefdmarron