Follow these tips to avoid panic when planning your wedding, so you can relax and enjoy the day.

  1. Put everything in writing — from contracts with caterers to the poses you want the photographer to shoot. Don’t leave anything to chance.
  2. Get references from all your vendors. Speak to the people they’ve worked with before; make sure they are dependable and that their work is up to your standards.
  3. Get extra help. Ask two or three reliable friends who are not part of the wedding party to help out on the day with last-minute details. Having a set or two of trustworthy eyes, ears, and hands will save you from frantically running around. You might consider giving each helper a small gift in appreciation afterward.
  4. Have a back-up plan and be prepared. If your wedding is outdoors, pick another location in case it rains. Carry an emergency kit of sewing, beauty, and medical items for those unforeseen spills, runs, and headaches. Order extra food in case Aunt Mildred forgot to RSVP but shows up anyway.
  5. Give maps and written directions to vendors and out-of-town guests well ahead of time. Allow plenty of time for decorating and for delivery of goods on the day.
  6. Make sure everyone gets home safely. Appoint someone to be in charge of organizing transport at the end of the evening for guests who will be drinking alcohol.
  7. Be comfortable. Choose wedding attire that allows you to move around easily so you don’t trip when you walk up stairs or take to the dance floor.
  8. Make sure everyone else is prepared. Give your wedding party schedules so that they know when photographs are being taken, and they don’t disappear when you need them at the table for speeches.