A wedding does not have to be grandiose and over the top in order for it to be beautiful. Oftentimes, less is more and quality outweighs quantity every time. If you believe in simple elegance then keep reading for tips that will help you achieve a wedding that is minimal, stress-free and still a beautiful dream of a day.
Ditch the bridal party:
Not having a bridal party was the best decision I made for my wedding! Opting out of this very traditional custom is a minimal, stress-free, and cost-effective option because you don’t have to worry about hurting feelings, coordinating schedules, or gifting costs. You don’t have to worry about unsolicited opinions, hidden jealousy, or the financial burdens your loved ones may be incurring to be a part of your big day. You can still have a bachelorette party, but just allow your friends and your loved ones to show up to your big day as guests. The less things that you have to coordinate and manage for your wedding the better of an experience you will have. Ditching a bridal party allows you to be more blissful and detail-oriented while planning your wedding, truly focusing on you, your future husband, and the beginning of your future.
Ditch the engagement party:
In most cases the guests at an engagement party and a wedding are the same people. Gifts that are given at engagement parties and gifts that are given at weddings are the same. Unless you plan on having a long engagement and want to have a smaller celebration to hold you over until then, engagement parties are unnecessary forms of grandiose. Why put double the amount of effort into events that are very similar? Less is more, and when you focus all of your energy and resources into your wedding day, versus many smaller events leading up to it, you are saving yourself time, energy, and money. This is an instance where there is nothing wrong with putting all of your eggs in one basket and staying laser focused on your big day.
Book a non-inclusive venue:
Although non-inclusive venues require more effort on the planning end, when you book one you are removing all of the fluff that all-inclusive venues offer, and getting exactly what you want. Although all-inclusive venues do all of the work and planning for you they have very limited options and very strict contracts that prioritize their vendors. In many cases you have to compromise your vision for convenience. But when you book a non-inclusive venue you have the opportunity to build your wedding day from the ground up, because they are blank canvases where you have to bring in your own vendors. This means that everything from the drapery down to the utensils is picked by you, without compromise and without settling. When you book a non-inclusive venue you are getting exactly what you want, which eliminates compromising on excessive all-inclusive packages that are not tailor-fit to your vision.
Make decisions early:
We all know that the early bird gets the worm, and this applies to wedding planning too. Making decisions early and staying on top of deadlines will allow the vision and details for your wedding day to come together sooner. When all of the beautiful details start to come together, that is less stress on you. This could be anything from meeting with your decorator early, finalizing the menu ahead of schedule, or scheduling your hair and makeup trials months in advance. Once you know what you want and you have the time to make decisions, do not put it off. Instead take initiative, be intentional, and allow decisions to turn into details.
Hire a wedding planner:
Hiring a wedding planner helps you stay focused on what truly matters, your wedding day and your man. Wedding planners streamline decision making, they are the liaison of communication between you and your vendors, and they help reduce your emotional overload. They can anticipate things that usually go wrong at weddings and solve problems before they arise, and they can help you refine your details and wedding aesthetic with their industry expertise. Wedding planners are the glue of execution for a wedding day from start to finish, and if you want a beautiful wedding day that is minimal and stress-free you absolutely need a wedding planner.
Hire vendors before the booking the venue:
Hiring vendors first will align aesthetics across multiple businesses for your big day, prioritize quality over a date, and will help you avoid scheduling conflicts. When you hire your wedding vendors before you book your wedding venue, you are able to handpick the ones that you feel will work and look best together to execute the vision for your wedding day. Think of it like styling an outfit. You want your vendors to be cohesive and well-fitted for each other. It is also better to search for vendors before booking the venue because you will know the dates that your vendors are available beforehand. One of the biggest stressors of planning a wedding is booking a venue first and then scrambling to find vendors that are available for that date. Great wedding vendors are usually booked out 6 months, but if you reverse it and figure out the dates that your favorite vendors are available first, you can book your venue based on your vendors’ availability. This will keep you from stressing about dates and ensure that you get the majority if not all of your top vendor choices. This also discourages you from being attached to a particular date. Your wedding day will be special because it is your wedding day, not because of any particular numerical sequence.
Having a minimal wedding is not about cutting corners, it is about intentionality. Simplicity doesn’t mean sacrificing style or sentiment, it means attention to detail and dedication to timelessness. I hope these tips help you achieve that as you get one step closer to your big day! If you would like to watch the corresponding YouTube video to this blog post click the link below!
