How to Plan a Wedding, Stress Free!

Let’s get real – stress can impact your body, mind, emotions, and behaviors. There can be major causes of stress in our day to day life, from personal problems to challenges in the workplace, we work to navigate stress on a daily basis. Although we may experience stress in many different areas of lives, one of the areas that we, at Elegant Affairs, work diligently to alleviate is that stress that comes with wedding planning. We all know that stress happens – it just does, but there are ways to limit or entirely eliminate the stress you may experience with wedding planning.

So, let’s talk about the potential causes of stress and how you can be stress-free bride or groom throughout the wedding planning process. 

#01: Seek Help from a Wedding Professional

Out of all of the potential solutions to alleviate stress, seeking help by hiring a wedding professional is essential. Wedding planners are equipped to handle stressful situations. From our point of view, our job (as much as we love what we do) is down right stressful. We work tirelessly to ensure that our couples get the day they dream of, with as little stress as possible. Wedding planners work as the in between and source of knowledge between your vendors, guests, and even your future mother in law. We have been there for clients who need a shoulder to cry on after a dress fitting, or for couples that experience a stressful situation before walking down the aisle. We are in the trenches and handle these stressful situations for you in a professional manner. Hiring a wedding planner or professional needs to be a line in your budget. Even if you’re on the fence about hiring someone, meet with someone first for a consultation to see what they can do to best support you and your partner throughout the wedding process. We cannot recommend this enough. 

#02: Give Yourself Time 

Unless there is a reason that you must plan your nuptials quickly, give yourself plenty of time to plan and execute all of the details of your wedding. We’ve found that if our clients give themselves a reasonable time to plan, the stress is lessened. Create a calendar and monthly to-do lists to accomplish all of the tasks at hand. If you’ve hired a wedding planner, one of the benefits is that they create a timeline of tasks to complete with you! You’ll want to know what to complete and when you should complete these tasks. But, we definitely recommend that you select a reasonable timeframe, anywhere between 8 - 18 months. You don’t want to give yourself too much time, because you know what they say about idle hands… 

#03: Create a Detailed Plan for the Month Prior 

Even if you’ve had a stress free experience throughout the planning process, often our clients can feel a surge of stress towards the end.  We highly suggest that you create a detailed plan of all the “must-do” items that last month leading up to your wedding. This includes any last minute fitting, make-up or items that you need to pick up, payments that need to be made and how they need to be made, packing and organizing items that need to be set up on the day of, when to write your vows, etc. If you create a plan and a time frame to complete these items, chances are you will decrease the stress leading up to your wedding day. 

#04: Don’t Stress About What You Can’t Control 

There are things in life that you can’t control. We can’t control the weather and we definitely cannot control other peoples’ actions. Now, the same goes for your wedding day. There are things in which you cannot control. You can’t control if it rains during your ceremony or if your best friend’s flight is delayed. But, you can create back-up plans to alleviate some of these things. On the day of your wedding, if unexpected experiences happen, don’t stress about it. Find a way to take a breath and remember the reason that you, your partner, and loved ones are here today. Create different plans for things that you may not be able to control and ask for support with things that come your way on the day of. You don’t have to manage all of these stressful experiences alone, nor should you have to. 

#05: Find Pockets of Peace

Throughout your wedding planning process, find pockets of peace that you can destress and relax. Whether you create a routine to read your favorite book, go on a stress-free date with your partner, or just take a nap, find time to ground yourself. This includes the day of! We highly suggest taking a moment after your ceremony to de-stress and find a pocket of peace. Whatever you need to do to unwind or relax (in a healthy manner of course) we suggest your do, especially on your day of!

We wish that wedding planning wouldn’t be so stressful, but we know that stress arises and that is why there are wonderful folks in the wedding industry to support you. If you are starting to feel the stress of planning or the thought of planning your wedding, we highly encourage you to reach out to someone in the industry for help. There are people out there that have ample experiences in creating and executing events and that are ready to tackle these stressful situations for you. Don’t forget to find pockets of peace throughout the process, give yourself plenty of time to tackle items on your to-do list and create detailed plans leading up to your wedding day. Don’t let stress take the love and fun out of planning. Take a breath, seek some help, and remember at the end of the day – your wedding will be all that it needs to be. 

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Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a PNW-Based Destination Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.

Wedding Insurance - Is it Necessary?

When you think about insurance, you may think about health, renters, home, or auto insurance. As an adult, these are all things that we know we need in order to be taken care of. Insurance keeps you from crippling debt if and when an emergency does happen. But, have you thought about wedding insurance? You may be thinking to yourself, that this is something you will not need, because you don’t plan on having an emergency or disasters on your wedding day, but life events don’t stop just because it’s your wedding.

There may be a need for a sudden cancellation due to an emergency surgery needed, such as appendicitis, or a loved one may have a heart attack before the event. Wedding insurance is there to support any emergencies or liabilities that may occur on your wedding day. And many venues require that wedding insurance or event insurance is taken out prior to your wedding date. So, let’s talk about wedding insurance and why it may be worth being added to your budget. 

What is it? 

Wedding insurance is pretty easy to obtain. For example, for my own wedding, I talked to our current insurance vendor. They were able to give me liability insurance for the wedding day. Wedding insurance is much like any other insurance contract, as it is an agreement that ensures that any monetary losses do not occur if there were to be an unexpected cancellation, act of God, or emergency that is out of your control. This policy typically requires an upfront payment in exchange for a policy that outlines a reimbursement if something is to go wrong. Now, wedding insurance isn't for a cancellation because you’ve had a change of heart or decided to part ways. There is also a specific time frame for purchasing wedding insurance, some require that it must be purchased at least 12 months in advance. It’s a small fee to pay that ensures your wedding investment is protected from circumstances that may not be in your control. 

What kind of Cover can I Expect? 

We recommend you talk to various insurance agencies as each company may offer different policies. But, there are general items that wedding insurance does cover.

Venue Location: There may be an emergency or an unexpected event that occurs at your venue location that causes a forced cancellation. This can include a fire, tornado, or damages from a storm. Typically, this would require a cancellation that is unavoidable by the venue or site location. 

Weather: As we discussed earlier, weather can be covered under some policies. But, we highly suggest you read the fine lines of your venue contract, because many venues may exclude weather or require a plan B. But, there are extreme weather conditions that may occur outside of just typical rainfall. These can include wildfires, tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes, avalanches etc. There is an extreme weather policy that can be purchased ahead of time that can support rescheduling your wedding day. 

Wedding Gifts: There are policies that can cover any theft of damage to wedding gifts, for an estimated amount. 

Vendors: Many companies include vendors in your policy. This can include vendor no-shows or last minute cancellations. The policy may be able to reimburse you for deposits for situations such as these. 

As with any insurance, we highly recommend you explore your options and what each company has to offer. Remember, just as any insurance policies you may have already, there may be specific clauses and details to your policy. Prior to selecting your wedding insurance, talk to your venue and determine if a wedding insurance policy is needed and for what amount. Many venues have specific amounts for liability insurance that need to be purchased before your event. Wedding insurance may not be something that you want to add into your budget, but we suggest your talk to your venue and your partner and weigh the pros and cons before making your final decision. 

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Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Seattle Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.

Must-Have Summer Wedding Essentials for Every Bride

Your venue is paid for, you’ve had your dress fittings, and you’ve found the perfect hair and make-up artist. Now it’s time to find the perfect accessories to make you shine during your summer wedding, and to beat the hot, summer heat! For our summer brides, there are a few additional essentials or must haves that are necessary to feel comfortable and stay picture perfect on your wedding day! Let’s dive into our favorite must-have summer essentials perfect for every bride. 

#01: Start with your Face! 

If you’re towards the end of your wedding planning, your make-up trial is booked and set. We highly suggest you talk to your make-up artist or your nearest beauty store for some tips to keep your face looking cool throughout your wedding day. Find or use your favorite facial sunscreen to keep your face safe throughout your wedding day. One trend that we are loving are bronzing drops to leave your face bronzed and dewy. We also recommend finding a setting powder or spray that will keep your beautiful make-up looking fresh throughout the day. Now, if you’re prone to some summer sweat (we know we are) ask your bridesmaid to keep some setting powder handy or blotting sheets to keep your face looking fresh and free of shine. 

#02: Say YES, to Block Heels!

We are so thankful that block heels are still trending this season. Block heels are a to-go choice for many reasons. They come in a variety of colors, styles, and can work with any wedding dress or attire. It’s classic, you won’t have to worry about your heel getting stuck walking down the aisle and you’ll save money on buying the anti sink heel blockers. They are perfect for any wedding dress style or silhouette and are just down right classy. 

#03: Find the Right Undergarments! 

Selecting the right undergarments is so important and often forgotten. This is especially important for our summer brides. You want to find the right supports that will keep your body cool, allow you to breath easily, and maintain shape throughout the night. You don’t want to have to tug or pull at your undergarments throughout the night, and you definitely don’t want to have heat exhaustion from the wrong fabrics. Keep the season in mind and find something that will work under your wedding dress. 

#04: Keep it Cool! 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to be overheated. Even being on the other side of weddings, I like to be prepared when it comes to staying cool. One trend and accessory that we are so thankful for making a comeback are paper fans. Paper fans are a great and trendy way to keep yourself cool throughout your summer wedding. They come in many designs and styles and are compact enough to keep in your bridal clutch. Even if you don’t think you’ll need it or find yourself overheated, get one just in case. They are affordable, easy to find, and come in clutch when needed. 

#05: Tame the Hair!

Depending on your choice of location for your nuptials, humidity may play a factor in your hair success on the big day. Humidity can cause frizz and locks that don’t want to cooperate. As you plan and book your hair trial, or even if you plan on doing your hair yourself, find yourself a good hair spray that will tame your gorgeous locks. Summer heat and air can do some serious frizz on your hair and if you’re holding an outdoor wedding we highly suggest finding a spray to keep your hair looking perfect throughout the day.

#06: Our Favorite Accessory is… 

WATER! Water is our top accessory for this summer list. We have to remind a lot of our couples to stay hydrated and drink water on their wedding day. You may be thinking, noo - that’s not me.. I always drink water. But, let’s be honest – your wedding day is going to be busy. You will be pulled in several directions and are running on a motor throughout the day. Many times, our clients say they don’t even know where the time went on their big day. With the heat, all the movement and the occasional frenzy, you need to be drinking water. Whether this is in a bedazzled bride cup, or in your favorite stanley cup, stay hydrated. Because a hydrated bride is a safe bride. 

Summer is a unique season for our brides. The heat plays a large role in the must haves on your big day. You’ll need to plan ahead and ensure that you are prepared to keep your face looking fresh throughout your wedding day. Work with your hair stylist to create a plan to keep frizz to a minimum and your hair to stay in place throughout the day. Stick with a block heel to keep your feet feeling fine and steady while you walk down the aisle and dance the night away. And stay cool with the proper undergarments and fan. Don’t forget to fill up your water bottle before you leave home and pack a liquid IV if you need one. We love these essentials and we honestly use these for ourselves too… I mean – accessories help make the outfit right?! 

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Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Seattle Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.