As a Chicago wedding planners, we have coordinated, planned, and designed many weddings! We are also typically with the couple from the very beginning, so we understand what elements of planning are more fun, and those that are a bit….less fun.

Here are a few classic moments of wedding planning that can be a bit more stressful, and tactics you can use to limit the stress.

Having a LARGE Wedding Party

Don’t get us wrong, when you have an amazing group of friends that are like family, you want to include them on your wedding day. There is nothing wrong with a larger wedding party. That being said, the larger the party, the more people you have to consider and manage. It can be stressful to try and coordinate attire, transportation, and timelines for ALL your wedding party members—especially if some of your friends are last minute preparers, or tend to be late.

TIPS

Consider mismatched attire. You can still have a color palette for them all to consider, but this will allow everyone to be in charge of their own attire, and you won’t have to stress about finding an outfit that matches everyone’s body type or budget.
Make sure to have a scheduled timeline sent out to all your wedding party members. This will allow them to know exactly when you need them, and where. Consider important moments like when they need to arrive for beauty services, or where they need to meet for photos.
Should it come necessary, potentially invite less folks on your wedding party, or have none at all. Your mental health in the end is more important than a larger wedding party. You will see them all on the day.

Family Photos

Family photos can be stressful, and let’s be honest, not always the most exciting part of the day. It can be stressful if you have multiple locations, when you have larger families, and can be tedious when you swap in and out various family members. It can also be hectic trying to find enough time to get everyone in the photos, and worrisome at time tracking all family members.

TIPS

Create a shot list of everyone you want photos with to make sure you get all the photos you need. You should also talk to your planner and photographer, for they will have the best advice on how to figure everything into the timeline. Having a shot list will have you, your family, and photography team ready, and will speed the process up.
Put your foot down and only take family photos with close family members. This could be parents, grandparents, siblings, and maybe a few favorite aunts/uncles. It’s your wedding after all, not theirs!
Split family photos into two times. Have close family members pre-ceremony, and the rest after.
Instead of having a designated slot for family photos, do table walk ups during cocktail hour, or reception. Have the photos be more candid.

Getting Dressed

Getting dressed can be stressful because typically, you have a strong vision or desire to look a certain way. You want those expectations to be met. Not to mention you also have a strict timeline to follow, you want to make sure everyone else is getting dressed, you want to make sure your attire is steamed while you’re getting make up on, and you’re crossing your fingers it still fits. Then you’re extra cautious cause you don’t want to get food spills on it, and making sure every secret button, zipper, etc. is closed. Not to mention, you might have a large group of people in a small room, or maybe you’re trying to avoid seeing your partner, or maybe you have the two parties at different locations, and you need transportation and….it can be a lot…

Tips

Take a deep breath. Remember why you are getting married in the first place. Drink lots of water. Listen to a fun playlist. Have some of your favorite drinks/snacks.
Before the wedding day, designate family or wedding party members to help you get into your attire, or handle certain tasks.
Ideally you have a wedding planner assisting you! They will help you get ready, they can assist with flat lays, communicating between vendors, assist with transportation, and will make sure you all stick to a timeline. Less pressure for you or your family/party.
Make sure you have a secure timeline to share with makeup artists and wedding party members, so everyone sticks to the schedule.
If you are getting ready in a hotel, request to have a steamer, chairs, etc. brought up to the room either the night before, or early in the morning. This will help your makeup artists, and also give you time to steam your dress.
When picking up your attire, make sure to ask them how to handle spills, wrinkles, and overall care.

Transportation

If you have multiple locations, a hotel booked with a bit of distance from the venue, or you want to take photos far from the venue, you’ll need to consider transportation. Hiring transportation can potentially be a bit intimidating. How many people need a ride? How many stops will there be? Is there a rental minimum? Will they pick guests back up at the end of the night? Are their multiple pick up locations?

TIPS

Try and limit the number of locations for photos. Try and visit one or two important locations and take a larger chunk of images in those areas. Also consider where the locations are, and potentially factor that into your timeline. Are you traveling to downtown Chicago during rush hour? Then maybe give yourself a bit more wiggle room for traffic.
Take some photos closer to your getting ready location or near/in the venue.
Have a wedding planner assist with transportation coordination. Allow them to focus on communicating with the driver while you and your guests/party can enjoy the travels.
Ideally find some hotels close to your venue for guests. This will potentially limit the guests that will require transportation, or allow for transportation to act more like a shuttle.
When booking your transportation, make sure to let them know how many people, how long you’ll require their services, all the locations, and ask them whether they allow food/beverages.

The Ceremony

There is a reason we have rehearsals: because the ceremony is the most important part, and sometimes the most complicated. You might have incorporated your own traditions, you may be having a religious ceremony, or you may not be super comfortable standing in front of people. It is probably also the most emotional moment of the day for you.

Tips:

Make sure ALL your wedding party members, family members part of the processional, and your officiant are present for the rehearsal. Have them request time off. Having them present at the rehearsal will make things clearer for them, and ideally make things less stressful for you. Things will run smoother on the day since everyone knows what is happening. It is also beneficial, but a bit less necessary for any ushers or ceremony helpers to attend as well.
Go over your vows a couple times. Repeat them in your head, or read them when your partner isn’t present.
Make sure your officiant sends their script to you or your wedding planner. Make sure you are aware of the flow of the ceremony (vows, ring exchange, etc.).
If you are doing a religious wedding or making your own traditions, make sure to rehearse those before, or talk them out together. The more comfortable you are, the smoother the ceremony will be.
Remember to live in the moment.

D.I.Y.

We understand you might want to save some money on decorations, or you might be a crafty person and want to contribute. This could be slightly fun, until you realize you have to make 100+ items due to the large guest count, or you now have to figure out how to get all your pieces to the venue…and then back home.

TIPS

Consider the costs and payoffs of making your own design pieces. Are the many hours of crafting, delivering, purchasing supplies, and setting up worth it? If the answer is yes, great! But also understand when you rent through design companies, they will handle all the set up, tear down, and you won’t have to worry about transporting the rentals to or from the venue.
Coordinate with the venue to understand when you can drop off your DIY items, and when you are able to pick them up. Depending on the venue’s availability, you may be able to pick them up the next day.
You can turn you DIY items into guest favors to allow folks to remember you, the day, AND it’s a bonus way to not worry about tear down.
Start on your DIY project early. Don’t work on it last minute!

Weather

If only we could control the weather…Sometimes there might be rain, crazy temperatures, or extreme weather on your wedding day. And if the skies are looking gray, you get nervous the whole time—especially if your wedding is outside!

TIPS

Make sure you consider weather conditions when booking your venue. What is the typical rain plan for the venue? Make sure you are just as excited about the rain plan location as you are with the outdoor location. This will make sure you’re not last minute scrambling, or disappointed during your whole day.
If your wedding is outside, we recommend not using escort cards—or at least not having the escort cards outside. Wind might constantly blow them around.
When discussing photo locations, make sure to also have rain plan options if the photos you want are outside. Your photographer might have some great options, or even maybe some umbrellas you can use!

Not Having a Planner

You may say we are a bit bias, but we can’t tell you the number of past clients saying how grateful they were for booking a planner, and the number of potential clients regretting not having one. We understand booking a wedding planner or coordinator is an investment, but when planning your wedding, consider the costs and payoffs. Do you want to pay some extra money for a team to handle any potential mistakes, communicate with vendors, and help with set up? Or do you want to save some money but understand that family and friends will be occupied, and you might have to handle some stressful moments on the day?

TIPS

Hire a planner. Trust us. Wedding planners are there to guide you through the entire process, and will take over the day for you. We handle communication with all vendors, handle deliveries, coordinate the set up, follow the timeline, help gather materials at the end of the event, and we even check in on you to make sure you’re doing alright.
Hire a coordinator. They assist the day OF you event. When you book Fierce Productions, the coordination is already a part of the process. Keep in mind— some venues DO require you to have some sort of planner/coordinator. Also know that even though a venue might have an included coordinator, they will just be assisting with the venue set up, and will not be as devoted to you on the day.
Have a detailed timeline! You, your family, and your vendors will appreciate it.
If you don’t have a planner, make sure to designate roles to your family, and your wedding party members to lighten your mental load.
Checklists! Have ton’s of checklists! They will be your best friend.
Don’t be afraid to ask your vendors what you want/need.

Still stressed?

Fierce Productions is a Chicago based wedding planning company specializing in curating unique, bold, non-traditional weddings and events. Our talented team of professionals can handle all of your event needs including planning and coordination, design and styling, vendor and talent management, fundraising, marketing support and beyond - get in touch to learn more!

The Most Stressful Parts of a Wedding Day (And How To Combat Them)

Having a LARGE Wedding Party

TIPS

Family Photos

Getting Dressed

Tips

Transportation

The Ceremony

D.I.Y.

Weather

Not Having a Planner

Still stressed?