A wedding and moving share some similarities, one of them being that both are exciting and stressful at the same time. Both mean a fresh new start and need careful planning and preparation. But what happens when both coincide? It does not have to be chaos!
Many people plan to move into a new home with their partners from the first day of marriage. If that’s your plan too, know that although it can get a bit challenging managing the wedding preparation and the moving process simultaneously, it will be worth it. Here are 10 tips that can help you handle both, the wedding planning and the move, smoothly:
1. Begin with a Plan
Create checklists and timelines for both separately, yet keep in mind the details of the other. If you have a major moving task planned for a day, you may want to skip that day for anything wedding-related, and vice versa. Remember to balance the available months or days between the wedding and moving tasks.
2. Start Early
Moving and wedding planning both involve numerous tasks that require time. The more you delay, the less time available for completing the tasks. You don’t want the wedding day inching closer while you still have numerous tasks left. Remember, moving and wedding will double the amount of tasks. The earlier you start, the more stress-free you’re likely to be later.
3. Delegate
Get your family and friends on board. Allow them to assist you with the moving tasks and the wedding preparations. You do not have to do everything by yourself, nor do you need to oversee everything. Delegating will take some pressure off your shoulders. To ensure a smooth wedding day, you could enlist the help of a wedding planner. For a seamless move, consider hiring the services of professional movers.
4. Leverage Technology
When technology can make some tasks easier, why not harness its power? You can use a wedding planning app to create guest lists, prepare mood boards for ideas, and track all details. Along similar lines, you can use moving apps to create moving checklists, track your belongings, and manage expenses.
These days you can send out digital invitations and have the guests RSVP quickly online. You can scout for potential locations without having to visit each place in person, through virtual wedding venue tours. Feature lists, photographs, and reviews on websites will provide more information than you may be able to secure when visiting a venue.
Other uses for technology during wedding planning include online registry management, virtual meetings with vendors, organizing documents in cloud storage, and budgeting through digital tools. Meanwhile, for the moving process, you can use technology for virtual home tours, get online moving quotes, track boxes using QR codes, order packing supplies, and more.
5. Prepare Detailed Budgets
A wedding and moving houses are both big life events that involve significant expenses. Scrutinize your savings and be realistic about how much how you can allocate for the wedding and moving expenses. Some expenses will take a major chunk of your budget, so you need to consider carefully before making those decisions. The wedding venue constitutes one such expense. You can have an equally memorable wedding in a lush meadow or an opulent hotel. The deciding factors are mainly your preferences and your financial constraints.
Prepare detailed budgets for each separately, making sure that you don’t overlook any necessary expenses. Don’t forget to account for the first month’s rent/mortage, insurance, utility setup fees, and such initial home costs.
Discuss with your partner and any close ones contributing financially. DIY options can help reduce the wedding and moving expenses, but you may not have sufficient time considering the separate checklists for both. Other options to bring down the expenses include negotiating with vendors and looking for discounts or deals.
6. Include Some Flexibility in Your Plans
Rigid plans will likely lead to more stress. Moreover, there’s always the possibility of unforeseen delays. Consider opting for simpler plans, as these are easier to adjust.
It’s a good idea to add some buffer time to crucial tasks in each timeline and a few emergency days to the schedule for last-minute adjustments. This helps ensure that you can accommodate changes without derailing your plans completely. Including flexibility will allow you to balance the wedding and moving tasks better.
7. Work Together as a Team
You and your partner are about to embark on a new journey together. If you share the responsibilities associated with the start of this journey, neither of you will feel overwhelmed and it will set the tone for your marriage too. Both of you may have different skill sets and strong points, and if you can leverage these strategically, you’ll get much more done in less time. Plan together and balance the workload well, and the key to this is open dialogue and regular communication. Tackling all the initial challenges as a team will also strengthen your relationship.
8. Complete the Big Tasks Early
The major tasks are often more complex and time-consuming. When you get them out of the way first, you’ll find that the process seems more manageable and you feel more in control. You can avoid the last-minute rush to do things; the incremental progress will allow you to relax as your special day draws closer.
Big tasks also demand more of your resources, so when you complete them first, you can ensure better allocation. Some of the major tasks have an impact on other decisions and tasks, so completing them is a must for smoother planning and execution. For instance, the location and wedding venue will dictate the wedding date, the guest list size, the theme, vendor selection, decor, and even the wedding attire. Picking a setting in a place like Southern California which generally experiences a Mediterranean climate, can make your other selections easier. Similarly, if you pick a renowned efficient moving company, your moving process will likely be a breeze.
9. Pack Strategically
Packing for moving into a new house from day one of marriage will be a bit different than if you were just moving to a new place. You cannot pack away everything and move it to the new place just yet. You will need to sort out the stuff that you will require for the wedding, such as important documents and the wedding attire (when it’s ready). Additionally, if you plan to go away on a honeymoon soon after the wedding, you’ll need to pack for it separately. Other than these, ensure that you pack your essentials in such a way that they’re easily accessible when you need them. Staying organized, labeling, and creating inventory lists will help prevent anxiety and frantic searches later.
10. Take Regular Breaks
As important as it is to get things done sooner rather than later, it is also crucial to take breaks for your mental and physical health. Take out time to pamper yourself and replenish your energy. If you do not take regular breaks, you run the risk of feeling burnt out by the time your special day arrives. Taking some time off might also give you a fresh perspective, added clarity, a productivity boost, and a surge of creativity.
Go out on dates with your partner, and make a pact to not speak of the wedding planning or the move on these dates. Just enjoy each other’s company; it will serve as a reminder of why you’re doing all of it in the first place.
Wrapping Up
Although the process of managing two significant life events simultaneously can seem daunting, it does not have to be. Approach the moving and wedding planning process systematically, to ensure a stress-free transition into the next chapter of your life. Staying organized will help reduce stress, get things done on time, and ultimately help you enjoy this exciting phase of your life.
We hope you found this blog post on 10 Tips For A Smooth Move While Wedding Planning useful. Be sure to check out our post on Things To Check Before Moving Into A New Home for more great tips!
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