Back to School...and Wedding Planning

Wedding Planning in the fall

Aw... fall. Such a lovely time of year. The landscape is dotted with red, orange, and yellow hues, the fresh crisp scent of leaves wafts in the air... and thick school books weigh down your backpack. School is tricky enough without adding in your engagement, and vice versa!

I met my husband a month before fall semester at Weber State. We dated on the weekends and were engaged over Thanksgiving break. The juggling act continued through the following semester as we planned for our May 23rd wedding, a short three weeks after spring semester finals. Needless to say, we felt the strain as we divided our weekend time between studying, wedding planning, and family visits, not to mention working on our relationship! We were stretched thin and tested nearly to our limits as the stress built up over those months. With many of you who find yourselves engaged or to be married during school, it’s a trial to just keep your head straight sometimes! Here are a few suggestions!

Organize: The best thing you can do for yourself is to buy a new planner, even if you already have a school planner. This is going to be your new best friend! Designate which days of the week you will solely devote to school work and which days can be used for wedding planning. Include all of your class and bridal deadlines in the planner to help you know which details to prioritize. If your fiancé is also in school, put in his major deadlines too, so that the two of you can always coordinate. This way you won’t find yourself cramming for your psychology exam and finalizing your invitation color scheme before they go to print.

Rejuvenate: Whether your wedding is a month away or a year, if you try to take it in one non-stop stride, you’ll find yourself burned out before you have a chance to say I do! Remember your “me” time, and more importantly, your “us” time with your fiancé. Schedule a weekly, biweekly, or monthly mini-retreat for a day or an evening to recuperate. You will be more fully prepared to conquer your to-do list when you get a little pampering.

Delegate: Take advantage of family and friends willing to help. If you’re a perfectionist and are concerned about turning over your precious wedding plans, just remember that you’ll be less concerned that things are done right when they need to be done right now! The more you can ease up on the bridal pressure, the more smoothly your planning process will go. Fiancés are generally underutilized. You’ll be letting this man watch over your home, raise your children, and help juggle your finances. Doesn’t he deserve to help out a little with the wedding? Out of anyone, he would probably be able to communicate your wishes best and take your side if things go awry.

Avoid a fast pace: If you can, avoid placing your wedding in too fast-paced a time. Spring or fall break will offer you little time to adjust to married life, considering that you may not want to be writing a research paper on your three day honeymoon! Also, try to space your wedding away from finals week. A wedding the weekend after your final tests might leave you too shell-shocked to really enjoy your happy day. As a caveat, we know you’ve probably already planned your wedding date by now, so if you do have a “school break” timeline, learn to cut out the unnecessary. A huge 400 guest wedding may not suit a spring break timeline, so try to cut things down. Many couples opt for a luncheon or intimate sit-down dinner over a reception to save on stress and time. Between school and a wedding, you’ll have a real juggling act on your hands, so just be sure you are adequately prepared for what you’re up against. No matter what you study now, marriage will be your school of life, where the tests come without a curve. If you stick together as a couple, and keep that planner handy, you’ll find yourself happy and care-free on your wedding day, and off to a great start for your marriage.


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