Wedding Hacks

I promise to keep this post-wedding post a tad shorter than the last one (sorry!).

Today's topic: Time saving wedding hacks

I planned my wedding while teaching three dozen fifth graders.  I was all about time saving hacks.

Time saver one: Address stamps

By far one of the best purchases we made.  We ordered this one with our first names and used it on the engagement shower invites, save the dates, bridal shower invites, wedding invitations, and thank you cards.

We also ordered one with our last name for wedding thank you's and every day mailing.

Not only did it save a lot of time (which is crucial when you mail things out in groups of 100), but it also meant B had no excuse not to help.  I'd address the envelopes, he'd stuff them, seal them, stamp them, and place the postage stamp on them. 




Time saver two: Numbering the RSVP cards

We used an excel doc to keep track of our wedding information.  We numbered the reply cards to correspond with the number on the excel doc and my oh my, what a life saver!

Some of our guests forgot to put their names on the cards, so instead of guessing, we just checked the back.

Time hack 3: Favors

I wasn't about to hand write 150 small cards.  For me, it was worth it to order favor tags on Etsy:

Sometimes it's worth it to spend a little to save your sanity.  My bridesmaids definitely appreciated not having to hand write each of those small cards.  Making the favors and getting the twine to cooperate was difficult enough.

While not necessarily a time saver, I am a huge advocate of back up wedding shoes.

I loved my wedding heels, but it was a long day.  I picked up bejeweled flip flops for a few bucks and discretely changed into them after dinner.  

They were the same height as my heels, so my dress wasn't damaged in any way.

I also ordered many items from Etsy (bridesmaids gifts, groomsmen gifts, gifts for my mom and his mom, cards, etc).  I asked for discounts if I was buying in bulk (6 or more of something) and many vendors happily obliged.  Every little bit helps!

We (my hubby and I) also set aside time each week to discuss the wedding. I did my best to not bombard him every day with details, so instead we had a thirty minute chat once a week about the progress of different aspects.  He knew ahead of time so he could focus and I was respectful not to ask to talk about the wedding when he was working on homework, watching football, or playing video games.

We also made sure our entire lives didn't revolve around the wedding.  We still went on dates. We celebrated friends' milestones.  We lived our lives without devoting every spare second to focusing on the wedding.

It's an important day. It's an exciting day. But it's not the only day that matters.  Keep the long term goal of a happy marriage in the front of your mind when wedding planning and hopefully the bridezilla moments will stay at a minimum.