Picture this: it’s the week of your wedding. You wake up on the Monday before your big day to a new message. To your surprise, your bestie has sent you a Starbucks gift card to treat yourself. Your week ahead includes a massage, nails with your girls, date night with your fiancé, the rehearsal dinner, and oh: your wedding! The excitement is real. Sounds magical, right? Spoiler alert: your wedding week isn’t meant to be stressful. As a Minnesota wedding and lifestyle photographer (and past bride), I know the emotions that float around firsthand. But I’m here to set you up for success and share 4 tips for a stress-free wedding week. 

4 Tips for a Stress-Free Wedding Week

Set Yourself Up for Success

I won’t make you wait until the end to find out my #1 tip for a stress-free wedding week. My best tip is truly setting yourself up for success! As daunting as it can be leading up to your big day, I want to encourage you to stay ahead. Whether you’re having an intimate wedding with or large wedding, it takes time to get everything organized. If you have always dreamt of actually savoring the moments leading up your wedding day, it’s so important that you are prepared. 

“Being prepared” looks different for everyone. But in order to have that feeling of “ahh, everything is done”, complete things ahead of time. For the best look at planning your wedding day gradually, check out the Complete Wedding Planning Guide to walk you through a timeline. The guide addresses how far in advance certain tasks should be completed, and might even touch on tasks that have slipped your mind. Having a wedding planning checklist is seriously a game changer!

Communication is Key

This tip definitely ties in with setting yourself up for success ahead of your wedding week. But I can assure you, you will feel so much lighter if you have your final “touch base” with your vendors a couple weeks prior to your wedding day. Pay any remaining invoices (if able), confirm addresses and times, and hash out any other details 2-3 weeks beforehand. 

Pro tip: When confirming details, make sure to leave your vendor team with a phone number that isn’t yours! If you don’t have a day-of wedding coordinator, I highly recommend “assigning” a bridesmaid or your maid-of-honor to help you handle any incoming communication after a certain point. Your gals can relay any communication if necessary. 

Delegating is Your New Best Friend

Can I get an “amen!”?! Let’s be honest: you can only do so much. And your wedding week is not the week to prove that you are superwoman. Lean into your wedding party, family, and friends during this time. There are an endless number of tasks on your plate, so why not share the love!? This goes for your wedding day itself, as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve witnessed bridesmaids (and brides!) scurrying around the bridal suite trying to gather their things before heading to the reception. With a plan and/or delegated people in place beforehand, you can avoid stressful moments like these!

Tasks to Delegate During Your Wedding Week:

• Vendor Communication. This includes on your wedding day. If your makeup artist is running a tad behind, you don’t need to be the one to take the call. If flowers are getting dropped off 10 minutes early, someone else can gather them.
• Final Payments. Some vendors only take cash or check day-of.
• Keeping Getting-Ready Spaces Tidy. This will not only help keep everything in order when it’s time to relocate, but this will ensure there’s no random Aquafina bottle in your photos!
• Timekeeping. Trust me, someone else can keep everyone on task.
• Steaming Dresses + Removing Tags. Girl, don’t you dare pick up that steamer!
• Returning Rented Tuxes. This one is really just helpful for everyone to ensure 10 groomsmen don’t have to rush to Men’s Wearhouse immediately the next day.
• Keeping Track of Gifts. At the end of the night, someone needs to gather everything! 
• Bustling Your Dress. Helloooo! Make sure someone knows how to bustle your dress. 
• Cleaning Up! Check with your venue ahead of time to ensure you know when you have to be out. A crew will come in clutch the morning after your wedding to help tie up any loose ends, and to clean up anything. 

The list of tasks to delegate during your wedding week and on your wedding day are endless. Even if you’re Type A, don’t be afraid to ask for help! 

Take Care of Yourself

I can’t stress this one enough (see what I did there? 😉)! Taking care of yourself during your wedding week is not only deserved, but necessary. Your wedding day will truly fly by; soak up every second leading up to it. Enjoy a coffee with your girls, get your nails done, and go out on one last date with your fiancé! 

A stress-free wedding week isn’t unachievable or out of reach. By setting yourself up for success, communicating ahead of time, delegating tasks, and taking care of yourself, it’ll come naturally. You deserve to enjoy this season of life, my friend!

Recently engaged? I recently did a 10-part series over on my Instagram walking you through what to do after saying, “YES!!!!!”. Check out the first post here! Happy wedding planning!