Photo: Courtesy of Sarah Knight
Meet our latest real wedding blogger Sarah Knight, personal assistant to Giuliana Rancic at E! Entertainment. Sarah is in the midst of planning her Los Angeles wedding and she's going to share each step of the process. From guest list tips to cake tasting with G while her fiancé is away playing baseball, follow Sarah's journey as she navigates the dos and dont's of wedding planning!
Planning a wedding is no easy task. As many of us working brides know, balancing your career and relationships while organizing the biggest and best day of your life can drive you crazy!
I have a super busy (yet extremely fun!) job as the personal assistant to Giuliana Rancic from E! Entertainment. Plus, I am long distance with my fiancé for six months out of the year since he plays baseball. So the thought of planning the wedding of our dreams, while balancing all of this stressed me out just a little. I'm sure there are many career-focused brides out there who are experiencing these same feelings, so I'm sharing my tips on how to maintain your sanity, thrive in your relationship, and actually enjoy the wedding-planning process.
Take a deep breath and make a plan.
I am a list person so I immediately searched for the perfect notebook to keep me organized. Erin Condren makes the best organizers and it was an added bonus that she created one especially for the bride-to-be! And how cute is it that it can be personalized with your photo on the front cover?! (Check mine out above!) It comes fully equipped with a calendar, vendor checklist, lined paper for those never-ending lists and markers for color coding. This is the stuff I dream about at night ...
See More: A Groom Tells All: How You're (unintentionally) Annoying Your Fiancé While Wedding Planning
If possible, hire a wedding planner.
This was the best decision we made in the wedding planning process. I met our fabulous planner, Alicia Townsend from Details, Details, through a mutual friend prior to getting engaged. Not only is Alicia smart, professional and stylish, she is also so much fun! She's someone that I want to hang out with, which is so important when selecting your coordinator. And I know budget can stand in the way of hiring a wedding planner for many brides, but in my experience, hiring a pro has helped me save money. Professionals know the ins and outs of the industry and will make sure that you're not being taken advantage of by a vendor. Consider splurging on a planner instead of another big-ticket item if you can make it work.
Don't let "wedding talk" take over your relationship with your fiancé.
I admit it: I am guilty of talking about my wedding plans — a lot. But, when it comes to my day-to-day conversations with my fiancé, I have reeled in my flower arrangement and oh-so-important place cards chatter. While he loves giving input and receiving photos of the latest and greatest ideas for ribbon tying, he also wants to hear about how I am doing and what my day was like — especially since we're long distance. It's easy to get caught up in talking about wedding plans, so make it a priority to set aside a date night or even a full day (is it really possible?!) without talking about your wedding. Not only will you be proud of yourself for accomplishing such a seemingly impossible task, but your fiancé will thank you too!