10 Fab Things you'll Learn about Yourself While Planning a Wedding

Image via The Studio Dubai

Your wedding may be full of challenges but you’ll come out on the other side having accomplished so much! You will have gone from wedding planner and bride to fully fledged wedding expert – here are just some of the ways your wedding planning will stand to you for years to come…

1. You’re Organised – Planning a wedding is no mean feat. There is so much to organise from sourcing a venue, to planning the perfect menu, figuring out seating plans for a large group of people (and all the politics that comes with it) and all the other tasks in between. But you have taken charge and are tackling each and every item on your to-do list with gusto and dealing with every task as it comes along. And that is something to be very proud of. By the time you walk down the aisle you’ll have planned and executed a party for those closest to you and that is some accomplishment. You can look back with a big smile and give yourself a well deserved pat on the back for this beautiful celebration you’ve pulled off!

2. Your’re a Communicator – there are lots of things to consider when planning a wedding, some judgement calls you will make on your own, and others you will make with your partner or leave to them. Weddings call for lots of communicating and this is something you will fine-tune along the way. There will be lots of taking, discussing pros and cons, weighing up decisions and compromising. Some decisions may test you as a couple at times but will ultimately make you stronger!

3. You can Delegate – It can be hard to let go when planning a wedding – you more than likely have this vision in your mind of this perfect day and you know exactly how you’ll achieve it. But your family and friends naturally want to help and be part of it. And it’s more exciting and memorable if they chip in and help. You will get to call the shots but you’ll learn to let them get involved and you’ll be delegating like a proper little wedding planner, asking your sister to sort ceremony booklets and your fiancé (e) to make sure to pick up the rings and source a playlist for the after party. This way everyone wins.

4. You’re a Bargain Hunter Extraordinaire – You’ve amazed yourself at sales in the past, spotting and bagging a bargain as soon as you set your sights on the rails. But now that you’ve a budget and one seriously large to-do list, you’re on your A-game. Not willing to settle for the first price tag you see, you’ve braved scoured the shops and online for the best deals on everything from bridesmaid dresses to candelabras. Gok Wan would be proud. And don’t forget how great you are with money now that you’ve dealt with lots spreadsheets, looming bills and getting lots of different budgets and sticking to them (within reason).

5. You can Negotiate like a Pro – While you may have flinched at your dad trying to get a few quid off this and that in the past, you’re now squaring your shoulders and haggling like a pro. From getting an extra wedding cake tier thrown in for free when dealing with your baker to halving the corkage price, you’re tackling all decisions with a business mind and negotiating. Even if you don’t wangle as much as you’d hoped, never in a million years would you have imagined that you’d have the guts to stand up and ask for those little extras. More power to you!

6. You’re a Craft Queen – You may not have had a notion of what baker’s twine was before your foray in to the wedding world, now you’re crafting with the best of them. Even if you’re not a keen DIYer, your wedding will have brought out skills you never knew you had. In bid to save money, you may well try things you never dreamed you would have been able to do before from knitting favours to whipping up a batch of homemade lemonade for the reception drinks. It’s amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it and you’ve acquired new skills and hobbies while you’re at it.

7. You’re a Problem Solver – You will be a much more patient person at the end of your wedding planning. It’s a well known fact that everyone likes to have an opinion on your wedding from your future mother-in-law who thinks you should have a different wedding menu to the friend who thinks pink would be a better colour for the bridesmaids. Your patience will be tested and you may feel constantly defensive and ready to fight your corner, but you’ll realise that actually, biting the lip and thanking people for their advice is way easier than engaging in a war of words. People like to think their opinion is valued so be diplomatic and grateful, and ultimately do what you’re going to do anyway. You’ll be pleased that you can handle confrontation, dilemmas and suggestions fairly and diplomatically and you didn’t lose a friend over some silly suggestion!

8.You can Handle Stress – Stress can get to the better of us at the best of times and throw a wedding in on top of daily woes and your stress levels can skyrocket. With so many different elements to juggle and decisions to be made, it’s only natural they will take its toll on you at one stage or another. But as you navigate your planning journey, you’ll have deal with so many tasks, soon nothing will phase you. You’ll be calmer, more tuned in, stronger and in control and you’ll learn how to problem solve. You’ll also learn how to handle stress and that’s a good lesson to learn.

9. You’re a Doer – During your planning, you’ll also figure out just how much of a doer you are. You may have been daunted by lots of big tasks in the past, but now after organising a wedding you’ll feel more confident and self-assured as a result – you’ll you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

10. You’re a Bridal Expert – You did it! Now that you’ve planned and pulled off one amazing wedding, you’re a bone-fide bridal expert. No matter how much time you’ve spent on wedding blogs and forum, nothing beats real hand on experience. You’ve tackled everything from invite etiquette to legal documents and you can share this valuable and brilliant advice with other brides and grooms-to-be out there looking for encouragement, advice and support from someone who has been there. Congratulations, you’re officially a wedding expert!