The Most Fun Part of Wedding Planning + Trending Ideas You'll Love

What comes to mind when you think about wedding planning? Is it the endless vendor emails, the seating chart that's basically a Rubik's cube, or your aunt calling for the third time this week to ask about the menu?

If so, take a nice deep breath! In…and…out…. That’s better! Because I've got you covered.

Wedding planning can be stressful at times, but it should also be full of exciting, pinch-me moments. But for whatever reason, these tend to get buried under all those pesky logistics.

So put down the spreadsheet for a sec and keep reading, because we're getting into the most fun parts of wedding planning. I promise, those spreadsheets will still be there next week!

Here's what I see way too often. A couple gets engaged and within HOURS, they're deep diving into venues and caterers and timelines.

And all that engagement fun is gone…and replaced by a to-do list.

Please don't do that!

You just got a ring…and you just said yes. Congrats!

This huge celebration deserves more than a few hours before you start comparing floor plans. Pour a glass of something good, call your best friend, and let yourself be excited for a while.

When it comes to venue shopping, there’s no need to book five venue tours in one day. You’ll have to power-walk through each one, and by the end of the night, you’ll be exhausted, overwhelmed. And perhaps even arguing in the car.

No thanks!

Instead, space them out. One venue per weekend. And connect each tour with something fun in the area. A lunch spot you've been wanting to try…a stop at an ice cream truck….a walk through a neighborhood you've never explored together.

Yes, you’re picking a building, but you’re also exploring together. So treat it that way!

Some of your best memories from this whole process might come from a random afternoon you stumbled into a great restaurant after a venue tour that wasn't even the one you picked.

Have fun with your tastings! Slow down and enjoy it. Dress up a little. Bring a bottle of wine if the caterer allows it. Don't rush through it with a checklist in your hand. This is a date. Act like it.

I’ve even heard of some couples scheduling tastings with multiple caterers even after they've already made their decision, just because they loved the experience that much.

I'm not mad at that…

Set up a shared playlist (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music, whatever you use), and start adding songs whenever another great one comes to mind.

Then on a random afternoon, sit on the couch together and listen through what you've both added. Trade songs back and forth. You'll learn things about each other you didn't expect.

You might find that you’re fiancé has a secret obsession with 90s R&B!

This is also the perfect thing to do during those stretches of the engagement when there's nothing on the planning calendar and you want to be connected to the process. You don’t need a spreadsheet for this!

Less of …you scrolling on Pinterest alone at midnight and saving hundreds of pins that you’ll never look at again.

More of….sitting down together and talking about what you want the day to be like.

Share memories. Talk about your favorite trips, your favorite meals, all the things that define your relationship.

Perhaps you're the couple who throws the best dinner parties. Maybe you're the couple who dances in the kitchen late at night. Or every vacation you take involves finding the best hole-in-the-wall spot in town.

That's your wedding! And finding it together is one of the most fun conversations you'll have during this entire process.

This one's a game-changer. Ugh, no. I don’t like that word. This one's really, really smart.

Block a weekend with zero obligations. Get a hotel room, book an Airbnb, or…claim your living room and order takeout. But no distractions! Then knock out a bunch of decisions in a setting that’s fun.

Planning brunch in the morning. Decision-making happy hour in the afternoon. Vow-writing session in the evening. You’ll get a ton done and it’s not stressful because you've changed up your environment.

Some couples do this once. Some do it quarterly. Either way, I’d say it better than arguing over seating charts at night when you're both frazzled from work.

I know this sounds odd, but hear me out. Picking your invitation suite can be wildly fun when you let yourself get into it. Paper textures, typography, colors, wax seals, hand-torn edges, letterpress, foil stamping. It's an incredibly tactile and creative part of wedding planning.

If you can, go to a stationery shop in person and touch everything. Feel the weight of the paper. See how the ink sits on different materials. This is one of the first tangible pieces of your wedding that you'll hold in your hands.

You can’t experience that from a Google Doc!

If your wedding is at a destination, or even a venue in a different part of town, go spend time there before the big day. No, not for a vendor meeting or a walkthrough. Quality time together.

Walk the grounds without an agenda. Have dinner nearby. Get a sense for the area as a couple, not as clients.

Some couples do a "minus-one-year anniversary" trip to their wedding destination so they can experience everything their guests eventually will. It's one of those things that sounds extra until you do it, and then you're so glad you did.

There's a whole list of planning items that can be a total blast:

• Writing your vows when you give yourself enough time (please don't procrastinate until the night before…)
• Shopping for the groom's attire together
• Testing signature cocktails at home (multiple rounds of "research" are absolutely necessary)
• Choosing your welcome bags or guest gifts
• Picking the getaway car
• Addressing invitations with some snacks and good music

Here's what cuts through the fun faster than anything. Other people's opinions!

Seriously, be extremely careful who you invite into your decisions. Not everyone needs (or deserves) a vote.

The people who lift you up and make you laugh? Bring them in. The ones who make everything about themselves? Love them…from a healthy distance.

And don't cram really big decisions into stressful windows. Give yourself margin. The fun comes when you have ample time to live and enjoy.

Here's what I want you to hear. Years from now, of course, you’ll remember the wedding day, but you'll also remember the couch sessions. The tastings. The playlist debates. The night you finally nailed your vows and cried a little. And then laughed about crying.

Make the process worth remembering too and have fun with it!

The 30-Day Dream Wedding Life Series is waiting for you, start today if you haven't yet. And if you have? Keep crushing those daily prompts!