Planning your wedding should be a joyful journey. It’s a time to bask in the well wishes of friends and family, delight in your new connection with your love, and think about your future together. Many times, however, what should be fun and fabulous seems daunting and overwhelming. Here are 5 things to remember that may make your special season flow more smoothly:

1. Weddings throw your life out of balance, but it’s only for a season. There are many details in planning your big day that, for most people, you are adding to an already busy schedule. Realize this is normal, and determine to enjoy the process. It goes by faster than you think, and when you look back, you will have some great memories if you embrace the full schedule with a positive attitude.

2. Figure out what is most important to you and focus on these areas. You and your love are a unique couple. There’s no one exactly like the two of you. Decide what matters to you and get those items in place first.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most people have good friends and family who are willing to lend a helping hand. Come up with a list of calls or tasks that you can delegate to others. Remember to be specific with your details and have folks share their findings with you so you can make decisions.

4. Get advice from the right people. You wouldn’t go to an auto mechanic to get help for a toothache, so be careful from whom you take wedding planning advice. While family and friends are well-meaning, they often can’t catch your vision and have ideas that don’t line up with your desires. There’s much information available on wedding planning blogs and websites and specific vendors’ sites. If you need to talk with someone, contact a planner or vendor who will give you unlimited advice as part of your wedding package or who you can hire on an hourly basis. Make sure you keep a list of all of your questions, so you can get as many answers as possible in a timely manner.

5. Take a break from planning periodically and do something that fills your emotional tank. It’s okay to take a day or two off and do nothing regarding your wedding. Be sure to have fun during those times and do things that will refresh you. If you take time just for you, you will likely find planning will be more enjoyable and flow more smoothly when you get back to it because you are working from a position of strength versus stress and burnout.

Happy Planning! It’s your wedding. Make it Always Yours!