I have been to hundreds of weddings as a vendor, so I’d consider myself somewhat of a wedding expert. I was prepared for my own big day, but even still, I couldn’t sleep the night before my own rehearsal dinner. Too many logistics were running through my mind. I was exhausted and when I got home that Friday, I popped some melatonin (something I’ve never done before) to make sure I could actually get some shut eye before the actual wedding day.

Wedding planning can be pretty stressful. It becomes more stressful if you try to handle every detail and task yourself. You deserve to enjoy your big day so please please please delegate some work to other people. Here are a few possibilities:

1. Mailing Stuff

There are a lot of envelopes to stuff, party favors to package, and place cards to fold. This kind of task can be a perfect job for a trustworthy family member(s) or friend(s). Or you can gather a group together, turn on some music, and have a “getting stuff done” party. Everything is more fun with friends.

2. The Information Center

If you provide thorough instructions, your guests shouldn’t have questions, need clarification or require directions. (Click here to read what to include on a wedding website/however you disseminate logistical information)

But just in case, provide an organized friend or family member with all information and let them answer all those inquiries on the big day. You’ll probably be too busy running around on the actual wedding day to be checking your phone. On your invitations/wedding websites/etc share this person’s contact information and tell your guests to go to them for help. This will not only make things easier on you, but also on your guests.

3. Picking up & returning rentals

For my rehearsal dinner, I rented tablecloth, light stands, and my outfit. These things couldn’t be picked up too far in advance – they needed to be obtained the day of my event. One of my best friends graciously helped me out with this so I could focus on other things.

4. Picking up food/alcohol if you’re providing that yourself

We hosted dinner the Friday before our wedding at a campground. We catered dinner, but we were responsible for bringing hundreds of dollars worth of alcohol in coolers, s’mores ingredients, and firewood. The bride and groom don’t need to be the ones to do tasks like that.

5. Driving Items to relevant locations

Friends and family can help you get your decor items to the venue. And help take it away after the event is over.

6. Set up of decor

My wedding venue set up tables with tablecloth, utensils, and napkins. However, I provided candles, table names, and other decor items like that (click here to read the checklist of wedding items I brought) and my best friends helped set things up before the rest of guests arrived.

7. Portrait wrangling

I recommend printing out multiple lists of the family photo groupings you want. Your photographer should have a copy, but if you have physical copies, you can hand them out so family members will be better prepared for when they’re up next.

Before your wedding day, please tell relevant people where and when to meet for photos. In addition, prepare someone else to call out names and hunt people down if needed. Make sure your wrangler has a list of all of the portrait groupings. It’s helpful if the person doing this job is familiar with many of the people in the photos.

8. Cleaning up

At the end of the wedding, someone needs to pack up all the decor items you brought to the venue. Please make sure this task is assigned to someone!

Throughout this post, I’ve mentioned finding an organized, responsible loved one to take on each task, but there is another option. An experienced wedding planner can also free up your family and friends tasks, so all guests can more fully enjoy the celebration.

But there is one job that you cannot delegate: being the bride

This is the only thing you, and only you, can do. On your wedding day, your ultimate aim is to be present and enjoy your day. Don’t get caught up in the work that you miss out on the joy of it!

–> Planning a wedding can be overwhelming! But I gotchu 😉 After going to so many events as a photographer, I’ve got plenty of recommendations and experience with everything wedding-related. Click here to learn more about the Caili Chung Photography Wedding Experience <3