What to Do During Your Wedding Planning Lull

For many couples, wedding planning happens in waves. There’s the first wave that happens right after you’ve celebrated your engagement. You’re excited, and you can’t wait to start finding inspiration, setting your budget, looking into venues, and contacting potential wedding pros. Then there’s the third wave of last-minute to-dos that’s always mixed with a new kind of excitement – the kind you experience just before you’re about to walk down the aisle and marry your love. But, what about the second wave?

We like to describe the second wave as the time “in between”. The majority of your decisions have been made, and it feels too early to check off anything that would typically happen right before your wedding, like applying for your marriage license. But, you also have great momentum, so it can be difficult to simply hit pause on planning entirely. This time in between is actually wonderful for a number of different tasks you may not have thought about yet, or that you had considered putting off until later.

12 Things to Do During the Mid-Wedding Planning Lull

Below, we’re diving into 12 things you can do now during your mid-planning lull to make your wedding and your marriage fantastic. They’re also wonderful ideas to keep in mind if you’re having a long engagement! There’s no reason to feel like you’ve entered a planning slump. There’s still plenty to do, and as you check these off your list, we promise you might just thank us later!

1. Invest Time into Your Relationship:

We’ll say this again and again: your engagement season is a time for you to enjoy together. Your wedding is an incredible party we hope you will want to relive again and again, but your celebration is just the start of your marriage together. And, we want your marriage to be even sweeter than your wedding day! So, get to know each other even more. Think about attending a marriage retreat or schedule time for pre-marital counseling. You can also interject extra date nights or even a few weekends away together into your schedule. No matter what you choose, making the investment of time together is always worth it.

2. Add Items to Your Registry:

Weddings have many events that surround them, including engagement parties and bridal showers, that happen in advance of your big day. Naturally, guests will want to present you with gifts! If you’ve already built your registry, take another peek. If it looks like many items have been purchased, particularly at low or mid-level price points, consider adding a few extra items. Many guests like to be guided toward what you need and want when searching for gifts, and keeping your registry in shape will ensure you receive items you don’t need to return.

3. Knock Out DIY Projects:

If you’re planning to DIY any elements for your wedding day, now is the time to make sure you’re well on your way to completing them! Look for inspiration, decide which wedding projects you’re going to DIY, create a schedule, and start creating each piece. This mid-planning lull is likely the most amount of uninterrupted time you will have while planning your wedding, so make sure to use it to your advantage. You don’t want to be hot gluing rhinestones on your centerpieces the week of your wedding, trust us.

4. Purchase Your Details:

Another great way to spend your planning lull is to snag wedding decor items and details at a discount. Incorporating details into your day, like a bouquet wrap, flower girl basket, ring bearer sign or pillow, cake topper, card box, wedding day stationery (think: programs and menus), and signs (think: welcome sign and escort sign), will turn your day into a celebration that looks and feels like you. So you can save as much money as possible, start deciding what details you would like to include. Then, be on the lookout for sales!

5. Choose Gifts for Your Wedding Party:

Presenting your bridesmaids and groomsmen with gifts is a customary way to say thank you for standing by your side on your wedding day. Gifts can also be a way to ensure a certain look is on display. For bridesmaids, think about gifting robes to wear while getting ready or jewelry to add to their wedding day look. For groomsmen, ties and cufflinks are two of the most popular gifts to give. You can’t go wrong here, but it will feel great to check these tasks off of your list!

6. Decide on Key Songs:

As your wedding day gets closer, your wedding professionals will ask you to share the songs you would like played as you walk down the aisle. You will also want to know the songs that will play while you share your first dance, father-daughter dance, mother-son, and final dance of the night. Start paying attention to the songs you love together and chat with family and friends for their picks. Use this lull in your planning to create your perfect wedding reception playlist! PS– if your budget is extra tight, check out these tips on how to be your own DJ.

7. Consider Traditions to Honor:

Weddings are filled with plenty of traditions to honor or ignore, and you will want to know where you stand. A few of the most popular traditions are sharing the first kiss during your ceremony (fun fact: not every religious leader will encourage you to kiss; some will offer cues for you to make your own decision – you’ll want to know them), tossing a bouquet, tossing a garter, sharing dances, and cutting your cake. Weddings do not come with a rule book, so you are free to make your own decisions about what you do and do not want to include! (For more talk about wedding traditions, check out The Bouquet Toss Podcast!)

8. Narrow Down Wedding Day Accessories:

Will you be wearing something new, old, borrowed, and blue? What jewelry do you want to wear? Will you wear a veil? Are you changing your shoes? Will the groom wear a watch? What about cufflinks? What kind of shoes and socks will he wear? As you can tell, we can very easily keep adding questions to this list. So, decide what wedding accessories you will wear, look for sales as needed, and make your purchases!

9. Buy & Break-In Your Wedding Day Shoes:

When you’re about to spend the day walking around a city or you know you’re going to be on your feet a lot, which shoes do you want to wear? Most likely, the ones that are already broken-in and comfortable are high on your list. With this in mind, your big day is not the time to wear a new pair of shoes for the very first time. (In fact, that sounds like a nightmare!) So make use of the lull in your planning to wear your wedding shoes around your house to break them in well in advance! You will thank yourself big time when you are comfortable instead of wanting to kick your shoes to the side at every turn.

10. Start a Self-Care Ritual:

On your wedding day, you will want to feel like your best and most confident self. For many of us, that tends to happen when we take time to practice self-care. Alternatively, some may decide to create a skincare routine or start taking vitamins. For others, finding a great workout routine that allows them to release stress. For you, self-care might mean making time to read before you go to bed. However you like to unwind or explore a hobby, make time to do it now! Taking care of yourself will ensure you look and feel excited and well-rested on your wedding day.

11. Plan Your Honeymoon:

Are you going on a mini-moon or a honeymoon? Use the time during your wedding planning slump to switch gears and plan your upcoming trip instead. Think about where you would like to go, and decide if your timing is also appropriate for the location you wish to visit (i.e.: don’t visit during rainy season unless that’s what you’re hoping to experience!). Search for places to stay, restaurants to visit, things to do, and deals to make it all possible. Sign up for a travel rewards credit card, if you haven’t already. As a note, just like there aren’t any rules about weddings, there are also not any rules about honeymoons. Take your trip when it makes the most sense for you, whether that means jetting off the day after your wedding or planning a getaway to enjoy months later.  

12. Move:

Getting married is one of the biggest life changes anyone will experience, and some couples also add moving into the mix. If possible to lessen your stress, consider moving before your wedding day. We say this because moving involves a unique stress all on its own, and sometimes it’s best to compartmentalize life changes. If you can cross one off of your list before doing the other one, you’ll likely feel more excited to experience each one, not to mention a bit more focused. It will make for a more seamless and less stressful transition after you say “I do.”

More about the wedding planning lull:

Your third wedding planning wave will be here before you know it. So, how will you spend your mid-planning lull? Join us in the community to talk about what you’re tackling during the middle time of planning your wedding!

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