Lots of couples who have either had to postpone their weddings or are in the midst of 2021+ planning are wondering how they can still be proactive during this time. There are plenty of things you can work on that require no tools or assistance from the outside world (except maybe a phone call or two with your family!).

Most importantly, take the time to really connect with each other and reevaluate what you truly want in a wedding. While this is certainly not ideal for any of us, wedding planning can often feel like it’s happening at record speed and you’re forced to make quick decisions.

Let’s start planning, shall we?

Music Lists

Have an epic music listening (and maybe dance party?) session with your S.O. and come up with all the songs you’ll need for key moments. That could include:

-Processional (family+wedding party)
-Processional (bride)
-Recessional
-Wedding party entrance
-First Dance
-Father/Daughter and Mother/Son
-Cake cutting
-Final song

Along the same lines, if you were contemplating a choreographed first dance, this is a perfect time to practice!

Photo Shot List

Even if you don’t have a photographer yet, you can still put together your groupings for photos. Every photographer will ask for one. To be extra organized, you can even list it by time. For example, if you know your extended family has a tough time arriving early, you might place their group photos during cocktail hour.

Signage Needs

If you’ve already chosen your venue, this is definitely something you can start to think about. Signage can include:

-Welcome sign

-Parking

-Restrooms

-Guest book

-Gifts

-Directional signage if your ceremony and reception are spread out

-Bar menu

Collecting Addresses

If you don’t have all of your guests’ mailing addresses, this is a great time to reach out and ask. Even if you’re not sending invitations for a while, it’s a piece of information you’ll need and you might need to make a few asks before you actually receive them all! Put together a google sheet with addresses so you can eventually send it to your invitation designer (or upload to an online program).

Write Your Vows

Having an abundance of quiet down time is conducive to vow writing! Before you get started, talk to each other about a few perimeters like length and structure. Some couples like to write one set of vows custom to each person and another set for the ring exchange “repeat after me” section.

Craft Your Ceremony

Whether you’re relying on a professional officiant or working with a family member/friend to craft your ceremony, you can still start to think about important elements you want to include. Are there any religious or family traditions you want to weave in? Will anyone be doing special readings?

If there are other people who will be involved in your ceremony, consider asking them in a personal way during this time! Send them a care package or set up a FaceTime call.

DIY Items

While DIY projects might not normally make sense to tackle with your regular schedule, this might be the perfect opportunity to experiment. Lots of decor related elements can be put together well in advance.

Mood Board

Figuring out the overall design for your wedding can be one of the trickiest parts. With all the beautiful images floating around the internet it can be hard to narrow down just one theme. Take this extra time to sort through everything you like and really organize it. If you have one master Pinterest board, start to comb through it and make sub-groups of the different styles. You can use a tool like Canva to create a mood board of the various color schemes and styles you like and then compare from there!

Signature Drinks

Start mixing! Have some fun and try making your own cocktails together. Once you find ones you like, have a brainstorm session to come up with catchy names.

Discuss Your Finances

Finances can be directly related to wedding planning or your life together more generally. Will you be creating one joint bank account or keeping things separate? Transferring everything into one account can take time (and sometimes a lot of paperwork!). This may not be the most fun activity of the bunch, but it’s important to be on the same page.

Do Extensive Honeymoon Research

While travel may not happen for a while, I promise you will get to take a honeymoon at some point. Make a giant research doc of all of your dream locations. You can even make your own to begin with, then keep any overlapping places and continue the research together from there.

Even though you might go to only 1-2 places on your list for your honeymoon, you’ll have a thought out, detailed document to reference for vacation planning in the future too!

Ask Each Other Deep Questions

One of the best activities my husband and I did together during our engagement was the NY Times 13 Questions at the suggestion of our officiant. Grab a bottle of wine and do a few at a time.

I hope this helps you navigate your down time but if you still have questions, send ‘em over!

I’m also still offering full-service wedding planning during this time so if you need support, I’m here.