No secret here: Planning a wedding is intense.

There are so many crucial things to be done and decisions to be made immediately after you’re engaged and once you have your wedding date. Worse still, if you happen to be a perfectionist, the stress level alone can soar off the charts! You soon realize how long your to-do list is, from shopping for your wedding dress and accessories to setting up the guest list, planning the wedding theme, and finding the venue.

Very soon, you may find your own ideas slipping through the cracks as your well-meaning friends and relatives step in to “help” with their advice and recommendations. Isn’t it amazing how everyone wants to weigh in? Too many voices can cloud your vision. Eventually, it can take all the fun out of your wedding.

Take heart. You can manage it all. Yes, you can!

There are hundreds of truths you know about yourself, so start by writing down everything that you love, everything that gives you joy. Close your eyes, and what do you see?

What are your favorite colors, hues that you love?

Your favorite foods?

Flowers?

How about your favorite venue?

Do you see a castle with crystal chandeliers and red roses?

Do you see yourself in nature and dancing under the stars with your sweetheart?

Perhaps at the beach?

Listen to what your heart is saying, trust it, and know that it will not steer you wrong.

As the process unfolds and you have all your ideas, plans, and inspirations on paper, you will find that you feel calm, collected, and confident.

Now you know what you want and can start researching venues and vendors and planning your timelines.

Now you can split the tasks—those you will personally handle and those you will delegate—and assign dates to each one of them during the various stages of wedding planning.

Now you are better equipped to see the process through with great success and pride.

Have fun as you go on this journey so that you are not scattered and stressed out.

With all that you will be doing, make sure to pause and take care of yourself. Wedding planning is important, yes, but what is more important is to occasionally stop whatever you’re doing, smile, dance, laugh, and spend quality time with your fiancé.

Never allow the process to make you lose sight of the reason you’re doing this, nor the strength and depth of your love for each other. After all, you are creating memories. Make them good ones!”

**Above is an excerpt from designer Rani St. Pucchi’s bestseller, Your Bridal Style: Everything You Need to Know to Design the Wedding of Your Dreams

Watch the book trailer here: https://youtu.be/FEsuefkzIRs

And visit www.stpucchi.com for our couture collections to find your dream dress!

In the following weeks we will break down the tasks that need to be accomplished as you plan ahead for your most important day:

a. 9-18 months prior

b. 5-9 months prior

c. 1-2 months prior

d. Final weeks and days

Due to the many differences between weddings, you may find some of the reminders listed don’t really apply to you. Or perhaps a few particular details that are part of your special plans are excluded from this list. Modify the checklist as you go along until you’re satisfied it’s tailored to your needs.

Until next week…

Rani St. Pucchi is an award-winning Couture Bridal Fashion Designer, Style & Image Consultant, and a Relationship Expert. She is a Bestselling Author, an Inspirational Speaker, and a Success Coach and Trainer. Her TEDx talk: Is Your Body Image Holding You Back? has received worldwide acclaim. Rani’s#1 International Bestselling Books, Your Body, Your Style: Simple Tips on Dressing to Flatter Your Body Type ; The SoulMate Checklist: Keys to Finding Your Perfect Partner; Your Bridal Style: Everything You Need to Know to Design the Wedding of Your Dreams; and Gold in the Cracks: Move from Shattered to Whole and Reveal Your Light are available on Amazon and at Barnes & Nobles.

For more information on Rani please visit www.ranistpucchi.com