feeling overwhelmed with planning & my last yr in school

Re: feeling overwhelmed with planning & my last yr in school

• TriSaratops10

  

  August 2010 edited August 2010

  Welcome! - first of all - take deep breaths!! You CAN do this, almost everyone here has very hectic/jam-packed lives and our weddings are getting planned :-)
  
  Luckily you have over a yr to plan - this is great! You are exactly right, when you have time you should be trying to get the big stuff out of the way, especially in DC where I hear reception/ceremony sites can fill up VERY quickly - start booking that stuff NOW if you can! (October is the new May I hear).  Simultaneously get the guest list going - enlist others to do most of this.
  
  Doing things in advance (like writing addresses on envelopes/designing STDS/designing invites/looking at flowers, etc) is great and you can & should do this now. I also wouldn't plan on doing too many things DIY (do it yourself) - so don't even hang out on the DIY board (trust me, the temptations are great!).
  
  My other big piece of advice is make lists that conform to YOUR schedule (not the knots!) there are a few hard and fast things that have to get done at specific times but not everything!  -- I have a list of all my things to do in my bio -- the "~My bio~" is clickable, a lot of ppl here have them for inspiration to others.
  
  Luckily you graduate in May which gives you several months to do things that you didn't get to during school, that's good too!
  
  You are going to be able to do it, don't worry, just be smart about planning
  
  What are you going in to?

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• kdm06c

  

  August 2010

  Congrats!
  
  My first suggestion is to breathe lol! It will be ok, like you said, you do have plently of time! I wouldn't stress out by trying to do it all at once and in the very beginning!
  
  I would start on the small stuff, get your colors/theme, the location, and guest list and slowly work up to the dress and stuff! Try to enjoy it and not get so stressed ( a lot easier said then done lol I know!). 
  
  I know how hectic it can be, I was trying to plan a wedding, decorate a nursery, and go to school full time lol!! Good luck!

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• fadingdawn20 member

  

  August 2010

  I understand how it seems a little overwhelming, but it sounds like you are in pretty great shape. I just got engaged a month ago, my wedding is in less than 8 months and I am about to start my last semester of school, which is going to be my craziest one yet. But I have taken advantage of the few weeks I've had before school and I know I'll have a few months after I graduate to do stuff too. I am just going to do what I can in my spare time. Relax and enjoy it! You still have over a year, which is plenty of time even with a full school schedule.
  
  I think the most important thing right now is just getting a vision in your head of what you want and what kind of projects you want to do, so you already know exactly what you need to do after you're done with school and the wedding is closer.

  time has brought your heart to me
  i have loved you for a thousand years
  i'll love you for a thousand more
  
  Liam Edward || 12/12/12 || 7lbs7oz

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• hkeating member

  

  August 2010

  Thanks for the tips ladies!
  
  I am studying social work. So once I graduate I'll be studying for my license.
  
  Although I'm feeling overwhelmed, I'm also ubber excited

  

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• heatherreineke member

  

  August 2010

  I totally feel you. I start my last year of undergrad in 3 weeks, am studying to retake the MCAT for medical school and am in the process of finishing the application for med school. I'm a little over whelmed (and some say crazy...).
  I'm glading taking help from my MOH who is AWESOME. She's made a whole book for me to put ideas and what not. I was hoping to get a lot of the planning done before school but that didn't happen. We do have our bigger things booked and am in the proccess of trying to get FI to help where he can/wants.
  
  As much as we've already gone through, as students, I'm sure we can handle planning a dream wedding on top of it. It's nothing compared to finals and papers and parties/social lives and all that goes with school.
  

  Planning Bio!

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• [Deleted User]

  

  August 2010

  I'm in the same boat as you! I got engaged about a month ago, I was taking 2 summer classes and an internship, and next week I start an 18 hour semester, followed by a 17hour spring semester before graduating in May and getting married in June. I've already gotten close to panic attacks a couple of times, and I know I will again. But let's hang in there together!!
  
  I highly recommend nailing down the biggies. Two weeks ago we reserved a wedding/reception site. This was huge because it was one of those all (or mostly) inclusive places, so that took care of catering, cake, ceremony and reception venues, wedding director, and reception music (they have an Ipod hookup which my cousin will run). Places like this can be pricey, but we're having it on a Sunday afternoon and worked with the kitchen on an affordable menu. So if you're able to reserve a place like this that takes care of a bunch of things at one, it's a huge lifesaver. We also booked a photographer which I was familiar with and whose work I loved.
  
  My FI and I live 3 hours apart, so while reserving the venue, we took the opportunity of having our parents in the same place and nailed down a preliminary guest list to the A, B, and C that you've already taken care of!
  
  So in the month we've had before we go back to school, we took care of all these things, which will take a lot of stress off. I hope you'll be able to take care of a lot too! I don't think it's ever too early to get your dress. I'll start looking next weekend.
  
  One last piece of advice (that I have to keep reminding myself too)- Learn how to turn off the wedding mind! Limit yourself to an hour a day of wedding planning. My first test after my FI proposed, I totally bombed. Let your mom and friends know not to talk to you about wedding things in the few days leading up to a test or paper. Hide your wedding books and magazines, turn off WEtv, and resist logging on the Knot! It's hard, but if you can't graduate on time, it will ruin all your plans.
  
  It's such a relief to know another bride going through the same situation as me. Good luck and I hope to be talking to you more over this next year!
  

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• hkeating member

  

  August 2010

  So good to know there are others who completely can relate! You ladies sound busier then me and I'm the one feeling overwhelmed lol. I hope to follow in your footsteps with getting the bigger things out of the way in the next month. I'm starting to really see the benefit ot these boards

  

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• hbatchel2 member

  

  August 2010

  i know exactly how you feel. i'm getting married next october and starting my last year  of school in a couple weeks along with with working almost a full time job.
  
  i definitely agree with the previous posters about getting big checks out of the way while you can. i was sort of frantic the last couple months about wedding things, but we finally booked the ceremony/reception sites and i feel  A LOT better.
  
  good luck with everything!
  

  
  

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• AlisonM304 member

  

  August 2010

  I know exactly how you feel. But, we are planning accordingly. We are actually not getting married until summer 2012 because I am just starting my last year and then have to do a 9 month internship that goes till April of 2012. Because of this, I didn't want to be too stressed out with school/internship while planning a wedding. It also makes both my fiance and I feel a little better right now and just enjoy being engaged.
  But I very much agree with getting major things out of the way, like reception and ceremony venue. These book fast and are the biggest factor in dates and moneys.
  Good luck!
  

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• acbell4415 member

  

  August 2010

  I can also definitely relate... I am starting graduate school in one week and my wedding is in one year. I got a jump start on planning and alreay got the ceremony and reception taken care of. This really helped a lot getting the big things out of the way.
  
  The only way you can tackle it is to take small steps and do one thing at a time.
  

  

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• yavenis

  

  August 2010

  Oh waaaa i'm on the other side of the world, Brussels Europe and I can relate to you, it's great!!! I'm starting my last year in Law Ba and planning to get married next year in September but not in Belgium, in Romania.. :d hahaha. It's a sweet chaos...

  Some very good tips were posted, i am definately going to have to limit myself to one hour a day planning...

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• akeren20 member

  

  August 2010

  I can totally relate I got engaged 5 months ago and my weddings next july and was hoping to get most of my planning done on the summer. I chose one of the hardest majors at my school, I'm not going to have much time this year to do anything but school, let alone sleep. one of my biggest concern is being distracted by wedding plans.  but due to relying ppl like my dad who like to wait to the last minute to plan things we havent gotten much done. My suggestion to you is to set up a timeline, use the one the knot has or even brides magazine. and just stay on top of every thing, get a plannerbook too and make to do lists.the more you get done now the less stressed out you will be and the more organized you'll be. don't worry we can do this! 

  

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• Baconprincess member

  

  September 2010

  I realize it's been a while since the last post, but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents...
  I would suggest making sure the wedding planning process fits your school timeline.  We got engaged in April and are getting married next July (12 hours away from where I'm going to school).  We spent a week back home getting the venue, caterer, and photographer lined up (the big stuff), and then I told everyone that I was taking a hiatus from wedding planning until I finished my PhD preliminary exams (which I just did).  I told my family and my future in-laws that I really needed to focus on school for a couple months, and would really appreciate if they could give me a break from asking about hotel blocks, travel plans, dress colors, table linens, menus, etc.  Thankfully they were all very supportive and understanding. 
  Just like radfordco said, make sure you can "turn off" wedding planning for a while when you really need to focus (and ask your family/friends to respect that), and you'll be fine!

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