Why Is Wedding Planning So Stressful?
Planning a wedding is often described as one of the happiest times in a couple’s life—but let’s be real: it can also be one of the most stressful. Between balancing budgets, pleasing families, and trying to enjoy your engagement, it’s no wonder many couples find the process overwhelming.
We believe that with the right support, planning your big day can be enjoyable and fulfilling, and that it should be! But if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about why wedding planning can feel so intense, so you can see what to avoid, and how to manage it all.
Why Does Wedding Planning Take So Long?
A wedding isn’t just a one-day event—it’s a carefully planned experience. From securing your perfect venue, to choosing suppliers, outfits, stationery, and managing logistics, there are hundreds of decisions to make. Most couples plan their weddings over 12–18 months, and that timeline isn’t accidental.
Here’s why:
- Venue availability: Popular venues can book up 12–24 months in advance.
- Seasonal demand: Suppliers like florists, caterers, and photographers often get booked quickly for peak dates. If you’re looking for a Saturday in summer, then there is always going to feel like there’s an urgency to book suppliers.
- Time to research: You need time to explore different styles, gather inspiration, and make decisions that feel right for you, without rushing.
- Balancing life: Most people plan a wedding around full-time jobs, family commitments, and other responsibilities. You’re not a professional wedding planner—you’re doing this on top of everything else!
- Guests: Your guests need to know in advance, to avoid having important people not in attendance due to holidays, work etc.
All of this means the planning process can stretch out, and without clear structure or help, it can start to feel endless! But trust us when we say, all of our couple’s comment on how quickly that process goes! Before you know it, the wedding day is here.
Why Wedding Planning Is Stressful
Weddings come with high expectations. Not just from Pinterest-perfect images, but also from loved ones and from yourself. The emotional weight of the day can bring up pressure you didn’t expect.
Common stressors include:
- Budget pressure: Managing costs while trying to create something beautiful is tough. Overspending or unexpected fees can cause tension.
- Suppliers: Knowing if the suppliers you are booking are actually decent, charging you the correct amount and will make what you want come to life on the day! A lot of communication with suppliers is generally through imagery and explaining what you want, so knowing that it’s going to be just how you want it can be stressful. Having a great supplier crew is so important.
- Family dynamics: Weddings often bring together people with strong opinions. Navigating input (or interference) from parents or in-laws, as well as other guests, can be tricky. Perhaps there are relationships that are difficult within your family that is making you worry about how this could affect your day.
- Decision fatigue: There are countless options for every element, from colour schemes to cutlery. Making constant decisions can be draining. Then you go onto Instagram and Pinterest and see something else you like, and worry if you’ve made the right decision on the colour scheme you’ve chosen for your wedding, or if you need to change it.
- Relationship strain: Even couples with strong foundations can find the pressure of wedding planning exposes communication gaps or different priorities.
- Other people: From friends with opinions on whether you should be allowing them to bring their children or not, to bridesmaids who can’t agree on dresses or hen party plans, other people bring the most amount of stress to the wedding planning process.
If you’re feeling the weight of it all—breathe. You’re not doing it wrong. It’s just a lot.
How to avoid wedding planning Stress?
So, we’ve spoken about WHAT can cause stress, now how to avoid it? There’s no one right way when it comes to wedding planning – what matters is agreeing upfront who is doing what, and checking in regularly to keep things feeling fair and balanced. A few pointers to avoid the stress for the above factors we spoke about during wedding planning:
- Budget pressure: Always make sure you are setting a budget before you book ANYTHING and split it down into categories. If you aren’t sure how to budget, you can download our PDF to help here.
- Suppliers: Check those reviews, get recommendations from others, check out their work on Instagram, book in video calls before signing on the dotted line. Do you due diligence first!
- Family dynamics: Remember that it is your day, and you cannot please everyone. Family should be happy that you are happy. You know your family best and how to approach them, so have the difficult conversations in advance if you are worried.
- Decision fatigue: Stop looking on social media! Once you’ve found your dress, stop trying dresses on! Avoid communities such as Facebook groups where negative comments can be made, and people can’t help themselves but make you feel like they are more organised or their wedding is better than yours.
- Relationship strain: Plan in time when you discuss the wedding, so you don’t feel like all you are doing is constantly talking about the wedding! Have a date night once a week, and write down all your questions for each other, and plan what you are going to discuss or go through before you start. This can really avoid a lot of wedding planning stress for each other!
- Other people: Remember that other people are completely out of your control. You cannot control what they say or their actions. Just remember what you want to get out of your day, and stick to your guns! Be very select when choosing wedding parties, and don’t just choose people because you feel like you have to – these tend to end up being the most difficult! Your wedding parties should be there to help and support you, not to cause more stress.
Who Is Responsible for Planning a Wedding?
Traditionally, the bride’s family took on much of the responsibility for wedding planning, but times have changed. Today, it varies hugely from couple to couple.
Usually, planning is shared between:
- The couple: Most couples take the lead in making major decisions and shaping the vision.
- Families: Often, parents or family members contribute financially or offer support—though this can come with opinions!
- Wedding planner: Hiring a planner can take the pressure off, especially for couples with demanding schedules or larger weddings.
- Bridal party or friends: These loved ones often help with smaller tasks or logistics, but shouldn’t be relied on for major coordination unless it’s been clearly agreed.
Can Wedding Planning Cause Depression?
While not everyone will experience mental health issues during wedding planning, for some, the pressure and emotional intensity can take a real toll. Anxiety, burnout, and even depression aren’t uncommon, especially when expectations become overwhelming or when there are underlying relationship or family challenges.
If you’re starting to feel persistently overwhelmed or anxious, perhaps you’re losing excitement for the wedding itself, withdrawing from friends or your partner or finding it difficult sleeping, please know that it’s OK to ask for help. Whether it’s leaning on a therapist, confiding in a friend, or working with a planner who can relieve some of the load – it doesn’t have to be this hard. Your mental health matters more than any centrepiece ever will. If you know you struggle with anxiety and depression, we would highly advise to work with a wedding planner and/or therapist to assist with your wedding planning to avoid that added stress.
Wedding planning is emotional, beautiful, and, yes, stressful. But it doesn’t have to steal your joy. With support, clear communication, and a bit of perspective, you can create a celebration that is truly you, without losing yourself in the process!
If you’re feeling the weight of it all, we’re here to help. We offer everything from full wedding planning to on-the-day coordination, so you can focus on enjoying the journey (and the champagne). Reach out for a free consultation here – we’d love to chat about how we can help!
Keep up to date with our stories over on Instagram. We’re keeping you up to date with our 2025 season, taking you behind the scenes of setups, set-downs, and general wedding day fun!