Decision Fatigue During Wedding Planning: Tips & Tricks
Planning a wedding is incredibly exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming and stressful. In 2022, couples spent an average of 6 hours a week planning their wedding on top of a full-time job, so it's no wonder that people experience decision fatigue during the planning process. Decision fatigue refers to the mental exhaustion that results from making too many decisions, which can lead to decreased productivity, and increased stress. If you’re dealing with decision fatigue, or want to learn how to avoid it, here are our top suggestions.
Understanding Decision Fatigue
Decision Fatigue is a term that describes the mental exhaustion that occurs after a person has had to make a large number of decisions repeatedly. This exhaustion then leads to poor decision-making and increased stress levels. Decision Fatigue can happen in any aspect of your life, but we have been especially interested in the conversations around decision fatigue in wedding planning – especially for brides in heterosexual relationships.
Decision Fatigue in Wedding Planning
Wedding planning is a long process and for many couples, it’s the first time they’ve had to make so many consecutive decisions. And not only are the decisions constant, but they’re also emotionally and financially significant. When couples invest so much time and money into their big day, there is a certain level of self-inflicted pressure to make it perfect, and can contribute to decision fatigue. Although decision fatigue is common, we believe that the wedding planning process should be fun, so it’s important to do your best to avoid or manage decision fatigue during this time.
Tips for Avoiding Decision Fatigue
To avoid decision fatigue, the best thing that you can do is delegate and outsource work. Unfortunately, we often see a majority of the wedding planning fall on the bride, and this can lead not only to decision fatigue, but also resentment. Remember that your wedding is the first project you will manage together as a couple, and it’s important to split the work fairly. In addition to your partner, a wedding planner is a fantastic investment for couples who want to avoid decision fatigue. A wedding planner can help reduce potential options or even be a tiebreaker between you and your partner when you find yourselves stuck.
Additional methods to avoid decision fatigue include staying organized and prioritizing items on your to-do list. Whether you choose to use online resources or a physical wedding binder, having everything organized and laid out can make a huge difference. It’s also important to take care of your overall mental health throughout this process – whether that looks like taking regular breaks from planning, practicing self-care, or even talking through your wedding stress with a professional.
Tricks for Managing Decision Fatigue During Wedding Planning
If you are already in the throes of wedding planning and suffering from decision fatigue, don’t worry! There are some things you can do to manage your stress and get you back on track. Things like asking family and friends for help or hiring a partial planner can help take some items off your to-do list. You can also choose to cut items that aren’t important to you entirely! If you still need to make the decisions on your own, try setting a deadline for yourself, limiting your options, and making sure to stick with whatever decision you make.
Too often we hear brides say, “I wish we could just cancel it all and elope”. For most, this stems from a place of exhaustion, high stress, and decision fatigue. If you’re struggling with decision fatigue during wedding planning, we hope our suggestions can help you to overcome these feelings and enjoy your beautiful wedding. Remember, at the end of the day, your wedding is about marrying the person you love.
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