Top Wedding Planning Advice for Couples

Destination wedding planning can be a wonderful experience, but it can also add a lot of pressure on the couple. There’s a lot to organize starting with the financial aspects of the trip, the personal preferences of the couple, and the effort to please each and every guest attending the event. You can easily get lost by the overwhelming details.

How to manage this process while making your relationship even stronger? Keep reading our blog for wedding planning advice from relationship experts on their way to the altar. With their guidance, you can turn your wedding planning worries into wedding planning bliss, and start your life together more in love than ever before!

Beach wedding set up with a white pergola with greenery and wooden chairs
A dreamy beach wedding set up!
the porsha principles logo with a red heart

For this blog, we had the opportunity to interview Porsha Jones from The Porsha Principles, and successful businessman and husband-to-be Michael Wilkinson, who are just a few weeks away from their own destination wedding. Let’s see what they say:

  • How will the relationship change after the engagement?

Most of the time couples experience some change in the relationship, and often a change for the better. From an emotional standing, the meaning of getting engaged is typically associated with a deeper, lifelong commitment to love and cherish the other.

With engagement, couples frequently experience yet another high similar to the excitement of first falling in love, and their relationship gets stronger, and they feel closer than ever. At the same time, along with this new high also comes the reality of integrating your lives together. Some experience this as stressful as they find themselves having harder or more serious discussions around creating a life together while navigating their differences.

will you marry my sign with lots of red roses
And so the story begins…
  • How to plan a destination wedding that works for every couple?  

For couples looking to plan a wedding that works for them, we believe the crucial first step is for the couple to decide what are the most important elements to each of them. These key elements then form the foundation from which to build the rest of the wedding plan.

  • How much should my partner be involved in the wedding planning process?  

Depending on each partner’s desires and skills and the couple’s unique circumstances, the level of involvement may differ. But, whatever you and your partner agree to is what should be honored.

What is most important is that the other partner remains open and accessible to happily jump in and help if their partner becomes overwhelmed at any time during the process.

Same sex couple holding hands in a garden
Communication is key in every relationship!
  • Oh no, Family/Couples drama in sight! How to avoid being affected as a couple by family feuds, if any?

Family: Wedding planning can bring up a lot of things for the couples’ family of origin. Therefore, boundaries and assertive communication are a must! It will be important for the couple to communicate to the families that it is their wedding and that decisions about it will be made by them, and that they hope that both families will support it.

While sometimes emotions will run high, it is not the couple’s responsibility to manage everyone’s emotions or be in the middle of them.

Couples: For every person, there are things their partner can do or say that nearly guarantee an argument will ensue. These “fire starter” moments are surely heightened during intense situations like planning a wedding. Learn more about the fire starter situations and how to avoid them here.

Couple fighting to each other yelling and pointing fingers
Oh no! not again…
  • What are the most important things to keep in mind during the whole wedding planning process?

Your marriage is what’s most important and doing the things to ensure you live a lifelong honeymoon every day instead of focusing just on the day. Three key thoughts that we would want every couple to keep in mind:

  1. Remember to lift your partner every day during this time. Destination wedding planning can be stressful, and it is easy to lose sight of the importance of fueling the love that is the foundation of your relationship.
  2. Manage the differences with care and communication. Understand that the two of you will have different desires on several things. Seek to understand and seek to ensure that the solutions you implement work for both of you.
  3. Avoid the fire starters. Shoulding, shaming, blaming, etc. have no place in preparing for the rest of your lives together. If you find yourself “fired up” and ready to ignite a blaze, take a personal timeout and remind yourself once more of the love you have for your partner.
the porsha principles book for wedding planning advice
Find these and many other resources and advice in The Porsha Principles ebook.
  • In a more personal matter, what are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?

When we thought about this question, we had the same answer, but from different perspectives.

[For Porsha] Seeing the way Michael looks at me as I’m walking down the aisle.

[For Michael] Seeing Porsha walking down the aisle towards me, dazzling, gorgeous…and me not being able to get the grin off my face.

And, of course, sharing our most special day with our most special people.

RELATED: Would you like some FREE couples assessment? Answer this test!

porsha jones profile picture

Porsha Jones

Porsha’s ability to work so well with couples in crisis stems from her own personal history. In past years, she suffered the loss of her first husband, her mother, and was left with a child and no source of income or support.

She found the strength to overcome her difficulties and she graduated top of her class and received her Master of Family Therapy degree from Mercer University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

She is currently a clinical member of the Georgia Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and other top associations in the field, and a true expert in guiding couples towards a successful life together.

 

Profile pic of michael wilkinson

Michael Wilkinson

Michael is the Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc. – The Facilitation Company, the largest provider of professional facilitators and facilitation training in the U.S. He is considered a national leader in the facilitation industry. Michael is a much sought-after facilitator, trainer, and speaker, both in the U.S. and around the globe. He also is:


●A Certified Master Facilitator, one of less than 50 in the world.
●Founder of the FindaFacilitator database, with over 600 facilitators under contract.
●Named to the International Facilitation Hall of Fame in 2016.

About the couple

How do two busy people meet, court, and get to know each during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic? Online of course! After a reluctant push from a friend, Porsha found a cyber connection with Michael that grew into a whirlwind courtship.

african american couple with sunglasses taking a selfie at the beach
Life is better at the beach, right?!

Michael gained Porsha’s trust and heart through meeting each other’s family and friends and creating memories through dinners, movies, Falcon games, Christmas parties, and more.

A Hawaiian sunset is definitely a  romantic backdrop for a proposal. The groom-to-be “popped the question” at Waicoco to hear a heartwarming “YES!”

Porsha Jones and Michael Wilkinson proposal night, with michael kneeling down and putting the ring
She said YES!

About choosing Hola Weddings and Secrets Maroma

We love to travel so, a destination wedding at a beautiful Mexican resort was an ideal location to celebrate our love with family and friends. About a year into the pandemic we were definitely feeling cabin fever so we decided to look for a place we felt safe enough to spend time away.  

We came across Secrets Maroma and were absolutely blown away by the beauty, service, food, cocktails, and entertainment! We thought about how much we wanted the people we love to have the same experience.

Wedding gazebo with white drapes, pink flowers and white chairs
Beautiful and tropical Secrets Maroma Riviera Maya

So when we decided to get married, it was pretty easy for us to choose Hola Weddings to plan our destination wedding. Given the online reviews, we were all in for the experience other guests said it offers.

RELATED: Why travel agents are the best to plan a destination wedding?

Porsha and Michael are set to tie the knot on 26th August 2022. Stay tuned for more tips and for their wedding review!

Wedding Planning Advice Conclusion

The most important thing for couples to remember is to focus on what is important to them, and not to get too caught up in the details. By staying organized and keeping their priorities in mind, couples can wedding plan without feeling overwhelmed.

We hope the wedding planning advice offered by our relationship experts are helpful, and encourage you to deal with the pressure couples usually find during their wedding planning process.

Do you know what else can reduce marital stress to the minimum? Hiring a wedding expert! What are you waiting for? Drop us a line and let’s start designing together that perfect day you always dreamed of.


Get in touch, we love to help!
1-888-472-7077
[email protected]

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