Wedding planning can be stressful enough as is, but when you factor in a long-distance relationship, it can feel downright impossible. Not to worry – it CAN be done, and in a stress-free way too! Our friends at Be Inspired PR have rounded up industry expert tips and tricks to help you plan your wedding even when you’re hundreds of miles away from your partner!

Hire a Planner. 

“My biggest piece of advice is to hire a planner to manage the logistics and details, so you can enjoy your engagement and planning process. He/she will guide you through coordinating the big day, make sure all your T’s are crossed and keep you both updated (or as updated as you want to be.)” – Nora Sheils, Founder of Bridal Bliss

Utilize Technology.

“In addition, utilize software to keep you organized! Programs like Rock Paper Coin serve as a virtual binder keeping all of your important paperwork in one place, accessible by both of you from anywhere.” – Nora Sheils

Take a Break from Planning.

“Take time away from planning where you don’t even talk about the wedding and instead, make fun new memories together. Many couples get bogged down by the details and the process quickly turns stressful instead of fun. You must focus on the end result…becoming a married couple! Leave the rest for the professionals.” – Nora Sheils

Communicate Priorities & Goals from the Beginning.

“Virtual meetings + constant communication will be your best friends during this process. Establish upfront what each of you deems a priority in the wedding to avoid friction later on. If there’s a difference of opinion, attempt to find a middle ground by deciding how you want your guests to *feel* during your event and then set down some specific steps on how to get there. Aiming towards a common goal together will make this process feel like less of a struggle and more of a bonding experience!” – Ashley Lachney, Owner of Alston Mayger Events

Have Virtual Date Nights with NO Wedding Planning.

“Having a virtual date night? Leave the wedding talk out of it. It’s okay to take a break and just enjoy each other’s company — you can get back to excitedly checking things off of your list tomorrow.” – Ashley Lachney

Plan a Trip to Your Wedding Location Together.

“Plan special weekends and days for meeting up in the city where your wedding will be to work on the plans together. If your schedule gets too busy to meet up in person, plan specific wedding planning “dates” on facetime to sit and see each other to make decisions together and maybe enjoy a meal and glass of wine together as well!” – Valarie Falvey, Kirkbrides Wedding Planning & Design

Use Online Tools.

“I launched WedBrilliant because my fiancé and I were planning our dream wedding from two states away from where we were actually going to host the big day, so I feel this pain point! Whether you’re a long-distance couple planning your wedding or a couple planning a destination wedding, WedBrilliant can help relieve the stress. Gather your ideas and inspiration, talk about what you want for your wedding, and then create a free WedBrilliant couple profile. Get your sweetie on FaceTime or Zoom and post all your wedding needs together for vendors to submit customized bids on. You’ll be notified when vendors send you a proposal and both of you can review potential costs, ideas and vendor info from your online WedBrilliant dashboard. You’ve got enough else to manage in a long-distance relationship…make finding and securing vendors an easy task!” – Melissa Wilmot, Founder & CEO, WedBrilliant

Plan the Florals Together Online & Send Each Other Arrangements from Local Floral Shops.

“As a florist, many of my couples – particularly those in long-distance relationships – will designate one person to handle planning the wedding flowers. However, it’s always fun to see both people enjoy the most fun aspects of the flower discussions online, such as looking at a final design deck together over zoom with me or using tools like shared google drive folders Pinterest, and Instagram. If you’re feeling romantic, try sending your love a preview flower arrangement from a local shop where they live, featuring a type of flower that will be featured in your wedding to come with a sweet note enclosed. Anything to keep the process fun, exciting, and momentous is especially helpful for long-distance relationship wedding planning.” – Erin Ostreicher, Owner, Nectar & Root LLC

Take Advantage of the Ability to Be Flexible in Your Vendor Choices.

“Most appointments nowadays can be virtual and many vendors are accommodating out-of-state brides. This also opens up a new pool of out-of-state vendors that couples may not have previously considered. One of my couples was living in different states during the majority of the wedding planning process. The bride was in Chicago, the groom was in New York and I was in Florida. We met via 3-way FaceTime and all the invitation design work was done over email back and forth. It worked out great and the final result was absolutely stunning.” – Lilia Shatnaya, Owner and Designer of Plume and Stone Invitation Studio

With these tips handy, you’ll be planning your wedding with ease and hey – you might even love the process! 

Photos courtesy of (in order of appearance): Amanda K. Photography (1st & 2nd); Jessica Hill Photography (3rd); RT Faith Photography (4th); Evangeline Lane (5th& 7th); Rachel Tweggs Photography (6th); Sakshi Karambelkar Photography (8th)