Mastering Time Management: Wedding Pros Share Their Best Productivity Hacks

Time is one of the most valuable currencies in the wedding industry, especially as we approach the busy season. Read ahead for the top ways wedding pros manage their time and maximize productivity. 

Consider how you approach your calendar

Time blocking is a much-favored strategy by event professionals, but managing your schedule often requires additional steps beyond simply carving out hours for particular tasks. 

"I try to stay focused on what is needed on a consistent basis and what tasks are special to an event or timing," explains Penny Haas of Penny Haas, LLC. "Ideally, I have my week planned out with a day for research and development, a day or two for follow-ups and sales, as well as a day for admin and accounting. We wear multiple hats, so we have to find days to wear each one! I easily get lost in emails and communication, but if I have a guideline of what I should do each day, I tend to manage my time a little better."

Alex McClard of Vision in White Events agrees to assign particular tasks, such as meetings, to certain days of the week. Her strategies particularly work well when managing a busy inbox:

"My earlier days of the week tend to be ‘catch-up’ days in my inbox with all of the emails that came in over the weekend. Toward the end of the week, I'm able to get ahead and do more of the planning side and think ahead on things. When it comes to answering emails, I try to read through my inbox to see what can quickly be done and what takes a bit more time. It makes me less overwhelmed when I can clean out my inbox quickly in the beginning and then focus on the more in-depth responses after. Then I try to go in order so that someone isn't waiting days for an answer."

For Loni Peterson of LP Creative Events, it's all about color-coding her calendar to maximize her day. She shares, "When I take a quick look at my calendar on my phone, I can get a sense of what buckets will be taking my attention that day to prepare and set myself up for success! And a pro tip: if you are using your phone for this, and you love to check things off your to-do lists, find a check mark emoji and add it to your calendar every time you get something done - let me tell you, the feeling of success and accomplishment seeing a ton of green check marks on my day is a rush!"

Delegate but train them well

Nicole Chan of Nicole Chan Photo & Video finds that she feels more balanced when she can concentrate on tasks she's good at and that are profitable for the business. With that in mind, she looks to outsource the more mundane, repetitive tasks that don't require a personal touch. However, training is key when she lands on the right person and recommends a screen capture, such as Vimeo or Loom. "During the video screen capture, I walked them through exactly how I do things and what I wanted them to replicate. Offloading some of these tasks saves me a lot of time and mental energy. I think as creatives, it's easy to want to do everything yourself and then get burnt out."

Learn when to say no and when to go all in

Carmen Davila of Events By Carmen has found that learning to say no has been one of the most challenging things for her as a self-professed people-pleaser. But ultimately, it's been a game changer to be able to determine where to give her time and energy to avoid burnout. 

"Everyone who knows me always says, 'Carmen, we see you at all the networking events; you're everywhere,'" explains Davila. "But, I'm honestly not! I just make sure when I'm at a networking or a wedding industry event, I'm fully present and engaging with those around me. Make sure that the industry events you attend are beneficial and not a waste of your time and energy. I am a big believer in associations like WIPA. You are not just networking with like-minded individuals, but also learning from amazing wedding professionals as well."

And if you need the rest, Carmen Hinebaugh of Evermore Occasions advises you to take the time you need. “Prioritize rest. Wedding professionals often work weekends and long hours, but burnout leads to inefficiency. Building in personal time ensures you stay focused, creative, and fully present for your clients.”

Apps + programs to support

A great strategy for managing time is best executed when supported by a tech stack that does some of the heavy lifting for you. Luckily, there are countless options out there to consider—so what do some of the top pros like the best?

"My number one tip is to download an app like Focus Keeper to help you stay on task," shares Michelle Oley of Michelle Elaine Weddings. "You'll accomplish a lot more instead of accidentally doom-scrolling (because we've all been there) and realizing you just lost an hour of work!"

Carin Hunt, Wedding Specialist at Coconut Palm Inn, is leaning more toward AI. "I recently adopted ChatGPT to help me pull insights on several data sets, including reviews, lead tracking, sales, and more. This helps our business make informed decisions as we plan our marketing strategy and enhance our product. I use ChatGPT to create checklists, brainstorm ideas, and even plan out my week. AI saves us time and offers unique solutions daily."

Vijay Goel of 440 Elm by Bite Catering agrees, adding, "Find frequent, repeated tasks and delegate them to someone else. It makes sure they get done well and takes them off your board. With the rise of more intelligent AI and no-code tools, you may be able to automate a chunk of them, which is even better."

For Craig Peterman of Craig Peterman Photography & Videography, "Having a solid CRM makes everything easier. Keeping contracts, invoices, and client communication in one place saves time and keeps me organized so I can focus on what I do best."

No matter the strategies you decide to embrace, it's ultimately about having the right mindset- especially as we head into the busy season. 

"We're all busy, but don't wear it like a badge of honor. We also need to live and have a life outside of our careers—so don't let your business drive you; let it be the other way around," says Oley.