Getting married is a big deal, right? Yet when it comes to letting coworkers in on the news, the most prudent solutions sometimes aren’t so obvious. You’ve also got a ton of planning to do and seemingly little time to accomplish your tasks. Fortunately, observing wise advice can help you strike an optimal balance between your wedding and work.
Dishing the Details to Your Boss
Brides contributor Sandy Malone recommends that you share news of your engagement with your boss as soon as possible. In fact, Malone says that your boss should be the first person you tell. You’ll also need to account for your industry’s busy season and avoid scheduling your event during that time. Once you’ve finalized a date, give your manager or supervisor a heads up to help steer clear of any major work-related conflicts.
Tactful Talk in the Office
Wedding Wire’s Lauren Rodrigue discusses several smart practices for keeping your workday wedding talk appropriate and circumspect. She first suggests cutting the chatter around coworkers who aren’t on the guest list. You’ll reduce the chances of getting awkward questions about invitations and creating hard feelings. Also, be prepared for people to offer unwanted suggestions and comments. Remember that they probably mean well and want to help, so politely thank them for the advice and move on.
Moreover, Rodrigue stresses the importance of allowing others to ask you how your wedding plans are progressing. You’re full of details, excitement, or stress over your arrangements, but you’ll do your coworkers a favor by letting them approach you. You won’t accidentally bore them to tears and you’ll open the door for those willing to listen. The same advice goes for letting your boss in on wedding arrangements. While you needed to inform management to help handle the logistics and vacation time, you should spare them all the planning minutiae.
The Low-Down on Inviting Coworkers
Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Sue Shellenbarger acknowledges that the question of inviting office colleagues can become a little tricky. You could want coworkers to attend, but you’re facing guest count restrictions, office politics, and the potential for uncomfortable situations. Shellenbarger explains that it’s easier to invite everyone if you’re employed in a small workplace or team. In other cases, it depends on whether you have relationships with these individuals outside the office. Finally, don’t forget to consider the mood of your event. Inviting conservative coworkers to attend with your party-happy crowd may not be a smart idea.
Tips for Planning While Maintaining Productivity
Some chit-chat about your wedding can contribute to interpersonal relationships with colleagues. At the same time, you shouldn’t allow your productivity to decline. Lauren Rodrigue provides more advice, suggesting that “less is best” when discussing the big day with coworkers. After all, you have projects to complete and clients to serve.
An April 2016 Brides article offers similar advice about wedding planning tasks at work. You could take a couple of mini-breaks and use your personal cellphone to contact vendors and schedule appointments. Your lunch hour may also provide some free planning time, but be sure to avoid sharing wedding details on social media during work hours. Setting timers can also prevent you from losing track during your lunch and mini-breaks.
Professional Poise Is a Must
Planning a wedding can be exciting and wonderful. Yet you still have plenty of real-world obligations, including your job. You must find a way to balance your wedding-related details, errands, and emotions with your work responsibilities. Being selective about discussing your wedding, limiting planning tasks to break times, and giving careful thought about coworkers on your guest list can help you maintain focus, productivity, and good relationships on the job.
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