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Working full-time in an office means many life milestones are often shared with coworkers. When it comes to wedding planning, which can be a full-time job in and of itself, brides-to-be and future spouses must navigate how to keep a divide between personal and professional time. Being transparent, determining reasonable time off, and keeping work and planning separate are ways a manager can support an employee while promoting a professional work environment.
Be transparent in communications. Once an employee becomes engaged, it is respectful for the employee to inform a boss of the new situation and be upfront about the planning timeline. A manager may ask questions to determine work coverage. Summer Krecke, a Forbes interviewee, suggests answering the questions without going overboard with the details. Clear communication upfront is key.
Determine reasonable time off. Wedding planning oftentimes includes pre-wedding events in addition to the ceremony and honeymoon. Coordinating time off needs to be fair to coworkers, who will be picking up the slack. Alison Green from New York Magazine cautions requesting an unreasonable amount of PTO, since this can impact your team’s productivity. “A lot of places frown on people taking off more than two weeks at a time, but managers are often willing to make exceptions for weddings,” Green writes.
Create a boundary between work and wedding prep. It can be hard to connect with vendors and answer family questions while working a 9-to-5 job. While it may be tempting to wedding plan during the workday, Emily Cassidy of MSNBC says wedding planning should not bleed over into your professional life. Using your lunch break for wedding planning and creating a separate email instead of using your work account are ways you can create boundaries during work hours. “Managing your time and energy is a good way to show your employers that you understand the responsibilities of your job,” Cassidy writes.
