You’ve asked and we’ve answered! Welcome to your weekly column ‘Planning Your Happily Ever After’ with wedding consultant Shikima Hinds, who will each week spotlight all the questions you’ve been asking since COVID-19 was added to the guest list!

Planning a wedding comes with numerous little decisions about your wedding day.

It’s perfectly normal for brides to feel indecisive and experience self-doubt during the wedding planning journey. This can be a real struggle for brides for whom indecisiveness is an everyday personality trait.

We know the easiest decision was saying yes, but then there are a whole lot more decisions. Limitless wedding options can quickly become frustrating and drive you nuts, so just image how your friends, family and wedding planner (if you have one) may feel watching you through the process.

Being decisive is the key to a positive experience. Here are my top tips to help you to overcome the uncertainty and make decisions efficiently and quickly.

1 . Create a list of priorities and goals

You need to have a clear understanding about your wedding priorities and goals. Write them down so you can go back to your list again; this will set the tone for your planning.

2 . Follow your gut

Your initial gut reaction is usually the right decision for you. If you hate something or you’re happy and loving something then it’s probably right to follow how you feel.

With this attitude you don’t need to worry about choosing the perfect wedding element, just choose the one you like best. This is a great tactic you can use in all areas — the dress, the cake, flowers and table décor.

3 . Understand your wedding budget

No matter what decision you have to make, your wedding budget will contribute to the deciding factor. It will help you to understand what you can and cannot spend on for your special day. Stick with your budget once you’ve set it and allot the spend based on your priority list.

4 . Stop looking for further inspiration

With Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, it can be overwhelming with so many options available. Let’s call this wedding information overload; it’s so easy to get distracted with all the beautiful wedding ideas that are out there.

Once you’ve made a decision, try not to overanalyse. Go with your gut. Then cut yourself off from looking at other sources of inspiration. I know it’s hard, but trust me… just move on or you’ll drive yourself crazy second-guessing everything. Stop doubting yourself.

5 . Give yourself a decision deadline

Set a mental cut-off date. When you have a tough decision weigh all the pros and cons.

Keep the big picture in mind when taking the time to give the decision the full attention it deserves within your pre-set allotted timeline.

6 . If you need to, ask for advice

Picking only one trusted friend could actually be extremely helpful. In my opinion, the more people you seek out for advice, the more indecisive you will be because everyone’s taste is hugely different. A wedding planner can also be a great help with advice and bridal tips as it is their professional field. They have a lot of practical knowledge and can often help with things you never thought about.

Don’t make the planning phase a huge chore instead of an enjoyable process.

It’s so easy to get off-track with what you thought was a great idea because you start seeing it everywhere. You’ll end up spending double the time, and sometimes the money, if you lose sight of what you really want.

Remember, you are your harshest critic.