Many brides think of their wedding like a job. They plan it and assume everything will stay on schedule. With women working full time, raising families or going to school, they think they can organize a wedding at nights, on weekends and in the last few days before the wedding.

There are hundreds of details that go into a wedding, from invitations to table top invitations, to welcome bags for out of town guests to bridal party gifts and a gift for the groom. As the wedding nears, things tend to get more and more hectic with DJs asking for song lists, photographers wanting shoot lists and more.

Some brides think that taking three or four days off before the wedding will give them plenty of time to accomplish all these tasks. The one factor they don't consider is the social activities that surround the days before the wedding. Guests, family and friends start to arrive days before the wedding and they will all want your attention. There may be a bridal shower to attend, the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, brunches, drinks and more. The time will fly by.

Instead of making yourself crazy before the wedding, trying to organize a thousand details, make a list of what needs to get done and have it finished a week before the wedding. This will give you plenty of time if last minute concerns pop-up and also lets the bride spend the days before her wedding relaxing and enjoying the company of the people who are so important to her life.

One detail you may want to take care of before crunch time is payments. Has everyone been paid? Some companies allow you to pay at the wedding, but the wedding is the time to relax and enjoy, so have checks made out and pay ahead of time.

Gifts. There are bridesmaid gifts to get and groomsmen's gifts. Mothers and fathers should receive a gift, as should the groom. There are gifts for the guests that are set out at the table, and you may want welcome gifts for out of town guests. All of these take time to think about, find and wrap. Having this done ahead of time will get rid of a lot of headaches.

Organizing can also be stressful. Talk to your maid of honor and let her know what your expectations are for the day. She should have an emergency kit for you. You may want her to collect the gifts and drop them off at your house, or pick up a snack for the bridesmaids when you are getting hair and make-up done. Your bridesmaids are there to help you, so be sure to delegate jobs to them. Transportation to and from rehearsals may need to be arranged ahead of time. Be sure the drivers know where they are going.

Anything you can do to relieve stress before your wedding will let you luxuriate in the fun and celebration that a wedding should be. Don't make the mistake of getting so caught up in last minute details that you aren't able to enjoy yourself.