It’s three days before your wedding, and you are almost pulling your hair out from wedding stress. While getting engaged and fulfilling marriage is an exciting event, the culmination of planning details and the crescendo of stress associated with your wedding can cause a meltdown for many brides and grooms. The planning stage of the wedding, whether the event is a small one involving close family and friends, or a gala affair of 400 people, is a tedious yet all important aspect of a successful wedding. Here are some tips and advice that we have accumulated over the years that may help you reduce your wedding stress.
Plan your wedding early
Almost without doubt, those who begin planning the wedding details earlier experience less stress later in the game. The clearer and more concise the details are, the better position the bride and groom are in during those critical days leading up to the event. Starting early can mean choosing a generalized wedding theme, and then brainstorming for the most important aspects associated with it — the location for the ceremony and the reception. Gathering resources — friends and family and possibly a wedding consultant/coordinator – can really help solidify the plan.
Take time for yourselves
Don’t ever forget the reasons why you and your spouse are doing this — for love and for devotion and commitment. Many couples lose focus of this as they follow through with their wedding planning details. Remember that no wedding is ‘perfect’. Keeping the love and excitement right through the wedding is also very important.
Some things you can do to unwind during the planning stage may be:
Talk with close friends a lot
Tell them your frustrations, your concerns, and your expectations of how this wedding should flow. Talking your wedding through from beginning to end can really help reduce wedding stress.
Spend romantic time with your spouse-to-be
Plan a surprise, one-night ‘date’ and promise yourselves to not talk about the wedding whatsoever during that time. Pretend as if you are back to the stage of dating, and keep it fun, mysterious and romantic. Break your date up into two parts — one where only ‘body language’ is allowed, and one where talking and socializing about anything other than ‘weddings’ is emphasized. Stay away from busy places.
Hit the gym
Or, go for long walks (preferably away from people — beaches and hikes work very well). Many people can significantly reduce stress by staying active in sports if possible during the wedding planning stage.
Take long, hot baths
Pamper yourself with anything and everything you can during your bath. Spas, saunas, and anything of the sort are great at this time.
Trust in your faith of your friends and family
They want your event to be pulled off with a bang as well.
Stick with your plan
From the beginning, but always ebb and flow with last minute changes. The wedding plan, while a very important guideline to follow, is simply that — a guideline.
Always remember, the biggest part of reducing wedding stress is having fun!
Compiled by R. Legault.
