Nothing will go wrong that 1) you can’t fix or 2) will ruin your wedding!
Let’s talk about the potential for stress over the last days before the big one and what you can do to avoid it. It’s no secret that stress affects your health, your ability to function and your perception.
If stress wasn’t a common by-product of wedding planning, there would be no bridezillas. Just think about it. You’ve probably never planned a wedding before. These are all new experiences, you’re essentially learning on the job—and you have one chance to get it right. You’re dealing with a unique set of circumstances that would put serious pressure on anyone.
Maybe your wedding-planning experience has been a breeze so far. Congratulations (and let us know how you did it!) Sit back and wait for our next Survival Tip. If the process has been a bit more overwhelming than you ever imagined (which is pretty typical,) we’d like to help make the last few months of planning the happiest time of your life. Here goes:
When he asked you to marry him, you made a choice—and, apparently the answer was yes! Immediately after that, your life became a whirlwind of choices—wedding and reception venue, caterer, wedding gown, invitations—and there are probably a few more choices you’ll need to make before everything comes together in one unforgettable day.
So we’ve established that you have the ability to make choices, and we’re confident you’ve made some spectaculars ones so far. Your very next choices? Put your wedding in the right perspective, remember a few simple stress-reducing suggestions and, most important, simply choose to enjoy these last few, exciting months of wedding planning and your wedding day. Here’s how:
Put Your Wedding In the Proper Perspective
It’s your wedding, not your marriage. Focus on the reason for the day and not the day itself. You love this man and you want to be with him for the rest of your life. Your engagement can easily set the tone for your marriage, which is still unexplored territory. Do you really want to show him (and everyone else) how frazzled and unreasonable you can be when you’re faced with something you’ve never encountered?
All you truly need to make your wedding day perfect is a marriage license, your groom, family and friends, an officiant and your vows. It’s those two I do’s that really matter. Everything else is just decoration for the day.
Can things go wrong before or during your wedding? Sure. It happens. And at those unexpected moments, you have a choice. You can a) become crazed, cry and let a bump in the road spoil what should be the most fabulous day of your life (not to mention your make-up,) or b) remember why you’re there, stay calm and collected so you can help think of ways to resolve the issue and let it go.
Stress-Reducing Suggestions
Don’t SuppressYour Feelings! Designate a sounding board—maybe your maid of honor. After she (or he!) is sworn to secrecy, let it all hang out—everything that’s bothering you. Get it off your chest and out of your mind. Sometimes you might work out one of the issues, but mostly, you’re venting, and you’ll be surprised how just putting it out there cleanses your brain and puts you back on track.
Pace Yourself During Wedding Planning! This is not a 24/7 project, unless there’s just a month or two between the day you got the ring and the day you walk down the aisle. Take a night and weekend off every week or two and spend time with friends, your honey or just yourself. See a movie, attend a concert, take a pottery class, go hiking, —anything to put your wedding on the back burner for a few hours.
Celebrate Your Accomplishments to Date! Don’t just cross things off your checklist and move on to the next—enjoy the victories! Relax, congratulate yourself on a job well done and acknowledge that you’re one step closer to those I do’s.
Choose to Enjoy the Journey—Including the Bumps in the Road! Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to cope with them. When you hit a snag—big or small—in the planning process, you have two choices: you can sit on a curb and cry, or you can assess the problem and start working on ways to fix it satisfactorily. The first choice is a waste of time. The second one will put you back on track right away. Good to remember, not just for wedding planning, but for life!
Now that you’re nice and relaxed, head to My Wedding Favors and check out our Wedding Day Survival Kit along with other fun stuff. After all, that’s what this is all about—and you’ll get $5 off your first order (with no minimum!) when you use coupon code TIP#1 at checkout!
