Don’t be afraid to admit that wedding planning can be a tad stressful.
See, didn’t that already feel cathartic to say? And it doesn’t mean you’re being a bridezilla, in the slightest; it just means that the wedding industry doesn’t talk about the taboo of wedding planning stress nearly enough.
As a supplier who’s there for most of the process, I’ve compiled a guide on how to stay sane planning a wedding, hoping it offers you some much-needed wedding planning stress relief.
Delegate
Delegate good times, c’mon! as the old song goes. Weddings are funny old things – as soon as you ask someone to be in your bridal party, you automatically want to assuage any stress they may feel on the day and so often you avoid giving them anything to do. Conversely, however, they’re often honoured to have something tangible to contribute, and also – don’t you deserve the same treatment?! If you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs doing, play to your party’s strengths and delegate jobs out, whether little or large.
Let people know
Don’t be afraid to let people know you’re struggling a little; it’s not a sign of being a bad person, it’s a sign of planning an epic bash, and that takes some serious wo-manpower. This goes for the people close to you – let them know you’re under a lot of stress, and you would appreciate them being sensitive about the topic – and also people in your wider circles, who you can gently but firmly let know you’d prefer to talk about something else. A problem shared isn’t necessarily a problem halved, but it is a problem that feels immediately less thorny.
Take time out
This leads nicely onto my next point, taking time out (it’s almost like I planned it, hey?). If you’re feeling the pressure, take time out to find some wedding planning stress relief. As much as it may not feel like it, those fabric swatches and DJ requests can wait 12 hours – and who knows, the time away may bring you a genius revelation regarding the combination of mustard yellow and You Can Call Me Al!
Eat breakfast…
And lunch and dinner, for that matter! There’s information everywhere you turn on bridal diets and my personal hatred, shredding for the wedding, but there’s not nearly enough information about not dieting for the wedding, and instead making sure you’re nourished. Make sure you eat good food often, food that makes you feel happy and well and fulfilled, because looking after your body helps you look after your mind. Also, make sure you do actually eat breakfast on your wedding day, because all that bubbles and those nerves on a long day make for a looooow alcohol tolerance.
Prioritise
One of the first things to do when wedding planning is work out your priorities (check the others out here). Keep these priorities in mind throughout the process, constantly going back to them and checking your worries against them. Is this high up on our list? No. Is it worth the stress I’m currently under? No. Might it be able to be relegated to another day, when I feel more up to it? Yes, with bells on.
Move
Without getting all Bill Nye the Science Guy on you, exercise is a great form of wedding planning stress relief. Getting up and moving about releases endorphins that make you feel better and less stressed about these things. Whether it’s going for a run, having a ridiculous nobody-will-see-you 10 minute dance to power ballads or going for a walk to buy a 99 with a flake, the act of moving will signal to your brain that your stress needs to jog on as well.
Keep date nights
Keep date nights as date nights if time allows. With busy jobs and busy lives, wedding planning understandably often becomes date nights – because why are you even doing the whole thing if you don’t enjoy spending time together – but if your schedule allows it, carve some time out to just be yours with no wedding planning stress allowed. This can work twofold – as above, it gives your brain a rest from wedding planning nightmares, but spending time with your other half can also can make the planning process seem a little sweeter when you get back to it, having remembered what it’s all for.
