How to Manage Wedding Stress

Your wedding is a special event to celebrate your love and commitment with your other half, and just like any other event, it can be very stressful. Most couples expect their weddings to be the happiest event of their lives. However, none of them expect the planning process to be stressful. This warrants a few bridezilla moments and there are times you want to give up on everything. You need to know the parts that can become the most stressful and how to manage the stress and avoid having a meltdown.

Here are ways you can enjoy the wedding planning process without getting overwhelmed. 

A Big Investment

Deciding to spend your life with someone is the most significant commitment of your adult life. However, you cannot just wake up and have a wedding unless you elope. If you want to have your friends and family share your wedding day with you, you will need to plan for the big day. Planning how your wedding day should look can be a daunting experience on its own and requires a lot of time and energy. It is a big investment and can be stressful.

There is a seemingly endless number of decisions to make – the venue, the guest list, the dress! When you feel like you can cross one thing off your list, another is there, waiting for your attention, making you feel like you've made no progress at all. You can end up with an abundance of decisions that can make even the most decisive person feel confused and overwhelmed.  

To reduce your stress, you can come up with a detailed list of what to do and how to do it and allocate your budget and time accordingly.  Be realistic about what has to be done and how much time it requires. The seemingly smaller tasks can add up, taking more of your time than you think. Allocating your time and efforts according to the importance of the task will help you to avoid surprises. Also, be realistic about how much progress you have made and compliment yourself from occasion to occasion. Having software like Excel or a checklist can keep you organized and will minimize your stress effectively. 

Manage your Expenses

Expenses for your wedding day can add an extra layer of stress to your already mountain high-stress level. Even after going through everything and figuring out how much you are going to pay, you will still worry until everything is done. It is hard talking about finances with people who are closer to you. Having an idea of how much you are wanting to spend and who you are hoping to contribute and how much will make the conversation easy and clear. 

The best possible way to handle stress related to expenses is to put a limit on yourself and try to not spend outside your boundaries. Being upfront with the vendors about the expenses clears up any ambiguity and helps you avoid things out of your budget. Communication is the key and talking it out with your family members about the vision you have for your big day helps you clear up any confusion. It’s very common for couples to have arguments about expenses, so, having a constructive conversation over a glass of wine at dinner can ease the tension that you and everyone is feeling. Get your Fiancé on the same page by talking in detail about your big day. Not only does it bring clarity to the planning process, but it also can be a long-term benefit for a healthy marriage.  

Make Time for Yourself

Planning for your big day takes up a lot of time and it is easy to forget to think about YOUR well-being. That can result in physical symptoms such as breakouts, reduced sex drive, headaches, and changes in appetite. These effects only add to your stress and take you away from focusing on what's important. Taking a break from time to time will be important you stay fresh and pleasant throughout the entire wedding planning process. 

Allocate some time for just your well-being away from your busy schedule. Do something that you enjoy such as listen to music to calm your nerves, hit the gym, get a massage or yoga. Exercising helps you to relax and re-center yourself and will calm your nerves. Don’t let this stressful but important time in your life get the best of you, stay focused, take some time when you need it, and don't let the stresses of planning the wedding take your attention away from your actual wedding. 

Go on a Date

The wedding process is time-consuming. It becomes harder and harder to focus on your relationship as you start this process. Wedding planning can put a serious strain on your relationship. Problems from family and friends can cause a stir as well. The last thing you want is for the stress from the planning process to carry over into the wedding and distract you from what will be a beautiful time in your life. 

As you are about to start a new chapter of your life, focusing on your relationship during the stressful period of planning is necessary for a happy beginning. The wedding is supposed to be a joyful time and couples get caught up in the budget and planning and forget to show the other person why they got engaged in the first place. Allot any day of the week for a date night where you and your Fiancé just focus on each other. Not only will a date night help you get away from your own stresses but it also gives you a chance to check on your partner's as well! 

Last but not Least

If something does not go according to your plan, just know that you have the support of your loved ones on and it’s alright to have something go wrong. No wedding is perfect. Remember: tiny inconveniences will be the last thing you will be thinking about when you're looking at your partner getting ready to say your vows. It would be good for you to take these inconveniences with a grain of salt and focus on the greater picture and think of how happy you will be with your future spouse.