Planning a wedding is no cakewalk. You’ve got a million and one details to take care of, family expectations to balance with what you and your partner want, and a budget to watch. The lead-up to the best day of your life can be some of the most stressful months of your life.
Weddings bring together relationships, money, and expectations in a way that can be very stressful. If you’re feeling under the gun, you’re not alone — and you’re not helpless. There are many things you can do to manage your stress and relax while planning your wedding day.
Here are six tips for keeping you relaxed as the big day draws closer.
Identify Sources of Stress
What are the tasks that are most likely to cause you stress? Perhaps the idea of doing the seating chart is most stressful to you, or choosing the favors is. Identify what makes you stressed about that activity and see if you can delegate or eliminate the task from your list. Maybe your partner can choose the favors, or a family member can help you with the seating chart.
Perhaps it’s a relationship rather than a task that is taking your energy. If one of your parents is asserting their opinions too forcefully, or Grandma is calling too often insisting you say the same vows she did when she married Grandpa, see if one of your siblings or other family members can step in to run interference for you.
Preparation and self-awareness are key to reducing and managing stress. Remember, you’re not alone; you have a partner, friends, and relatives who can help you eliminate the stress you face as you plan your wedding.
Create a Stress-Free Environment
Even small changes to your home and work environment can make a big difference to your stress levels. Consider doing the following to help you feel less stressed:
- Light perfumed candles and incense, which reduces stress, calms anxieties, and makes you feel better.
- Place some potted plants on your desk or windowsill, which can lower your blood pressure.
- Decorate your space in tones of green, blue, and violet, which can make you feel calm and peaceful.
- Open your blinds to let natural light in, which contributes to wellness.
Your surroundings can have a huge impact on how you feel. Make sure your environment promotes calm and wellness.
Take Care of Your Body and Mind
With the steady stream of things to be done, it’s easy to let taking care of yourself fall to the bottom of the list. Fight the urge to put yourself last, and make sure you’re taking care of both your body and mind.
Take care of your body with regular exercise, whether that’s going to the gym, making time for a sports team, or going for regular walks. You need the stress-busting endorphins that exercise provides.
It’s equally important to take care of your mind and emotions. Try meditating, even if only for a few minutes each morning, or journal your thoughts to have an outlet for all the emotions you’re feeling. If you’re religious, make an effort to attend religious services and connect with your spiritual side.
Yoga is a particularly good activity to nurture the body, spirit, and mind. Find a class near you or find videos online so you can do it in the comfort of your home.
You’ll look and feel better on your big day if you’re taking care of yourself during the wedding preparation. Even a few minutes of meditation and a brisk walk around the block can make a huge difference if you’re pressed for time.
Schedule Wedding-Free Days
Don’t let the wedding planning overshadow the reason for the wedding – you’re getting married to the person you love. It’s easy for the wedding to take over all the time you spend together.
Schedule time where you focus on connecting with your partner rather than planning the wedding. Go on dinner dates where discussing the wedding is off limits. Spend a day doing something you love doing together, whether that’s watching sports, cooking together, or visiting a museum. Nurture your relationship so it can offer you support and encouragement as you look forward to not only the wedding, but also your lives together.
Make the same effort to have wedding-free time with your friends and family, too. Those relationships are also important, and you need to stay engaged with your friends and family even as you’re planning your wedding.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
We already suggested identifying tasks that cause you stress and delegating them to others, but it bears repeating: delegate, delegate, delegate. Delegate tasks that don’t cause you particular stress – you can’t do everything on your own. Get friends and family to run errands, decorate, and make place cards. If you can afford it, consider hiring a wedding planner or day-of coordinator to help you take things off your plate.
Prioritize the tasks that you absolutely need to do and what you can get others to do. Perhaps you’re not too concerned with the music at the reception but the food is very important to you. Ask your partner or a trusted friend to take care of the set list while you sample desserts.
It’s true that many hands make light work. Be sure to find yourself some extra hands.
Pamper Yourself
Take the time to do something luxurious and decadent for yourself, whatever that may be. Get a massage. Go to the driving range. Schedule a spa day. Sleep in and have a late brunch.
Think of these activities not as indulgences, but as necessities for staying balanced and relaxed. If it’s not possible to go to the spa, take a bath instead. Find the ways that work for you to relax.
You don’t need to sacrifice your sanity to plan your wedding. By identifying sources of stress, creating a relaxed environment, taking care of your body and mind, scheduling wedding-free days to reconnect with your partner and loved ones, delegating, and pampering yourself, you can stay calm and collected as your big day draws near.
What are some of the ways you stay relaxed as you’re planning your wedding? Leave a comment below.
Featured photo credit: Shutterstock via thumb7.shutterstock.com
