Dear Stressed Out Bride...
Dear stressed out Bride,
I see you. I see you over there hustling to get everything done in time, making the payments, finalizing your guest list, and trying to please everyone with an opinion about your special day. Deep breaths, friend.
As a recent bride myself, I am very familiar with how extremely stressed out you can easily become planning a wedding. Even though the season of engagement is filled with so much excitement, it’s pretty normal for that to also be accompanied by stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed.
If I could go back a couple months and talk to my pre-marital self, this is what I would tell her.
5 Ways to plan a wedding - stress free
1.) DELEGATE
Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks! Did you know that’s one of the big purposes of a bridal party? - To help. Don’t have bridesmaids? - Ask family. Close friends. Coworkers. There will be many times that people will kindly offer, ‘If you need anything, let me know!’ Take advantage of it and take them up on it. In the beginning of my wedding planning process, I wanted to play superhero and do it all myself. After all, I wanted things veryyyy specific. But during the last couple months before the wedding, I felt like I was loosing my mind. Don’t wait until the last minute to ask for help. It’s there - all you have to do is ask.
2.) MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
I don’t say this lightly. YOU. ARE. IMPORTANT. Don’t make yourself crazy over this. Make sure you’re sleeping. Eat well balanced meals. Go for walks. Clear your head. Go get a massage (you’re the bride - you can spoil yourself and not feel guilty about it, remember that). If you need to step away for the afternoon, go treat yourself by shopping for some new outfits for your honeymoon. Go grab a drink with your friend. Go for a run. Get a facial. You’re going to get busier and busier the closer to the wedding day you get… make the time to take care of yourself, even if you have to put another task on hold for an hour or two. It will still be there when you get back.
3.) CONTINUE TO GO ON DATES
Don’t forget about each other! It can be easy to bump heads, not see eye to eye on big wedding day decisions, or get into a silly argument about your color pallet during this process. Remember to still take the time out at LEAST once a week to keep that flame going. I promise you it will help, and you’ll come back to the planning refreshed and with a new set of eyes.
4.) MAKE IT FUN
Invite some girlfriends over for a wine and craft night if you need to make your centerpieces! Take your parents out for dinner at a rehearsal dinner restaurant you wanted to try out. Have a couple close friends over to help you stamp and address allllll the envelopes. Take the tasks that have to be done and make them enjoyable. Make memories out of them instead of just seeing them as chores. You will miss it when there’s nothing left to plan. Enjoy every moment of it.
5.) REMEMBER YOUR WHY
And finally, when the going gets tough and you’re running around with appointments with your vendors, calls with your caterer, and up till 2 am making your favors, remember what it’s all for. This is the day you will marry the love of your life. In the end, it won’t matter if the little details aren’t finished (no one will notice but you!), but what will matter is that you married your best friend. Everything else will come together, and it will be perfect.
