Planning a wedding can be an experience fraught with not only happiness and fun, but also stress, sweat and tears. Many brides and grooms can be extremely stressed in the lead up to the big day, which is not only bad for your mental health but can also be bad for your physical health too.
Stay on top of your stress levels by following our top 12 tips for beating wedding-time stress.
1. Make sure to follow timelines to avoid last minute rushes
It’s important to be hitting those timeline milestones out from your wedding to ensure that everything runs smoothly. If you know that you are particularly prone to having a hard time making decisions, you might like to adjust the timeline schedules to give you extra time accordingly.
2. Use apps to help stay organised
There are so many apps out there that can help you stay super organised in the lead up to your wedding. Apps like Asana can be used to create and share task lists and information, and apps such as Pinterest are great for saving ideas about styling, food choice, hair, etc.
3. Don’t invite people that you don’t want to
Most people will have one or two people on their guest lists that they really don’t like, or don’t want to come to the wedding. Unless these people are a necessary evil in your life, such as immediate family, then there is no reason to keep them on the list just because you feel obliged to invite them.
4. Use trusted service providers for your wedding
Make sure to choose trusted companies for all of your wedding needs. A flaky hairdresser, a new catering company, or a fresh out of school makeup artist may not be the best choices. Read reviews and look for trusted service providers with years of experience under their belts.
5. Don’t choose a dress too small in the hopes of fitting into it
Most of us would like to shed some kgs in the lead up to our weddings. If you have your eye on a perfect Rebecca Ingram Jamie gown, then do not purchase it in a size or two smaller in the hope that you will fit into it in time. While many of us hit our target weights, many of us also do not. A too big gown can always be taken in, however, it can be difficult, or impossible, to let out a gown that is too small.
6. Make sure that you are budgeting carefully
Avoid the stress of wedding bills piling up that you thought you could avoid but realise you’ve gone way over budget by budgeting carefully and making sure to enter costs as they come up. Budget for each item, and then if you go over in one aspect of your wedding, you’ll know that you have to have less in the pool for another aspect.
7. Only have one or two people help you with decision making
Too many chefs spoil the pot! Your partner and a trusted friend or relative are generally enough people to help with your wedding preparations. If you have too many opinions around you may wind up more confused or frustrated than you would otherwise.
8. Practice meditation
Mediation is a brilliant, tried way to help reduce your stress levels. Either practice meditation solo, or with the help of an aid such as an app at home, or take yourself along to a guided meditation class.
9. Get enough exercise
Exercise is also great for reducing stress levels. If you’re not into running, try out activities like Pilates, pole dancing, salsa, or bike riding. Just 30 minutes of exercise a day is perfect for helping to reduce stress.
10. Go for massages
They’re not just a delicious indulgence, but massages are also good for helping to melt away knots and tightness in your muscles that are caused by an excess of stress. Weekly massages are great at rebalancing your body and can leave you refreshed and reenergized when you are feeling that your body is taking a toll.
11. Employ a wedding planner
With so much to do to plan a wedding, it can feel like you haven’t got time for anything else in your life anymore. Share the load by consulting with a professional wedding planner to help you with all the activities associated with the lead up to your wedding.
