How To Deal With Wedding Planning Stress

Consider the following tips for stress-free wedding planning:

• Prioritize

According to 35% of couples, it’s the little things that irritate them the most. Decide right now that you’re going to be miserable if you scrutinize every little detail. You’ll have a fantastic day if you have a positive attitude about your wedding.

Focus the fundamentals, those items that are critical to making this your ideal wedding a reality, and return to your “must” list throughout the planning process to keep things in perspective. Checking in with your original objectives regularly can keep you on track—and budget. You’ll save a lot of stress later on by putting a lot of those critical elements in place right at the outset of the planning process. You’ll avoid splurging on items you determined weren’t that necessary from the beginning.

• Discuss

Parents are also a source of significant disagreement: 53% of couples say their parents are the most stressful people in their lives, while 33% blame their in-laws. The wedding is about you and your future spouse, and the life you’re beginning. If your parents contribute to your wedding budget, they’ve earned a voice in the planning process. Sit down with them directly away to discuss your vision for the big day and listen to what they have to say about the things that are most important to them; then find methods to negotiate so that everyone is satisfied. Getting your family on the same page from the start is the greatest way to minimize squabbles throughout the planning process.

• Make a backup plan

There will be events that are beyond your control, such as the weather. If—and when—something goes wrong, being ready for “craziest scenarios” can let you roll with the punches. Take a step back and relax about the fabric swatches not fitting or whatever other little snafu arises. It was a fantastic wedding if you got married at the end of the day.

• Schedule focus on yourself

Pre-planning anxiety led to 86 percent of couples experiencing health complaints including acne, migraines, reduced appetite, and even hair loss! While it may seem paradoxical when you have so much on your plate, taking time out for something relaxing, such as a manicure, yoga session, or Netflix binge, is essential for your overall health.

Set aside certain hours to concentrate on wedding preparation, and then forget about it. Set aside two hours three evenings a week for wedding-related duties, for example. Do something you like on the other evenings. According to the research, 61 percent of individuals chose to listen to music, 27% went to the gym or had a massage, and 12% sought stress reduction in a yoga session. It’s important to eat well, exercise, and do anything you can to relax and re-center yourself throughout the wedding preparation process.

• Meditation

It’s tempting to chuck your iPhone out the vehicle window when it’s constantly flashing with text messages from your merchants. However, that little item may be a lifesaver when it comes to finding some peace of mind. Timed meditation methods may help you shift from frantic to calm in as little as two to ten minutes. In the end, meditation helps us practice non-judgment and thankfulness, but there are moments when you require little indications for certain techniques that you’d want to access more quickly. When you’re stressed, your heart rate rises, your blood pressure rises, and cortisol and adrenaline are released into your circulation. What you’re doing when you meditate is acting as a remedy. You’re producing oxytocin and serotonin, your heart rate is decreasing, your blood pressure is dropping, and your mood is altering. It allows you to see things more clearly.

• Be Aware of Your Anxiety

This is a strategy you may use often on your wedding day, and although it’s more of a band-aid than a cure, it’ll be particularly useful if you’re prone to panic disorder. Expect the times of day when you’re most likely to experience anxiety and either avoid them or discover strategies to make them more tolerable. Nerves are normal, whether it’s a room full of people on your wedding day, the prospect of your first dance, or the prospect of giving a speech, but if you fear these situations will stain your day (or worry you out in the lead-up), find methods to skip them.

• Make a decision

We’d tell any couple this, but if you’re worried about your wedding, being resolute is even more vital. No doubt, you should always weigh your alternatives and make informed judgments, but when it comes to things like invitation wording, table layouts, and food selections, you might be caught in a rut for weeks, stressing yourself out in the process. Set weekly decision deadlines, call, and move on to the next task on your to-do list!

• Keep in mind that comparison is the thief of joy

Don’t try to equate your wedding to anybody else’s, which is easier said than done. Putting your wedding up against another’s, whether it’s a girl from school or a pair from Facebook, is a waste of time. If your relative begins talking to you about the excellent canapés at your cousin Jenny’s wedding, shut her out or change the topic!

• Create a large contingency plan

Financial planning is one of the most stressful factors for the wedding couple. It’s vital to note that the registration cost is the only thing you “need” to be married. Knowing this may be quite liberating. If there’s one thing our actual wedding budget breakdown series has taught us, it’s that most couples overspend. Set a large contingency – at least 15% – above what you intend to spend in the weeks leading up to your wedding day to avoid money difficulties. Keep your expectations in check and don’t plan a wedding you won’t be able to afford.

• Assume you’re getting married a month ahead of schedule

This was another strategy that helped many of our clients and they stayed on top of their planning since most couples are prone to get stressed. They arranged their wedding as if they were marrying a month before the big day. Even the last-minute elements, including the ceremony booklets, table design, Ikea candle run, and bathroom basket, were completed ahead of time. It meant they could spend the remaining few weeks enjoying themselves and taking everything in.

• Don’t Become a Prisoner of Drama

Your two best friends each purchased the same wedding dress and refuse to return it. Your bridesmaids can’t decide what they want to do for the party. Your father’s brother has refused to attend the wedding unless he is allowed to give a speech. Your mother-in-law, on the other hand, isn’t keen on the notion of an outdoor wedding. Couples should leave a wedding with more than just a marriage certificate; they should leave with a Nobel Peace Prize and a position at the United Nations.

• Decide to enjoy it

This may sound absurd, but as a bride or groom, you may feel as if you’re expected to be nervous about your wedding, or that if you’re not, you’re not doing it correctly. Sometimes you have to make the conscious decision to love the preparation, the butterflies, and the uncertainty. Your wedding day, as well as the days leading up to it, will be enhanced as a result!

• Make an effort not to get too caught up in little details

Almost every actual wedding couple we feature advises us to “don’t stress the small stuff,” and we really can not agree more. When you’re knee-deep in wedding preparation, it may be difficult to see the grass for the trees – or the napkins for the centerpieces. Keep things in perspective. If you start to feel anxious, ask yourself, “Would I be concerned about this if I were throwing a birthday party?” Keep in mind that, while the specifics are pretty, none of them will make a difference when you wake up with your future husband on a high the day after your wedding!

• Keep in mind that wedding planning takes two

A lot of pre-wedding anxiety stems from one individual feeling like they are carrying the burden of wedding preparations on their shoulders. It’s taxing, what with the never-ending to-do list, correspondence with suppliers, and answering questions and comments. Make sure you and your partner have an equal say in the planning and decision-making process. Make the list together and divide the work so you’re equally involved from the start. Don’t simply assign chores to them like a manager (that’s just an additional job on you!). Oh, and utilize Trello; it was quite helpful in dividing up tasks for my spouse and myself. If you don’t have time to organize as a group, engage some outstanding pros like these to assist you (it can be less expensive than you think!).

• Make a detailed to-do list

Handling the mountain of duties that seem to be ahead of you is one of the most common reasons for wedding planning anxiety. This may easily lead to worry, procrastination, and last-minute panic if you don’t have a game plan.

Our first piece of advice? Don’t be defeated by your to-do list! Rather, get on top of things as soon as possible. We propose writing down all of your ideas on an actionable task list that you can simply follow step by step. It rarely appears as difficult as it did in your imagination until you see everything written down.

Create a digital work list and give yourself automatic reminders to relieve even more stress. This way, you can be certain that nothing will go unnoticed.

• Assign Tasks

Repeat after us: planning a wedding requires a team! Keep in mind that this isn’t just another day. Don’t feel like you have to do everything by yourself since your wedding is a party for you, your spouse, and your closest friends and family.

To be honest, you’d be astonished at how many members of your family and friends would gladly provide a hand. While we don’t advocate delegating everything to your wedding party, we do propose assigning certain easy duties and asking for assistance when needed.

When it comes to working with your spouse, you may also use the “divide and conquer” strategy. For instance, maybe you’ll handle the flowers, style, décor, and food while your spouse handles the music, lighting, and photography. Keep in mind that you’re a team!

• Stick to a wedding planning checklist

If you’re a natural procrastinator, be aware that deferring work until the last possible moment will certainly leave you agitated and nervous as the big day approaches. Create a precise wedding planning timetable that enables you to get everything checked off at least three weeks before the big day so the last few weeks of your wedding can be calm, enjoyable, and thrilling. To get you started, use this 12-month wedding planning timetable as a reference.

• Set Limits

It might seem like everyone has an idea during the wedding planning process. Friends and relatives will almost certainly give you (well-intentioned) advice on anything from food selections to dress codes.

The problem is, this is your day, so you have total choice over how you spend it. It’s time to establish some limits if your friends and family are adding to your wedding planning stress (instead of being supportive). Thank them for their opinion with a brief response.  Having a wedding website is another brilliant method to establish limits. Rather than dealing with constant messages, emails, and phone calls from wedding guests, just put all of the pertinent information on a wedding website for them to access. Not only will you save time and worry, but your visitors will be better prepared as well.

• Make sleep a priority

The quantity of sleep you receive each night has a significant impact on your mood, creativity, and stress levels. Make sure your wedding preparations aren’t interfering with your sleep, since this may lead to a vicious cycle of exhaustion, anxiety, and overload. If at all feasible, try to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep each night. And sure, it means no more Instagram sessions at 2 a.m.!

• Separate your stuff

When you’re getting email notifications from your vendors every day, it’s difficult to take a break from wedding preparation. Keep your wedding administration distinct from your personal life by using a specialized wedding email account. For those days when you simply need a break, this will help you to fully turn off. You may also want to set aside particular hours each week to work on your wedding and write them down in your calendar. This means you don’t have to worry about it all the time!

• Consider hiring a wedding planner to help you plan a stress-free wedding

When it comes to lowering wedding-related stress, it sounds obvious that hiring a wedding planner is a good decision! Having a professional on your side may lift a significant burden off your shoulders and provide you with peace of mind as you prepare for your big day. A wedding planner is something to think about, whether you’d want to delegate the bulk of your wedding preparation to a specialist or merely want a coordinator to handle setup on the big day

• Keep an eye on your spending

The cause of wedding-related anxiety for many couples finances. If money and finances are causing you distress, take the time to review your expenditures. Make use of a budget calculator to figure out where your money should go, and keep track of your expenses along the way. Try to put aside around 5% of your budget for miscellaneous costs as well, to cover any last-minute charges that may arise. 

• Don’t Get Frustrated Over the Minor Details

This should be your wedding planning slogan if you only have one! Don’t get too worked up over little details. Yes, it is easier said than done, but it is a 100 percent success rate. Take a minute to ask yourself, “Does this make much difference?” if you find yourself becoming concerned over a wedding-related item. If it won’t matter in 5 years, don’t waste more than 5 minutes getting outraged about it. As you concentrate on the broader picture, this will assist you in shifting your viewpoint.

• Use your imagination

If you’ve contacted many prospective suppliers and haven’t received a response, it’s conceivable that they’re already booked. Getting in contact with the venues and suppliers is perhaps the most difficult task for the planner as well. On top of that, many people are repeating events from the previous year.

• Appreciate the Current Market Rates

The concept of supply and demand isn’t limited to the property market. Labor shortages and rising raw material costs are also having an economic effect on the wedding business. The wedding business is seeing a price hike as a result of increased demand. At the same time, there is less labor and greater demand. Following the epidemic, the price of several items, such as wood, has increased threefold.

To put it another way, expect prices to be somewhat higher than typical. It’s also worth recalling that typical expenses vary depending on the number of guests, location, venue type, and other variables, even in normal markets.