Let’s face it; if you are getting married, the wedding planning stress associated with the weeks and months leading up to the big day can be downright paralyzing. There are a lot of details to manage, a lot of expectations to live up to, and a lot of things that are simply beyond your control (venue availability, vendor performance, guest behavior, the weather, etc.). The combination of these three factors can truly elevate the stress level of even the most even-keeled bride-to-be (or even the mother of the bride for that matter). That said, although some of this anxiety is unavoidable, the good news is that it is possible to manage your wedding planning stress level so that it does not become a hindrance.
First and foremost, it’s always good practice to only focus on those things which you can control, and this applies to both planning a wedding specifically as well as life in general. I know it’s difficult, but try and ignore the perceived expectations of others and focus on what you need to do to have the best wedding day possible. Yes your guests will expect that you look beautiful, that the venue will be incredible, that the food will be tasty, etc., but always remember that you simply cannot control other peoples’ expectations. And since you cannot control this, it’s pointless to worry about it – just do what you believe to be right, and everything will nicely fall into place.
Another tip is to manage your own expectations, which is another way of saying do not strive for perfection. Many brides and grooms get hung up on the fact that they will be the center of attention for basically an entire day, which in their minds means 10 hours or so of perfection. Similar to the fear many people have around public speaking, this fear can truly be paralyzing in terms of your performance. This fear can also literally make you sick, as the associated stress can actually reduce the efficiency of your body’s immune system. This kind of fear and stress can also reduce cognitive ability, and can also manifest itself in a way that is akin to a “bridezilla” (short with people, somewhat angry, harried, etc.). The key to reducing this fear is to reduce your own expectations. Simply put, avoid trying to achieve absolute perfection, as this is an impossible goal.
The third tip is to alleviate anxiety by practicing your lines and movements over and over again until they become second nature and hence you won’t need to think too hard about them on your big day. This is akin to taking a final exam – if you are well-prepared you will have nothing to worry about and hence your stress level associated with taking the exam will be lower, but if you failed to study properly you will obviously be a nervous wreck as you sit down with that #2 pencil! The bottom line is familiarity reduces anxiety, so go over all the details as many times as you need to in order for them to become second nature.
As you can see, reducing the stress level associated with what some women consider to be the most important day of their lives is truly easier said than done. But with just about everything in life, practice makes perfect. Specifically, practice focusing only on what you can control and not what you can’t; practice managing your own expectations and forget about striving for perfection; and practice your lines, movements and behavior as much as you need to in order for everything to become second nature. I pretty much can guarantee you that focusing on these 3 suggestions will reduce your wedding stress level. But if you need more specific tips, check out this article from stayhithced.com that focuses on wedding stress management. So, if your wedding planning stress level is in overdrive, give these tips a try – I think you will be happy that you did! Good luck!
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