Even the calmest bride feels a bit of stress before her wedding, which is perfectly natural. Getting married is the start of a new chapter in your life, which leads to a cocktail of emotions. Plus, your wedding is one of the biggest parties of your life, so you want to ensure it’s perfect down to the last detail. Discover great ways to cope with your pre-wedding stress so you can make the most of the prenuptial experience!
Investigate the Cause
One of the best ways of dealing with stress is understanding the cause of it. Are you stressed because of wedding planning? Or do you have concerns about your routine changing? Ask yourself these questions so you can realize what’s trigging these feelings and create solutions. For example, if you feel stressed about planning the wedding, reach out to your partner and inner circle for help.
Bridal Tip
If you feel even more anxious in the days leading up to the wedding, remember that there are many reasons the rehearsal dinner is vital. First, this eventgives you time to verify last-minute details and keep things organized with your vendors at the venue. While we’re by no means saying you should wait until the last minute to clarify these details, the rehearsal dinner allows you to do so one last time to get your beauty rest for the wedding.
Confide in Others
One of the best ways to deal with stress is to have a sounding board so you can vocalize these concerns and get feedback. Consider talking to your
- Partner
- Wedding squad
- Family
All these people are there to support you on your journey, and everyone has different advice. Try talking to a variety of people about your pre-wedding stress.
Talk to Your Partner
Your partner is on this journey with you and may share some of your stressors. Communicate what’s giving you anxiety and see if they feel the same way. They may feel calm about something that stresses you out because they view it differently. This is perfectly normal, and you can work as a team to develop a coping plan by talking with one another.
Your Wedding Squad
The bride squad doesn’t just help on the wedding day; your bridesmaids are loyal throughout the entire experience. If you need a night to enjoy a glass of wine and rant about the stress, invite your bridesmaids to talk with you. Each of your friends may have a different way of reassuring you that your anxiety is normal; bridesmaids who are already married will have additional insight. Your friends can give you a much-needed pep talk to give you a confidence boost!
Your Family
Talk with your parents and siblings about the stress. You may feel anxious because this major life shift means a change in your family. Remember, this is an expansion of your home unit. Some parental advice could be the outlook you need to shake those pre-wedding jitters.
Talk to a Professional
As we said, getting married is a significant life change, and feeling anxious is normal. However, a professional will have coping skills you may not initially think of and can help ensure you remain physically and mentally healthy. Talk openly about your issues with a therapist to see what they recommend you should do.
Take Care of Yourself
You may feel even more stressed if you don’t fuel your body with the right foods or lack sleep. Try to maintain a healthy balance of nourishing food and those items you love. Sometimes, a simple piece of chocolate really can help brighten your mood.
Similarly, if you spend your nights staying up late to plan the wedding, you probably feel even more anxious, especially if you drink several cups of coffee the next day. Try to lay off the coffee and establish a bedtime for yourself—you should go to sleep if you start feeling tired. A good night of sleep will give you a clearer mind and make planning even more enjoyable.
Practice Coping Skills
Knowing how to cope with stress is another vital component of keeping yourself healthy. Try proven methods such as:
- Deep breathing
- Journaling
- Meditation
You can do one of these or all of them. For instance, begin your self-care session by taking several deep breaths to reset your central nervous system. From here, it becomes easier to meditate, and once you finish, you can write about how you feel. Achieving clarity makes it easier to see the bigger picture and think of solutions to your stress.
Plan Some You Time
Planning a wedding takes a lot of work, but you still need to make time for yourself. This allows you to decompress and focus on something other than planning your big day. We all prefer to care for ourselves in different ways, and what works great one day may not work next time. Below, we’ll expand on a few great ways to make time for yourself.
Do a Workout
Exercise is a great way to get moving and lessen stress. A good workout gets your heart pumping and will release endorphins which naturally help put you in a better mood. If you don’t regularly work out, try out a variety of exercises, including:
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Running
- Resistance training
- Step aerobic
- Biking
You may find you like one more than the other or enjoy a variety of workouts. By testing different exercises, you can create a great pre-wedding workout routine that keeps you motivated and helps fight off your pre-wedding jitters.
If you realize you don’t enjoy high-intensity workouts, that’s fine; a leisurely walk around the block can also help you relax and clear your mind.
Have a Movie Night
Set aside time for a cozy movie night with your partner or friends. This allows you to focus on something aside from the wedding while enjoying time with others. Pick out your favorite movie and snacks, then get comfortable so you can enjoy yourself!
Do a Spa Night
Nothing beats a home-spa night, so grab your favorite pair of pajamas and fill a tub with warm water and Epsom salt. While you soak, you can apply face and hair masks. Allow yourself to decompress, and your muscles loosen as you allow your anxious thoughts to float away.
Create a Plan
Don’t wait until the last minute for any of your wedding plans. Procrastinating will increase stress levels and force you to make adjustments you wouldn’t otherwise have to. On the other hand, if you find your dream venue and it fits into the budget, you and your partner should book it as soon as possible. Make a list of the responsibilities you need to tackle as well as a timeline for when you’ll do each task.
Be in the Moment
When you’re always thinking about tomorrow, or in this case, your wedding, which may be months away, you miss out on the current moment. Avoid jumping to conclusions and talk yourself down when you begin worrying about minor details or not following your plan. Enjoy time with friends and romantic dates with your fiancé.
Embrace Imperfection
Another tip for coping with your pre-wedding stress is to accept imperfection.As much as everyone would love to have a picture-perfect wedding, we must admit that this isn’t possible. The imagination is boundless, and you don’t have to consider costs or other constraints.
There are a lot of details to consider, and sometimes, getting the perfect venue means sacrificing in other areas. There’s beauty in imperfection, and by accepting this, it’s easier to gain new insight into planning your wedding.
Practice Self-Compassion
Every emotion you feel is normal, and expressing your stress is healthy. Accept that things are about to change for the better as you go on new life adventures. It’s okay to cry or rant about the stress of planning a wedding—just remember that tomorrow is a new day.
Sometimes, planning will be exciting, and other days, it’s anxiety-inducing, but it all leads to the same ending. On your special day, you’ll enjoy the party of a lifetime and get to spend the rest of your life with your favorite person at your side. Trust the journey.
