With your big day right around the corner, you’re bound to be feeling a range of emotions like happiness, excitement, anticipation …and stress.
While these feelings are quite normal, unchecked stress has the potential to ruin your big day. Nights spent tossing and turning may leave you exhausted as stress chips away your defenses, transforming you from a radiant bride-to-be to a frazzled empty shell.
Don’t worry though, we’ve got a solution: 21 actionable tips for a stress-free wedding. These tips are practical and actionable. Put them to use, and stress doesn’t stand a chance.
1. Understand stress
One way to disarm stress is to understand why it’s there in the first place.
Stress is a state of mind brought on by worries or tension, totally normal when planning a wedding. It can help you avoid danger and meet deadlines, yet prolonged stress is taxing, both physically and mentally.
In some cases, if you feel some stress, use it to your advantage and take care of what needs to be attended to.
2. Understand what is making you feel stressed
Sometimes, stress can be about something specific, such as the potential of old family drama reemerging to ruin your wedding.
Try to hone in on what’s leading to the stress, and work to resolve it or let it go, however you can. Otherwise, the profound weight of the stress may impact your overall perception of your wedding day—including the parts that you aren’t stressed about!
3. Journal
If you’re unsure why you’re stressed, journaling is an excellent way to slow down and do some introspection.
4. Share your concerns with a trusted confidant
Trouble shared is trouble halved, as the saying goes.
Often, by simply discussing your concerns with someone—your fiancée, a close friend, a therapist—you’re able to gain perspective and the worry loses much of its potency.
5. Have a backup plan
Having a backup plan for the key aspects of your big day is an excellent way to alleviate some of the stress and worry over what could go wrong.
6. Use techniques known to help regulate the nervous system
If you feel worried or tense, try breathwork or visualization. Both are proven to help center and calm the mind and body.
The more you practice them, the easier and more intuitive they become.
7. Choose your mindset and perspective
Sometimes, if we don’t make a conscious decision about what we’re going to prioritize and feel, we end up being tossed about by our emotions.
Make a conscious choice not to let stress ruin your special day, and employ stress-reduction strategies when it begins to creep in.
8. Review your to-do list
As the wedding day draws near, grab a large coffee and thoroughly review your to-do list. Make note of anything that still requires your attention.
9. Finalize Tasks
Finalize those last-minute things on your list, and delegate whenever necessary.
10. Make sure you’ve had your final fittings
Get your final dress fittings in, your mani-pedi—all those last-minute details.
11. Make sure vendors are aware of where they need to be and when
Connect with your vendors to ensure they’re all set and aware of the wedding day timeline.
12. Communicate
Communication is crucial.
If stress related to something in particular appears, discuss your concerns with the people involved. For example, if you’re worried your bridesmaids aren’t prepared, check to make sure they all have their beautiful Bella Bridesmaids gowns and are ready to go.
13. Make time for self-care
By now, everyone knows what self-care is. Prioritize sleep, get a massage, have a nice hot bubble bath with a glass of wine…
14. Get outside and move
Getting outside for a walk is another excellent way to combat stress. Grab your fiancées hand or call your besties, and hit the trail.
15. Don’t strive for perfection
Perfection doesn’t exist, and trying to achieve it is a waste of time. But guess what? Your wedding will still be beautiful.
16. Keep the big picture in mind
Remember the significance of the moment; the reason for the celebration is incredible. Keep that in mind, and the small inconveniences will melt away.
17. Create a detailed wedding day schedule
…and share it with all the key players. This ensures everything goes smoothly.
18. Appoint a contact person
Your contact person is the go-between, updating vendors on any last-minute changes, and doing what they can to keep everything on track.
19. Have a wedding emergency kit
Wedding emergency kits are the unsung heroes of the day. Make sure yours is fully stocked with all the essentials.
20. Carve out connection time with your spouse on your wedding day
One of the best ways to sink into the magic of the moment and keep the big picture in mind is by taking 20-minutes or so after the ceremony, just you and your new spouse. Take it all in.
21. Enjoy the moment
No matter what, this is an incredible moment. You have a right to enjoy each and every minute.
Conclusion:
Now that you know how to achieve a stress-free wedding, it’s time to go all out. We hope you enjoy each and every moment of your incredibly special day.
