Becoming a Balanced Bride: 6 Tips to Prevent the Stress of Wedding Planning

So the ring is on your finger. You put a bunch of plans in motion, found the perfect dress, asked your girls to defend you, picked out the flowers, and booked the venue. Suddenly, you realize that you are a little distracted: nervous, fussy, sarcastic and biting… just unbalanced. There is still a lot to DO and you are starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. How are you supposed to stay on top of these details, deal with the sudden influx of in-law issues (I know, your soon-to-be mother-in-law was *totally normal* before you got engaged!), manage her social life, and oh yeah , work full time? It’s surely enough to drive a girl crazy!

Maybe a mini girlfriend is about to rear her ugly head. Or maybe we can avoid all of that in step with some simple stress-relieving tips.

1) Eat well and drink a LOT of water. I know, you’re busy! But eating a well-balanced diet filled with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein helps keep you well-nourished, and the right amount of energy helps with the natural stress response. Make sure you stay hydrated too. Drink water, iced tea, whatever you need to quench your thirst. Avoid empty calories though – your body and skin will thank you!

2) Get enough sleep. Of course, what’s “enough” depends on the person, but it’s probably safe to say that staying up until 3 am every morning reading wedding blogs isn’t going to help your stress levels. 7-9 hours a night is a good range. A tired bride is an unhappy bride, and your psyche will thank you for getting enough sleep!

3) Get up and exercise! Do some yoga, Pilates, jog, hit the gym and unleash your frustration in a kickboxing class (imagine that bag is your latest annoyance), shake your butt at Zumba, walk, dance, whatever turns you on! moving! Research has shown that the chemicals released during exercise help improve mood and brain function. I know that I always feel better after a good workout.

4) Do not give up your social life. Keep your girls date nights – Spend time with your besties talking about everything EXCEPT the wedding. Shop, go dancing, treat yourself to a spa day, do something fun to take your mind off the many decisions he will have to make. God knows they want to stop hearing about the wedding as much as you want to stop thinking about it!

5) Get away from it all. Take a break from planning. Turn off the laptop, put the iPhone on silent and go out with your fiancé and just spend time together. Talk about something other than the wedding. After all, they are planning their life together, not just a wedding. Go out to eat and watch a movie, go out to people watch, or just walk hand in hand. Reconnect! Really enjoy each other and remember why you’re going through all this stress in the first place!

6) Ask for help and delegate. In my opinion, this is the best stress reliever! I know it’s hard, but it can take a lot of weight off your shoulders if you turn some wedding-related tasks over to a responsible friend or family member. Planning a wedding can take up to 300 hours (depending on the size and so on). Why would you want to do it alone? Of course it’s your day, but you should enjoy this process, not strain yourself under the load of it all! So turn in some stuff and breathe a sigh of relief!

Bonus Tip: If you’re still feeling the pressure and feel like you might break out, it might be time to call in the big guns! A big part of a professional planner’s job is to help him de-stress, take on what he’d rather not, and even talk him through that joyous in-law business. His goal is to walk you down the aisle cool, cool and fabulous, with your sanity intact.

The stress that comes with wedding planning goes beyond the size of the event. It’s more than just the cost. Marriage is a huge, life-changing event. The commitment period should be more than just the buffer between being in a relationship and being permanently together. It’s really designed to help you adjust to the idea of ​​being married. Following the steps above will help you create the space you need in your life to process that adjustment.