Traditionally, weddings have been a celebration of a couple’s love and devotion to each other, something many couples love to do. At first glance, the couple planning the wedding has a cause to be happy. After all, they are looking to spend the rest of their lives with each other. But take a closer look and you will appreciate how stressful planning for a wedding can be. Equally, you will appreciate how easy it is to get anxious throughout the planning phase.
Most couples will experience anxiety, whether they are planning a small intimate celebration with their closest family and friends present or a grand party with 500 people. Every wedding is unique and each wedding has nuances that make the planning a tad challenging. Whether it is the logistics of moving all of your guests, booking and decorating the reception venue or choosing the carters, there are plenty of avenues to induce anxiety for the couple.
With that in mind, we will delve into some of the best pointers you can follow to help you deal and, if possible, prevent stress and anxiety from arises.
Best Tips For Dealing With Stress And Anxiety When Planning A Wedding
Tip #1: Expect And Anticipate Anxiety And Stress – The first thing you ought to do is to accept the possibility of getting anxious. This is especially the case if you suffer from panic attacks. Whether the thought of entertaining a hundred of your closest family and friends is kicking up your nerves, or you are experiencing writers’ block when you sit down to write your speech, just know that it is natural to get anxious as you plan your wedding.
Expecting and anticipating anxiety will help you avoid situations that cause anxiety. At the very least, anticipating anxiety will help you identify its signs and, crucially, find ways to manage the anxiety. Furthermore, acknowledging the possibility of getting stressed and anxious will help you walk through the planning phase with your physical and mental health in good standing.
Tip #2: Formulate A Clear To-Do List And Be Decisive – Having no plan on how to manage your wedding planning will overwhelm you, causing anxiety. Additionally, if you keep procrastinating making certain decisions, there is a risk of experiencing last-minute panic. To negate this source of anxiety and stress, create a concise to-do list that will take the planning from a mere task list to an actionable process. For a more efficient implementation process, use a digital planning application with a reminder.
After creating a to-do list, ensure you are decisive in your decision-making process. While comparing all your options is part and parcel of the decision-making process, it is important that once you make the decision, you stick to it and move on to the next task on the list.
The last thing you want to do is get bogged down with just one task. Keeping mulling over the menu choices, the invitation list, the table plans, etc. will yield more anxiety and stress than necessary. Set a deadline to make the decision and communicating your decisions.
Tip #3: East Healthy, Get Enough Sleep, And Exercise Regularly – With so many options to consider and equally many decisions to make, there are is a risk to put your wellbeing in the back burner. When inundated with wedding planning tasks, you might forget to eat healthily and exercise. There is also a risk of getting inadequate quality sleep. As such, make a concerted effort to risk to take of your health and wellbeing. Take some to exercise, meditate, or do yoga – all of which will help you deal with stress and anxiety. Make an effort to eat healthily.
Tip #4: Incorporate Contingency Budget – As every professional wedding planner will tell, you ought to set a budget and stick to it. That said, in practice, few couples will stick to the budget owing to factors beyond their control. To avoid any stress and anxiety induced by finances, set a contingency budget that you can only tap into for emergencies only. Fundamentally, however, you should be realistic and plan for a wedding you can afford.
Keep in mind, the only mandatory spend you have to incur for your wedding is money spent on marriage officiating and certificate.
Tip #5: Delegate – You might want to be the superhero of your wedding, but in reality, it will take more than your 100% effort to make the occasion a success. You need help in handling many of the tasks. As such, delegate and, importantly, accept that you have delegated. You can still stay as the top coordinator of your wedding planning process. Just don’t hover and lurk around everyone you have brought in to help you. It defeats the purposes of enlisting help.
Tip #6: Simplify Your Wedding – For couples looking to avoid all the drama, stress, and anxiety that typify modern-day weddings, simplifying the wedding might work wonders for you. With an increase in the number of decisions you have to make, you can expect to experience stress and anxiety more often. From narrowing down your guest list, setting a budget, selecting a venue, to the food and entertainment part of the ceremony, there are many things to consider and decide upon.
However, a simple wedding will help you avoid making many of these decisions. For instance, you opt to elope, have a courthouse wedding, or even forego a wedding reception. Such choices are helpful for individuals with a predisposition to getting stressed and anxious.
Signs Of Anxiety And Stress As You Plan Your Wedding
As you focus on getting items out of your to-do-list, it is easy for you to fail to identify signs of anxiety and stress, exacerbating the difficulty of dealing with the issue. Here is a list of signs of anxiety and stress to keep an eye on as you plan your wedding:
– Feeling fatigued, tired, drained, and exhausted (in some cases, to the point of losing interest in your wedding),
– Feeling worried when you think of anything related to your wedding,
– Feeling overwhelmed and, therefore, procrastinating some of the planning, and/or
– Feeling an aura of constant pressure surrounding you every day.
While some stress and anxiety are expected as you plan your big day, it is not normal to have the above mentioned feelings surrounding your being for months on end. Moreover, it is not healthy for your mental and physical state. Follow these tips to help you deal with stress and anxiety.