Planning a wedding is a hugely stressful burden for many brides, and it can take up a lot of time and energy. To try to avoid this, spend as much time as possible planning what you have to do in order to be prepared and organised. But sometimes tension can still get the better of you, so here are our top tips for de-stressing during wedding planning.
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1) Learn to Delegate
Above: Catherine Bradley Photography
Even with thorough planning and preparation, you’ll have a job organising your entire wedding all on your own. It’s tempting to think that only you know what’s best, but there will, most likely, be people all around you who’d like to offer their help, and who will undoubtedly have good ideas. So, don’t turn them away! Put your trust in your chief bridesmaid, your bridesmaids, your parents, and other close friends and relatives. Supervise everything if you wish, and become something of a manager of your own wedding, but be careful not to become the dogsbody.
Above: Anna and Gavin’s Vintage Style Real Wedding at Linthwaite House | Crystal Double Swing Heart Necklace in Matte Rose Gold
2) Learn When to Say No!
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You need to set yourself some boundaries—don’t be a people-pleaser! When you’re planning a wedding, everyone suddenly becomes a wedding expert and feels the need to drop advice and opinions left and right. You’ll take some of this on board, but be on the look out for controlling friends and family who try to take over. Gently remind them that it’s your wedding, not theirs. Be especially vigilant for guilt trips. For example, if your parents are putting some money toward your wedding they might feel like they automatically have a say in how that money’s going to be spent. But you’ll know better than them what you want. A lot of stress can be avoided if you’re assertive of your plans wherever possible.
Read our article on Phrases to Use on Overbearing Family for more about turning down peoples’ ideas!
3) Make Time For Yourself
Above: Bishopstrow Hotel and Spa
We can’t emphasise enough how important it is to have time to yourself during your wedding planning. Every week, set aside some time where you can sit back and relax and talk about everything except wedding planning. Go for a walk, visit the cinema, book a weekend away with your friends or your partner. Just make sure you have that me-time!
4) Exercise
Above: Sandals Ochi Beach Resort, Jamaica
Exercise has been shown in hundreds of studies to be a great stress-buster and mood-enhancer; it raises fitness and energy levels, helps relax muscles, and triggers endorphins (i.e. awesome feel-good chemicals!). Aim to exercise three times a week, choosing activities that leave you out of breath, and make sure to do things you enjoy. Joining a club is always a good idea too—if you’re part of a team, you’ll be more motivated to go!
Above: Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica
5) Eat Well
Above: Nyama Catering
Stress can be worsened if you don’t eat healthily! Begin by cutting down on salt, sugar, and refined foods, and try to decrease your intake of stimulants like tea, coffee, and alcohol. Try to eat a balanced diet that’s rich in fruit, vegetables, and whole foods. Green, leafy vegetables, bananas, and oats are all considered natural stress busters.
6) Natural Remedies
There are a number of natural remedies that are used to deal with stress—camomile tea, for example, is said by many people to help them relax. For a more long-term problem, St John’s wort (aka hypericum) has been shown in trials to help alleviate symptoms of mild depression when used regularly for an extended period. Furthermore, many stars swear by Rescue Remedy for sudden feelings of panic and anxiety. It’s a homeopathic flower tincture, and you just add a few drops on your tongue whenever you feel the need! But, to be on the safe side, we advise you seek advice from a medical professional like a chemist or GP before you take any remedy that hasn’t been prescribed to you.
7) Get Enough Sleep
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Sleep is very important if you want to battle stress—a poor sleep pattern can lead to irritability and can even impact the way you think. Eight hours of sleep is the recommended minimum, and we recommend you settle down a little before you plan to go to sleep, too. Spend this time unwinding in whichever way is best for you, whether that’s through yoga, reading, meditating, listening to music, or even watching your favourite movie or TV show.
8) Think Positively
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Bombarding yourself with negative and unhelpful thoughts like, “It’s all going to go wrong!” can make wedding planning ten times harder. It’s what psychologists refer to as “negative self-talk”, and to overcome it you need to start disciplining yourself to think and talk positively. Turn fears into challenges, nerves into excitement, and, every time you’re tempted to think negatively about something, try to think of everything positive about that thing instead. A great tip for some people is to use an affirmation—repeat a positive sentence to yourself every day until the thought sticks, like, “Every day I’m getting closer to the wedding of my dreams, and I’m going to marry the person I love!”
