5 Ways To Manage Wedding Planning Anxiety
Are you planning a wedding or getting married soon? Are you stressed about not having things ready, or getting crazy anxiety as the day approaches? Can you only think of wedding things 24/7? Are you getting unsolicited advice from family or friends about how your day should be? Or maybe your anxiety is through the roof because you keep looking at everyone else’s PERFECT wedding on Instagram and social media.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH. As someone who planned their wedding during the height of COVID, and even got married during COVID I know all of these feelings well (and then some) I even went as far as hand making just about everything for the big day. From the flowers, decorations, invites, etc. You name it, me and my Cricut Maker made it😂
Wedding planning shouldn’t be stressful or give you heaps of anxiety, but yet I feel like anyone who has planned a wedding is always stressed and anxious. I think getting ready for something so monumental in your life is hard no matter what, and having some anxiety about it is only natural.
But it’s okay to be nervous or anxious about your wedding, or some other type of feeling. This means you’re human, and the best thing you can do for yourself is not ignore these feelings/emotions or try to push them away – but acknowledge them. Suppressing or blowing off your emotions can usually make you feel worse.
So here are 5 techniques to help alleviate and manage some of that wedding stress and anxiety, help you enjoy the time leading up to your wedding, and enjoy the actual day of your wedding. I’m sure people have already told you, but at the end of the day you get to marry your person, and that’s all that really matters. 💜
Okay, TAKE A DEEP BREATH you got this!
1. Get a self-care routine started
(Every day do something for you) – Realize that it’s a big life change, and be prepared with self-care: get enough sleep, eat nutritious food, schedule a massage, exercise, meditate, add positive affirmations to your day, or whatever helps to keep you grounded. If you need some ideas HERE are ten self-care tips, and HERE are some self-care tips based on your specific zodiac sign if you’re into that 😉 Whatever you choose, do it for you and your mental health.
2. Spend quality time with your partner
Preferably not talking about the wedding. I know that any downtime you have with your partner may revolve around completing wedding tasks, but schedule some one-on-one time where you don’t talk about the wedding. Or if you’re really feeling some type of way then talk about those emotions with your partner and find the root cause of them. Some other ideas are to go on a date, stay home to cuddle and watch a movie, play a game, or do something you both love to do together. The idea here is to remember why you’re marrying this person in the first place 🙂 Enjoy the small moments.
3. Talk to a professional
If you need additional help or guidance talking to someone who is trained specifically for mental health can really be a game changer. They can guide you on your journey to your big day and help with all those unknown emotions that may start to crop up before the day of the wedding. For example: when people talk about getting cold feet, but have no idea why they are feeling that way. A therapist can help you decipher why you may be feeling this way, and give you tools to work with these emotions.
If you’re wondering where to start with trying to find someone to speak with, Online-Therapy is a great place if you’re looking to connect with a professional.
Use Code: THERAPY20 for 20% off your first month of therapy. Remember that investing in your mental health is not selfish because you deserve to be happy.
4. Tell others to Fuck Off
Either literally or figuratively. (or however your personality tells people off – I lean toward the side of people pleasing and it’s been a long journey to stop doing this – so take it from me it’s easier to just say No Thank you to some people. It will make your life easier) At the end of the day, your wedding is about you and your partner, not your parents, families, friends, or whoever decides to give unsolicited advice about your day. Remember you can’t please everyone.
5. Don’t compare
I would say stay off social media if you can and don’t compare your wedding with others. If you’re looking for certain ideas go for it, but set a time limit for yourself to do some of that research, and then once the time is up take some deep breaths and remind yourself that it’s just a day. Let go of any need for perfection.
My meditation teacher always told me to practice detached involvement (or another name is detached engagement) with something that I really wanted or was focusing on. What that means is: that you engage, participate, and enjoy the process, but you detach emotionally from the outcome and consequences, good or bad. This doesn’t mean you don’t care what happens or you stop planning altogether. You continue to put the work in, but allow yourself to operate from a healthy engagement state rather than running yourself to the ground and stressing yourself out. Psychology Today has a good article on detached involvement if you want to read further. Be aware of your emotions, but don’t attempt to control the outcome. Let things flow and happen as they will. One of the best things to do if something doesn’t go the way you want is to laugh. I married my husband for that exact reason… Cause he can make me laugh.
To Recap:
We are all different people and even though weddings have the same outcome (legally joining you to your person) we all do weddings differently. The main thing is that we don’t get lost in the process of getting there. Weddings should be fun and a celebration of your love. So TAKE A DEEP BREATH and from the wise words of our dear friend Bob Marley – “ know that every little thing, is going to be alright”
- Set up your self-care routine
- Spend quality time with your partner
- Connect with a professional if you need to speak with someone
- Tell others to Fuck off – you can’t please everyone
- Don’t compare – practice detached involvement
“Live for the moments you just can’t put into words.”- unknown
If you have specific questions about wedding things shoot me an email: addy@goodvibescreativeave.com
