Tips for Dealing with Wedding Day Stress
by Rochelle Alladice-Hart
Planning a wedding can be extremely stressful and not knowing where to turn for help can be even worse. But the main problem most of the bridal couples I come in contact with have is people wanting to run the show based on what they think wedding etiquette should be. And this can drive the couple insane. I have six steps to help have a stress-free wedding.
The bride and groom are the ones getting married, so they should be making the final decisions on the wedding plans. You have to stick to your guns because everyone has an opinion on how a wedding is structured. But, contrary to their opinion, each wedding is customized to suit the couple because, after all, they are the ones spending the rest of their lives together. The gathering is to celebrate their marriage. You shouldn't be afraid to ask someone to back off by saying "thank you for your suggestion but we are going in a different direction with the planning."
If hiring a planner, make sure the planner and family understand that decisions will be made by the couple only. If too many individuals get involved with the planning, things will get confusing, and this can cause unwanted stress. If not hiring a planner, appoint someone you can trust to run the show. Remember you can't be a bride and a planner both.
If you never remember anything else, remember to always have a backup plan for everything. There are so many things that can go wrong on the wedding day, you want to be prepared for anything that can go wrong.
When choosing attendants for your wedding, try to keep the number to a minimum because the more people in the wedding party, the bigger the headache. I recommend gathering the people you intend to ask as attendants and explain what is expected of them as members of the wedding party and their roles in the wedding. That way you can save yourselves the time it's going to take to replace the attendant and the stress it's going to cause you finding a replacement.
Never bite off more than you can chew. Everyone wants a lavish wedding, but don't drive yourselves crazy and break the bank to get it. Remember, you can always have your dream wedding without the costly price tag. You can always find something just as elegant that fits into your budget.
Remember that timing is very important. They say "never put off until tomorrow what you can do today." I say this because, before you know it, your wedding day is weeks away and you both are left with a mountain of chores that need completing. Make sure you order all items and make arrangements for every aspect of your wedding as soon as possible so you won't have a mile long to-do list. Following these simple steps will help you both have a stress-free wedding day.
