Staying Calm before the Big Day

Planning a wedding is an exciting experience. This will probably be the biggest party of your life and it won’t all come together on its own. Regardless of how organised you are or how much lead time you have, there’s a lot going on. With all the financial considerations, family dynamics, dealing with suppliers, and make endless decisions, it’s easy to end up feeling a little tense and overwhelmed at times.

Managing that stress is important, or you could end up taking it out on the person you care for the most. Here’s our advice for avoiding tension and arguments and putting the focus back on you:

Super Planning

With so many details to arrange, all while carrying on with your normal daily life, you’ll need a system. Pick something that works for you – it might be a spreadsheet with different columns for tasks, suppliers, quotes and notes; or a concertina file divided into sections, where you can keep menus, swatches quotes and pictures, all safely in one place.

Check out www.brideandgroom.co.nz for an array of helpful planning tools. There’s an organiser with checklists, a to-do list, a planner divided into sections containing basic information, ideas and suggestions with space for notes. Print these off, along with expenses worksheet and contacts list, and add them to your planning file.

photo credit: lululemon athletica

Get Moving

Yes, you’re busy and maybe a little tired, but you’ll feel so much better if you get some oxygen pumping through your system. Exercise is a great stress buster and it has the added bonus of helping you stay in shape. A brisk 30 minute walk three or four times a week is a great start, and it’s a perfect activity to do together. If you’re really keen, you could join a gym and have a programme tailored to your exercise goals.

Mental Health

Your head is probably buzzing with ideas, tasks and decisions, and you may be finding it hard to sleep. Help calm your inner wedding planner with some gentle yoga or meditation. Find a local class or buy a mediation CD and schedule in some regular time to clear your head. It’ll help you concentrate and focus.

Clean up your Act

Remember what your mother always said about looking after yourself? Get some early nights, reduce your coffee and alcohol intake, cut out the junk food and drink more water. Include plenty of B vitamins in your diet from foods such as bananas, tuna and leafy green vegetables or by taking supplements. Establishing some good habits will help you manages stress better and look great on your wedding day and beyond.

Pamper Yourself

Take yourself off for a restorative facial, manicure or massage. You’ll come out feeling like a million bucks. If your budget is tight, don’t discount the benefits of IIY. Treat your partner to a relaxing massage (you might not get one in return) or take 15 minutes out for a home pedicure. You deserve to look and feel good.

Wedding-free Zone

It might be a challenge, especially for some brides, but have at least one day a week when you don’t talk about the wedding or do any wedding planning at all! Grooms will probably circle this day on their calendar. Give it a go – it’ll help put things back into perspective and stop the wedding from taking over your like.

I Want You on My Team

Good communication is paramount in any relationship, and even more so when you’re planning a wedding. Never forget that you’re a team and you’re both working towards the same goal. Don’t take your stress out on each other – talk things through and make decisions together or perhaps you can delegate some of the jobs to others you trust. If you need more help, ask. Neither of you is a mind reader, so you’ll need to speak up.