10 Tips for a Stress-Less Bride

Such a common theme that I see amongst planning brides-to-be, is the evident stress that they are putting themselves through. They’re angry, they’re sad and they’re just plain mad. But, planning your wedding doesn’t have to be an anxiety producing event. It can be done with ease. Here are a few simple tips that can help you take a step back and relax just a little bit!

1) Take one day off from planning every week without fail.

One day will be excluded from any kind of wedding planning. One day. No excuses. You need one day to de-frag from all the chaos. Make it a Sunday and enjoy a sleep-in. After all, not many businesses would be running on a Sunday, so enjoy a break!

 

2) No planning after 5PM

…or a suitable time for you that’s late afternoon/evening. Your brain literally needs time to wind down after a big day or work/planning/kids/annoying bosses for you to be able to get a decent nights sleep. Set a time in which no planning will happen after. This will give you a much needed rest and ensure you don’t have sleepless nights!

 

3) Be organized

This is a given, but some people just forget about one of the easiest ways of staying organized: A planner! Get a diary or even a notepad and jot down all your details and store your magazine cut-outs in a safe place. Not into the old-school paper diary? Why not open up a Pinterest account and start “pinning” all of your images and notes on there! (You can even check out idotoo’s Pinterest here if you haven’t already)

4) Offload chores to your bridal party

No, your bridal party isn’t there just to shower you with gifts and have a couple of drinks with you on your hens night. They are also there for support, which includes helping out with some tasks here and there. Utilize this team of helpers to their full extent! (But don’t over-use them either…). Need to go and pick up the bridesmaid dresses from the dress shop? Ask a bridesmaid. Need someone to confirm cake ordering details? Ask a bridesmaid. It surely won’t hurt to ask a couple of favours here and there. Don’t have a bridal party? Parents, siblings, friends, children, extended family… They’re all surprisingly happy to help out here and there for your wedding day!

 

5) Remember your budget

Nothing is more stressful than money (unless it’s an abundance of money, in which case, gimme! gimme! gimme!). So, if you go over budget, this is going to be an instant brain overload that is unnecessary. Figure out your budget before doing any planning, watch it as you’re planning and stick to it!

 

6) Eat right

This goes without saying that even when you’re not planning a wedding, eating healthily is going to help you get through stressful situations just that little bit easier. Your body will function properly plus there’s an added bonus of not gaining unwanted weight before the wedding day! Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, but always seek advice from a doctor.

 

7) Meditate

Meditation is a great stress reliever. There are so many more benefits of meditation including a deeper level of physical relaxation, it reduces anxiety attacks, decreases muscle tension and it increases creativity (which might even come in handy when you’re stuck for ideas!). Not only this, but it will give you a bit of “you” time, which will be needed while you’re busy organizing everything for everyone!

8) Don’t get tied up with the “nitty-gritty’s”

I call them the “nitty-gritty’s”. They’re all those little things that everyone else will never notice, but you can suddenly notice it a mile away. Things like the bridesmaid blue coloured dresses are one shade darker than the flowers you ordered. The groomsman’s tie is not perfectly straight. There is a smudge of eye liner on great aunt Janes’ inner eye corner that’s really beginning to irritate you… Yes. Only you can see these things, because you want the day to be perfect. Which leads me to my next point…

 

9) Realize you’re not perfect

That’s right. I said it. You’re not perfect! And you know what? Neither is anyone else. Sure, we all want the wedding day to be “perfect”, but little bumps in the road are normal and people will literally not notice is something goes amiss. So, stay calm. Things may go awry, but it’s not the end of the world and you’re not a worse off person for it happening either.

 

10) HAVE FUN

This is all leading to a day that is to be celebrated, remembered and reminisced for years to come. The planning of it should be light, airy, fun and happy. Be happy that you are planning a joyous occasion for you and your partner to share with family and friends. This is going to be one of the best days of your life… make it live on a little longer before-hand through your planning stages. Just remember to have fun with it!