Wedding Planning Stress

If you are a bride, groom, or parents of the bride or groom, this blog is for you! I am

writing this blog from personal experience and wanted to offer several suggestions of

how to enjoy the process with minimal stress. My daughter is presently planning her

wedding and we have both noticed that stress is creeping in which is taking away from

the enjoyment of the journey.

In the early stages, I specifically told my daughter and her fiancée to focus on enjoying

the process and push away the stressors. It is much easier said than done, that’s a

given. Ignoring the stressors are only going to make it worse. Address the stressors one

at a time and understand how you are feeling about them. The more individuals

involved in the preparation process, the more you may feel stressed. Other people’s

opinions and suggestions are important, but they are not the deciding factor. As the

bride and groom, constantly remind yourselves of your vision of your special day. Kindly

respect other’s suggestions and let them know that you will take them into consideration during your planning process.

Bride and Groom

Carefully choose who you would like to help during the wedding planning process and in

which ways you would like to implore their support. Be direct, but kind and gentle.

Describe your individual visions to each other and exercise open communication. Avoid

build up resentments by sharing your desires, hopes, visions, thoughts, and emotions

effectively. Take time away from your planning process to create memories with date

days, nights, weekends, etc. Balance your talk and avoid discussing your wedding plans

daily. Focus on your end goal and what you are both attempting to accomplish.

Parents of the Bride and Groom

As the mother of the bride, I understand that parents want to support their children

during this exciting time. However, ask them in what ways they would like your support.

Offer your support and then step back! This is their wedding, not yours. It is very easy to

fall into the trap of imposing your vision. Listen to the bride and groom and gain a deep

understanding of their vision! Be kind, courteous, and loving during the entire process.

Many parents feel that if they are financially providing for the wedding, that they should

tell the bride and groom exactly what they should and should not do! If you want a future relationship with your adult children, please avoid doing this! Only offer suggestions when prompted.

To conclude, expect surprises, especially financial ones. It is best to adjust your

expectations during this process and take time to laugh!! Please also remind yourselves

that the most important part is marriage, which is a lifetime. A wedding is a beautiful day of celebration, and it is only one day.