How to Cope with and Reduce the Stress of Planning a Wedding

Weddings take a lot of work to plan, and many brides-to-be find themselves having to cope with huge amounts of stress that come with planning a wedding. Luckily, there are many ways to not only cope with stress, but to reduce it in the first place!

Wedding Stress Tip: Be Reasonable

Much of the stress that comes with a wedding is because the bride has a perfect picture of how her wedding is going to be and insists on ensuring that each little bit of the ceremony and reception is exactly how she wants it. This attitude is reasonable to an extent, but it is often taken to the extreme as brides double and triple-check details that have already been taken care of.

Instead of stressing about details, follow through with them to a reasonable extent and then let them go. Once you have talked with a florist, trust her to do the rest well. After all, it's her job. Once you have found an adequate caterer, sign a contract. You might be able to find one slightly better, but will people really be able to tell the difference?

Wedding Stress Tip: Make Lists on Small Cards

Many wedding websites offer checklists for brides to work from when planning a wedding. These are useful in reducing stress because it gives a concrete list of things to be done and allows each item to be checked off and forgotten about once it is completed. However, the lists themselves can actually create stress if they are too long, and if they include items that the bride doesn't plan to do exactly that way at her wedding.

As a solution, I recommend sitting down right at the beginning of the wedding process and making master lists. These can be based off lists found online, but should be specific to your wedding desires. Make the lists on small note cards with different categories at the tops. For example, make one list of items related to flowers, another on the honeymoon, another on the bride's attire, and one about invitations. That way, you can re-prioritize the cards as different elements of the wedding need to be addressed, and you don't have to be overwhelmed by a really long list.

Wedding Stress Tip: Ask for Help

Anybody who has been married (and also many people who haven't) understands the stress of planning a wedding. It is also likely that many of them would be happy to help with some elements of the wedding. For example, if you are having an outdoor wedding and need a sound system, ask your techie friend to research rentals and report back to you. If you need a delicious and beautiful cake, describe what you want to your maid of honor and let her do the footwork and present you with the best options she finds.

Wedding Stress Tip: Take Breaks

Make sure to set aside times that are "no-wedding" zones. Take the time to stop talking about wedding stuff, stop thinking about wedding stuff, and just enjoy your regular life. The bride and groom should remember to spend time together building and enjoying their relationship, not just planning their wedding and details for life together after that. These times of taking a break from wedding planning will greatly reduce stress and return you to the state of having a clear mind.

Wedding Stress Tip: Keep a Healthy Perspective

After all, what's the worst that can happen? This is a question that I found myself being asked occasionally when I was really stressed about some silly little detail. It's really helpful for keeping a rational perspective on things. For example, what's the worst that can happen if I don't get around to putting together a wedding program? I'll still be married, the guests will still be there, and they just won't have a piece of paper to follow along and take home.

Just remember that as long as you have the bride, the groom, an official, and two witnesses, you will be married when the big day comes along. Everything else that goes into the wedding is just icing on the cake.