THE MOST WONDERFUL SELF-CARE IDEAS TO HELP YOU AVOID WEDDING PLANNING STRESS
If you are planning a wedding, or you’re about to take your first steps in the process, but you’re already feeling stressed – don’t worry. You’re not alone. It’s a very natural response, and many couples experience the same thing.
But that doesn’t mean you have to live with it!
If you’re wondering how to deal with wedding stress, I’m sharing my favourite self-care ideas to help you throughout the entire process:
Why Is Planning a Wedding So Stressful?
Often, couples are met with a bit of surprise during the wedding planning process. I hear from many clients that they felt as though they were in over their heads, or they just didn’t know what all goes into planning an amazing day.
That’s simply because there is so much planning involved. From determining where you want to get married, how many people you’ll want to have, and deciding on vendors months in advance, there’s so much to do.
Plus, many couples feel the financial overwhelm of creating a budget and sticking to it.
Not to mention, because of the stressors of wedding planning, emotions tend to run higher in the months leading up to the special day. Those emotions stack on one another, which sometimes makes the stress feel even greater.
As I mentioned, it’s a completely natural response to everything that is happening around you as you plan your day. So, don’t feel as though you’re doing anything wrong!
The Most Wonderful Self-Care Ideas to Help You Relax and Avoid Wedding Planning Stress:
Finding ways to practice self-care is one of the best methods to help you relax and avoid high wedding planning stress.
After years of experience in the wedding industry, I’ve collected favourite self-care ideas for couples to practice so you can enjoy this season of your life, rather than feel anxious about it.
Before the Wedding Day:
Months before the wedding day comes, you’ll be doing the bulk of the planning. The stress that often comes with it stems from organising vendors and rentals, planning the small details, and staying within a budget.
To help you minimise stress during these several months, try these tips:
Delegate to a Professional as Soon as Possible
When you step into the realm of wedding planning, you may find that there is so much you didn’t know that goes into it.
One of the best things you can do is allocate a portion of your wedding budget to go toward a professional wedding planner or wedding event manager.
They have years of experience planning different levels and styles of weddings. And considering it’s their career, they have more time to devote to planning every last detail.
Investing in a wedding planner is one of the first lines of defense when it comes to how to deal with wedding stress.
One of my clients recently said, “You do not realize how many details need to be taken care of during wedding planning, especially in the final three months. Lindsay just carried my husband and I through the last three months before our wedding.” You can read more about what my previous clients have said here!
If you’re looking for guidance for your wedding, you’re in the perfect place! View Lindsay Plank Events’ services to find out how I can help make your planning process smoother.
2. Establish a Skincare Routine
A skincare routine that starts months in advance is a great way to ensure you have fresh, glowing skin on the day of your wedding.
But it’s also a wonderful way to devote 15-30 minutes of your day to yourself. Here, you can prioritise your well-being in a way that’s soothing and relaxing. You can give yourself a moment to practice deep breathing to help wash any of the wedding planning stress away.
3. Dedicate Time to Continue “Dating” Each Other
Many couples get wrapped up in everyday life and continue planning a wedding on top of it. That often clouds the biggest reason why you’re getting married – your love for one another!
Throughout the planning process, I highly recommend dedicating time to continue dating one another. Make it a priority that, at least one night per week, you two do something together that has nothing to do with planning the wedding.
Whether that’s going out to a nice restaurant, seeing a movie together, or just staying in and cooking a nice meal together – revisit why you decided to get married in the first place. And do so often!
The Week of the Wedding:
The week leading up to the wedding may have you feeling a different kind of stress. At this point, the bulk of the planning is complete. However, there are small details that need to be completed, such as preparing the seating charts, finalising guest counts, attending vendor meetings, and sending off payments. Not to mention, we’re waiting for the day to get here!
That can leave you feeling anxious, as you want everything to go smoothly, and you want to make sure that you have a day that you’ll never forget.
These 3 self-care ideas will help you get through the anxious jitters the week of the big day:
Book a Spa Day
One of my all-time favourite self-care ideas is to book a spa day before the wedding. Opt for a massage or a facial appointment. Get your nails done if you’d like to have them polished before the wedding. And treat yourself to a glass of wine while you sit in the comfiest robe the spa has.
It’s a great way to take time away from thinking about your wedding and focus on yourself.
2. Get Plenty of Rest
While it may sound simple, I tell most of my couples this in the week leading up to the wedding day.
Prioritise 7-8 hours of sleep per night. And take a night or two to do anything but talk about the wedding. Allow your mind to take a break from thinking about what’s coming up.
3. Keep Up with Your Routines
Whether you have a morning or evening routine, a sleep routine, a skincare routine, a dating routine, or a movement routine – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that, even during the week leading up to the wedding, you stick to those routines.
You’ve developed them over time, and they’re what helps you stay grounded. When you quickly take those routines away, you may quickly find that it makes your nerves skyrocket.
Do yourself a favour and keep those routines in your schedule, even with the excitement and anticipation of the big day.
On the Wedding Day:
Finally, the day is here! These self-care tips will help you relax into your day and enjoy it, rather than worry about what needs to be done. They are key to having an incredible, unforgettable day.
Plan Your Timeline Wisely
Your wedding timeline will be the roadmap to getting through the day as smoothly as possible. When your day runs peacefully, you’ll be able to enjoy the events even more.
If you ask any experienced wedding planner or photographer, they’ll tell you that the timeline is crucial to keeping stress to a bare minimum on the day of.
If you’ve allocated a portion of your planning budget to go toward a wedding planner or event management, then be sure to let them know the timeline is important to you (although, they probably already know!).
2. Allow for Plenty of Time to Spend Together on the Wedding Day
It’s wonderful to see so many happy faces of friends and family who are there to support and celebrate you. But remember the sole reason for this wedding – your love for you and your partner!
Allowing plenty of time to spend together on your wedding day will make it even more amazing. You’ll give both you and your partner breathing room from the hustle and bustle. And you can savour the day that’s all about the both of you!
Whether it’s through a first look or having a private dance at the end of the night, allocating time for one another is one of the best ways to reduce wedding stress.
3. Trust Your Wedding Vendors to Provide for You
Finally, know that you invested in your wedding planner and vendors for a reason. They’re there to make sure everything runs effortlessly without you having to worry about it.
One of my clients even said, “On the big day of, Lindsay catered to everything. She made sure we had champagne in hand, that we were comfortable, that my guests were happy. My husband and I just relaxed and watched it all graciously unfold.”
Trust your vendors to provide for you in the way you’ve asked them to. You and your partner can relax and live in the moments that you don’t want to forget!
Wedding planning stress is, unfortunately, incredibly common among couples as they prepare for their day.
These self-care tips have helped so many of my couples reduce their stress so they can enjoy this amazing season of life they’re in!
And if you’re looking for a wedding planner to provide for you so you can relax on your wedding day (and throughout the planning process), you’re in the perfect place!
