Planning a wedding can be a wonderful, yet stressful time in a person’s life. As much fun as it is to check out bridal fairs, and to imagine all the details of the big day, putting everything together can become a bit overwhelming. Hiring an event planner or coordinator can be helpful, however, not every couple has room in their budget for this expense. Before you decide to save yourself the hassle of planning, and simply elope, just remember there are several ways to ensure minimal stress during your wedding planning. By keeping yourself organized, using stress-relief techniques, and overcoming the fear of asking for help, you will be able to minimize stress and keep your plans moving smoothly.
The best way to keep yourself organized is by sticking to a planning checklist. Pinterest is full of helpful timelines to ensure all of the details are taken care of with plenty of notice for vendors and guests. For more information on planning time tables, and for several examples, check out our previous blog post “Timelines for Event Planning” from March 19, 2018. Other stressful parts of planning include who to invite, seating arrangements, and making sure you have everything you need for day-of emergencies. A few other previous Front Range Event Rental blog posts provide helpful tips to prevent excess stress during the planning process. From April of 2018, “Pre Wedding Events: The ‘Need to Know’ Basics” and “Wedding Seating Arrangements” will both be helpful resources for great planning information. Also be sure to check out our post from May 14th, 2018, titled “Often Forgotten Wedding Details/Emergency Wedding Kit” to make sure you have all the necessities for any issue that presents itself on the big day.
Once you have yourself organized, just remember, stress can rear its ugly head at the most unexpected of moments. If you experience some major stress, or an anxiety attack, during your planning process, try the helpful technique of Grounding. This technique is often taught to sufferers of anxiety disorders, but can be an excellent way to reduce stress for anyone. There are five steps to follow, which should help ‘ground’ you. When you feel the panic starting to set in, focus on your surroundings, and complete the following steps:
Step 1: List 5 things you can see. Look at each item as you list it.
Step 2: List 4 things you can touch. Touch each item as you list it.
Step 3: List 3 things you can hear. Listen to each sound as you list it.
Step 4: List 2 things you can smell. Breath in each smell as you list it.
Step 5: List 1 thing you can taste. Taste the item as you list it.
By taking your mind off of what is causing you stress, and focusing on your immediate surroundings, you can distract yourself from the stress. In between each step, be sure to take deep breaths. Sometimes, even just the simple act of breathing deep can be a great mechanism for stress relief.
The last way to help manage your wedding planning stress is to ask for help. Your family, bridesmaids, or friends, may have already offered to help, so take it! You may be unsure of how to accept this help, or feel like you are asking too much to have someone take care of tasks for you. Do not feel this way! People do not offer help unless they mean it. To really figure out how each person can be of assistance, sit down with them and discuss your planning details. They may have experience with certain parts of your plans, or possible connections in the wedding world that may be helpful. Accepting help does not mean you are failing at wedding planning. It simply means that you understand that this is a major undertaking. It also means that you understand that on top of work and general life, the addition of wedding planning can be time consuming and stressful. Assigning tasks to those who have offered assistance will make them feel as though they are even more involved with your special day, and will help check to-do items off of your list.
By keeping yourself organized, using stress management techniques, and accepting help, you will be able to minimize your wedding planning stress. If all else fails, put away your wedding planning binder, sit back, and have a glass of wine. For extra support and advice, many wedding planning websites offer chatrooms, or message boards, based on specific parts of the planning process. It can be a huge help to find others in your situation, and to see how they are dealing with similar issues. Just remember to take a deep breath, as you are not alone and you can do it! Thanks for reading, and happy wedding planning!
