3 tips for handling wedding stress
So you just got engaged and now you’re panicking because you have to plan an actual wedding??
I know wedding planning can be so stressful. I want to help. Here are 3 tips from a wedding photographer and mental health enthusiast for making wedding planning a bit less stressful.
Delegate a task to a loved one
One mistake a lot of engaged couples make when wedding planning is trying to do everything themselves. Instead of taking on the entire load yourself, you can try delegating tasks to friends and family who are not only willing to help, but also who you trust to follow your instructions and really help you make your day exactly how you’ve dreamed it to be.
You could try delegating tasks such as researching vendors, managing RSVPs, or sending invitations. This is a simple way to take a lot of weight off of you and your fiancé’s shoulders. You more than likely have lots of people in your life who would be so excited to help! And asking them to help will not only help you get things done and feel less stressed out about your wedding; it will also build a sense of excitement amongst your loved ones. Most people will probably feel special and honored to be a part of your day if you ask them for help.
2. Set aside specific chunks of time to plan
Here's my favorite tip: schedule it in. Setting aside a specific chunk of time in your schedule to work on wedding-related tasks will help reduce the feelings of overwhelm and help you to actually make progress, slowly but surely.
This is actually something I’ve been learning to do over the last couple years to take care of my mental health. When I catch myself feeling like I can’t turn off my brain, or I don’t know how to stop thinking about something (especially if it’s stressful or bothersome!), I try to set aside a certain time of the day or week to think about it. That way, throughout the day, if I catch myself thinking about the thing, I can remind myself I don’t have to think about it now, because I will think about it at x day and time.
It’s sooo helpful to me to be able to tell myself this. It actually helps my brain naturally want to think about it less, and it majorly reduces my levels of stress. I think this would be so helpful in implementing into your wedding planning strategy.
You could take it a step further and designate a specific planning task to work on in that time. That way you can avoid decision fatigue in the moment!
3. implement regular self care
Okay, this may be the most important one. In the midst of the chaos of life and wedding planning, don't forget to prioritize yourself. Self care can be a lifeline, especially when you are under extra stress.
And I think it’s important to define what I mean by self care. Sometimes, self care can be taking breaks to do things that fill your soul like getting a little coffee or having a paint and sip night. Sometimes, it’s getting your nails done or taking an extra long bath. And these things are amazing. But, sometimes, self care is a little bit deeper form of care.
One of the most important forms of self care, which is a little harder to implement, but so worth it, is, truly, taking care of yourself. Plan out all of your meals and do your grocery shopping. Cook a nice dinner. Do the dishes. Plan a regular cleaning schedule and stick to it. (I’m a big fan of Sunday-reset-day personally.) These types of self care can be a little harder to do, but when you do, it’s so so worth it. These are what really make or break how you feel, how stressed you are, and how well you function throughout your week.
If these feel too hard right now, one tip is to outsource. Temporarily hire someone to clean for you. When you are grocery shopping, pick ready-made meals or subscribe to a weekly meal delivery service. You are totally in control of how you approach this, but make sure you are doing what you can to take care of your mind and body during this season, so that you can really show up and enjoy all the amazing moments unique to this season of being engaged.
Okay, those are all the tips I have, but I really hope these help even a little bit! I know wedding planning can be so stressful, and I want to do anything I can to help reduce your stress. Leave a comment below with any tips you have found helpful during planning! (listed here or not!)
