How to Stress Less before your Wedding

You were doing just fine for the first few months of wedding planning, still in the glow of engagement. But then one thing here and another thing there added up to STRESS! Your parents have different ideas about who is family (really, is my 3^rd cousin twice removed that important?). All the bridesmaids aren’t playing well together. Or you and your partner have different ideas about the reception (a cotton candy machine is cool, but a photo-booth, well that’s just awesome). It’s time to step back and try some techniques that are sure to reduce your stress.

Step 1. Watch all the wedding movies you can find. It doesn’t matter which ones you pick because any wedding movie you see is bound to have more drama than anything you are experiencing (and if not, well, I am so sorry). Laugh and cry as much as possible – eat popcorn if you want.

Step 2. Find a friend who is not in the wedding party, preferably someone who got married recently. Ask them to listen to you vent about everything and I mean everything. They are not to try to solve anything, they are just there to nod their head and agree with whatever you say. Take your time and talk until you barely have any voice left.

Step 3. Pick a time when no one is around and turn up the volume on your favorite music. Sing along as loud as you can, even if you can’t keep a tune – especially if you can’t keep a tune. Jump around and dance and move your body. Test those pole-dancing moves you’ve been dying to try and make a complete fool of yourself. Caution: don’t take any videos that you’ll later regret.

Step 4. Take a bubble bath. Yeah, I mean a bath with bubbles. Find a bottle of kid-style bubble bath that creates gobs and gobs of bubbles and add enough to your bath to have them overflow. Splash around and enjoy.

Now isn’t that better? By giving yourself the gift of some silly playtime and vent time, you will find that your glow of engagement is not gone at all. You just need a time out and you’ll remember why you are going through all this – your beloved is worth it!

XOXO Rachel