In all of life’s high-pressure situations, a little bit of stress can often be a good thing. It helps us get the job done. It’s when stress levels rise to a point where we no longer feel in control that we need to take action. In the case of wedding planning stress, it’s very easy to lose sight of the fact that you’re organising the happiest day of your life if your stress levels are too high.
Stress is something that can build up over time but it’s also something that can hit you like a tonne of bricks when you least expect it.
Even for the calmest of brides and grooms, some wedding planning stress can be expected. Your wedding is a monumental event in your life and we know that all couples strive for the perfect day.
While some wedding planning stress is very normal, it shouldn’t hinder your overall excitement about your wedding day.
Remaining aware of your stress levels is vital during the wedding planning process.
Here are some key stress triggers and how to rise above them.
Wedding expenses
Yes, weddings are expensive! Whatever budget you have set will be in relation to your income so, no matter what, you’ll feel like you’re dishing out money left right and centre.
Some expenses may rock you and have you questioning whether this is really where you want to spend your money. Wedding expenses are also what couples find themselves arguing over most of all.
How to rise above it
If you’ve budgeted well, wedding expenses shouldn’t shock you. However, sometimes you can be hit with the unexpected and that’s when the stress kicks in.
As part of your budget, create a buffer amount to prepare for unexpected expenses. Budget buffers are crucial to allowing you more freedom to make last-minute decisions and will help you to not feel overwhelmed when sudden, unexpected expenses come to light.
Make sure you’re on the same page with your bride or groom-to-be before you make any wedding planning decisions. It’s often when one person feels they are being kept in the dark about wedding expenses that issues arise on the topic.
Too much external advice
Advice is a funny thing. Some advice is given to genuinely help you while other advice seems like it’s only given to scare you.
In the early stages of planning, it’s normal to hear everyone’s personal accounts of their wedding day – what worked well and what went wrong. This can quickly have you questioning everything you thought you wanted at your wedding and can result in very high-stress levels before the planning has even begun.
How to rise above it
It is as simple as taking all advice with a grain of salt. While most people will have the best intentions, others may try to strip you of your excitement.
Whenever you receive wedding planning advice, ask yourself “is this valuable?” You’ll know whether or not it’s meaningful to you. Be confident that you know what you’re doing and the wedding you are planning is for you as a couple, not for those dishing out advice.
Fear that something will go wrong
This is one of the most common causes of wedding planning stress. It’s the fear of the unknown and the fear of what we can’t control that triggers our stress levels.
It’s human nature to think of all negative possibilities at least once during your wedding planning process. And, the truth is, something might go wrong and there’s simply nothing you can do to predict what it is.
How to rise above it
Stop for a moment and think logically, it’s really important to ask yourself “what could possibly go wrong that there isn’t a solution for?”
If it’s to do with food, your caterers will have seen it all.
If it’s to do with the weather, ensure you have an indoor option as a backup.
If it’s to do with a smaller detail, chances are you’ll be the only one who will notice.
Managing stress is all about overriding irrational thoughts with logic and clear thinking. When you’re in a state of panic, this can be very difficult to do. A good tip is to write your thoughts down as they pop into your head. Writing it down allows you to feel like the thought has left your mind.
When you refer back to your written thoughts a couple of days later, you’ll be able to look at each with a much clearer perspective. Write your logical solutions besides the thoughts to prove to yourself that you have resolved these stresses and they are no longer issues for you.
Manage wedding planning stress to get a perfect day
Getting engaged is so blissfully exciting. It doesn’t take long before you’re imagining your wedding day in the most perfect setting.
But weddings take a lot of planning which is something not every bride and groom are prepared for.
When you come to terms with the task ahead of you, stress levels can rise at the thought of how you’re actually going to get through your to-do list.
How to rise above it
The initial stress from the early days of planning a wedding shouldn’t last the whole way through.
When you first sit down with your fiancé and see the long list of wedding tasks ahead of you, it might strike a moment of panic. However, soon it’ll become the norm as you slowly tick things off and work your way towards your perfect wedding day.
Be clear from the get-go who is in charge of what. Ensure you have deadline dates for each task and label them according to who is responsible for them. This might be you, your fiancé, family members or friends. This will save you a whole lot of niggly arguments during the wedding planning process.
Wedding planning stress is triggered by a whole range of things but it should never override the excitement you deserve to feel.
We see hundreds of couples here at Markovina Vineyard Estate, many of whom experience a good dose of wedding planning stress at some point.
The good news is that we are here to lighten the load.
As wedding experts we can guide you through the process, ensuring you have the right help whenever you need it.
There’s nothing like the support of an expert team. Pop up to the venue sometime to check it out. Markovina Vineyard Estate is the wedding venue that offers so much more than just a space for your ceremony and reception. Call us today to find out more.
