Vulnerability time: I have OCD & generalized anxiety disorder. That made wedding planning more stressful because I didn’t want to mess up or miss a thing. I got anxious and it effected every area of my life at the time. It’s a lot of pressure to have on your shoulders. Back when we got married I had absolutely no clue about the wedding planning world. Now, I have SO many things I would have done differently to help ease my anxiety.

If you’re anxious like I was, don’t fret. Planning your wedding doesn’t have to be stressful or cause unnecessary anxiety. In fact, I truly believe this can be the most incredible, exciting experience for you!! Just take a deep breath, know you aren’t alone in this, and take it one day at a time. Also, I’ve compiled a few tips just for you to help ease your anxiety!

Hire a Wedding Planner

This may be the best investment you make in your entire planning process. Having a trusted, professional planner is like having a stress sponge. They will take a lot of the planning & stress off your hands. They’ll communicate with vendors, help make your design vision come to life & make sure your day runs seamlessly so you never have to worry about a thing. We know it might seem like its a splurge but it is worth every penny!

Trust Your Vendors

When in doubt ask the people you’re paying their advice! Timeline questions? Ask us! Ceremony decor? Ask your venue or planner! We’re here to help you through the process and we have so much valuable knowledge to share with you.

Look for Vendors Who Do More Than One Thing

If having 20+ vendors to work with stresses you out don’t fret. There are options for you!! Some venues include more than just a ceremony & reception location. Mathew’s Manor (a personal favorite) does flowers, cake, provides chairs, and so much more! They also have separate bridal & groom suites on site for you to get ready in! This can eliminate the need for individual vendors for these categories and take a huge load off of you!

Give Yourself Time

This goes for wedding planning & for your wedding day. There’s no need to rush your date, so plan accordingly giving yourself enough time to plan. You don’t have to get married within a specific time frame, so make it what you need it to be.

On the wedding day this is the same! The more time you give your vendors the less rushed things will need to be. For example, when we have 10-11 hours on a wedding day to shoot versus 8-9 we can typically give our brides a great time of rest between photos & the ceremony. You can also plan time to eat/rest with just your husband before you enter the reception. Overall, we’d say go with more time than you think you’ll need just so you can have extra cushion to help you mentally know you’re good!

Don’t DIY too Much

Only take on what you can handle. It can cost you more in anxiety, stress, and tears to try to DIY  everything than it’s worth. Hire professionals who work with weddings for a living to take on what you can’t. There’s no need to feel like you have to hand craft every favor or every centerpiece. Your mental health is worth it!

Prep Beforehand

Before your wedding day, plan a “wedding bag” that has everything you’ll need to get ready. Prep this at least a week ahead of time so you won’t be anxious about this during your wedding week. We always suggest that our brides put all their jewelry, shoes, rings, invitations, perfume and other personal details in a small bag just for u. This is so you don’t have to look for it all when we get there to start shooting! You can rest assured knowing you have everything you need and won’t be stressing the morning of your wedding. Also, go ahead and give your maid of honor any gifts for your groom so you don’t have to keep up with it.

Eat the Morning of Your Wedding

Do yourself & everyone else a favor and eat something (especially if alcohol is involved)! Your body needs food & water to function properly. Without it it can stress your body out even more and cause you to feel sick, stressed, or even faint on your wedding day. Even if you aren’t hungry from nerves, make yourself eating something substantial. 

Ask For Help

Your friends & family want to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice when you get anxious. Hand off responsibility to people you trust and let yourself just relax & enjoy your wedding day. The people who love you will be glad they could bless you & you’ll thank yourself for handing off the stress!

 

Your wedding day is about so much more than color schemes and what food is being served. This entire process is meant for one main thing: to celebrate two people getting married!! Alec & I believe if you keep the main thing the main thing the rest will be so much smoother! Focus on your marriage and the wedding planning will have more meaning & we promise you’ll be so much less anxious.

Blessings,

Katie

 

Thanks for stopping by! If you’re in the midst of wedding planning we have a whole series of tips & tricks just for you! Check them out at the “For Brides” section of our blog!!