Dealing with the Pressure of Planning a Wedding.

Wedding bells are ringing, and you have loads to do. Plans are kicking in,
but the pressure is also building up. Families are sharing their opinions,
but you have yours too. It may seem overwhelming but how do you handle the
pressure as it builds up?

Few tips that can help:

A Positive mindset.
I spoke with a friend who is the last child in a family of 7. Over the
years, her opinion didn't matter, and her wedding was no different. Her
parents and siblings already set a plan in place. The only way
she could deal with this was staying positive and finding a way to tell
them peaceably when their decisions didn't suit her.

Manage your expectations.
Most brides start planning their weddings with a fairy tale in mind, and
when things don’t pan out, the pressure builds up, they get upset, and many
other things are affected. Don’t expect perfection. Nobody and no plan is
perfect. Give allowances for mistakes.

Early planning.
It’s never too early to start planning. Starting early means more time to
prepare without the pressure of an imminent deadline. You are more at ease
and less likely to face disappointments. Many brides have shared their
wedding journal secrets. Basically, putting down ideas, having a to-do list
etc. helped them stay organised and reduced the pressure as the big day got
closer.

Avoid arguments.
There will be disagreements and if you’re not careful, you will get
irritable. The goal is to have a memorable event. You do not want to
jeopardise that by being at odds with everyone. Take things calmly, and
when they start to get heated up, take a break and relax. Most importantly,
avoid arguments with your other half. It’s about both of you and if you
aren’t at peace with each other, what’s the point of all the effort? Stay
in sync and compromise wherever possible.

You need a wedding planner.
Don't try to do everything yourself. You may think wedding planners are
expensive but in essence, they aren't really. It is the vendors that
actually take up the bills. A research was carried out in 2016. 100
newlyweds were asked about their views on hiring a wedding planner. 65% of
those who were involved in the research said they were 5 times more
stressed than anticipated compared to the remaining 35% who didn't hire
one: they said they were 20 times more stressed than anticipated. Wedding
planners take up at least 75-80% of the stress.

Most importantly, keep the essence of the day in mind at all times; you are
marrying the one you love. Everything else is secondary.



Photo via: atlantablackstar.com

Written by Dr. Mute Akpomedaye