How to Keep Your Cool When Planning Your Wedding

When you started the wedding planning process, you probably had an idea that it wouldn’t be easy by any means. But, thanks to the hundreds of thousands of wedding-related pins infiltrating Pinterest, and your Facebook friends and family posting ideas to your wall of ridiculously lavish weddings, you’re feeling more like “Let’s just get this over with!” instead of “Who knew I could ever love planning my wedding this much?!”

And, if that’s the case, we hear you loud and clear. Planning an event of this magnitude can send even the most chill bride ever into a frenzy. So, how can you ensure you keep your cool while planning one of the most special, memorable events of your life?

Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. We’re here to make sure you’ve got the right tips up your sleeve to avoid going full on ‘zilla and reclaim your sanity. Take a look!

1. Get moving to put those endorphins to work.

You heard the girl (Reese). So, schedule out some time—at least 30 minutes, three to five days a week—to get your body moving. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy! Think a barre class, a run around the neighborhood with your pup, anything to put those endorphins to work. After all, they really can up your happiness. And, we all know it’s much needed during what can be a super stressful time.  

2. Treat yo’self.

Any “Parks and Recreation” fans out there? Well, if so, we’re sure you’re very familiar with its beautiful concept: Treat Yo Self Day—”a day, not a birthday nor any other holiday, on which we spare no expense indulging our consumerist whims.”

Yup, you read that right. Now, even though this day is known to happen on October 13, go ahead and pick a day (or two or three) that works best for you. Then, turn off your phone and enjoy any of the treat yo self activities listed below:

• Head to the nail salon for a manicure to compliment that engagement ring of yours.

• Hit up the mall for some retail therapy and buy that dress you’ve been eyeing for your rehearsal dinner.

• Bring the spa to you and your better half—pick up some face masks from Target and give each other massages.

• Draw a bath and light some candles to relax and de-stress.

• Curl up and read one of those books that’s been sitting on your nightstand waiting for you to finish.

• Stay in your pajamas all day and binge watch a Netflix show with no regrets.

3. Schedule “No Wedding Planning Allowed” days.

I know what you might be thinking: How the heck will I ever take a day off from planning?! Trust us, you can do it. Consider it a necessity to remain sane during the process. Plus, your future husband will thank us.

So, go ahead and mark your Saturdays or Sundays or a weekday evening as a “No Wedding Planning Allowed” day. What this means is, enjoy a dinner with your loved one without the conversation of vendors or the next wedding planning to-dos coming up.

Or, seriously stay focused on watching a show you love without flinging open your laptop to respond to a wedding-related email or text you think can’t wait. But, it can wait. Because, keep in mind, you need to soak up this sweet, sweet time of being engaged. It’s going to breeze right by you and we don’t want you looking back on it wishing you’d done things differently.

4. Know when to ask for help.

If you’re a do-it-all-yourselfer, this step to sanity might be difficult for you. And, we perfectly understand. But, it’s okay to send out the SOS signal to your loved ones letting them know you need their help. Reason being, your wedding can be a serious undertaking and you shouldn’t go it alone.

To help you ask for help in the right way, do the following:

• Initiate an honest conversation with your friends and family. You shouldn’t expect them to come to you and volunteer to help. Oftentimes, people avoid doing just that because they don’t want to step on your toes. For that reason, you should make the first move, mentioning you’d love for them to help you in the planning process and see what they’d be willing to do.

• Then, make a list of every single wedding-related task you can think of. Apps like Wedding Planner by The Knot and Wedding Planner by WeddingWire help with this! And, be sure to designate friends and family to tackle those they are willing to assist with.

• Lastly, after they lend you a helping hand, simply put, say thank you. It doesn’t have to be done in an extravagant manner, but think about delivering them a handwritten note and maybe even a small gift to show your appreciation.

Once you know of those small tasks you can let go of and handoff to your loved ones (ex. Scheduling beauty appointments for the bridal party, etc.), you’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing you’ve got help and can focus on other to-dos needing the most attention.

5. Resist the urge to be a people pleaser.

Wedding planning, on its own, often means you’re in for receiving plenty of unsolicited advice from friends and family. Family dynamics come into play as everyone prepares to be in one place. You’ll have requests for certain people not to be seated at the same table, for unknowns to be added to the guest list as unwanted +1s, and so much more.

So, it’s obvious that if you try to satisfy each person and their desires, you’re bound to drive yourself absolutely crazy. Keep in mind, no matter how hard you try, you won’t ever be able to control other people’s happiness. This is your day. Your day to do what you and your soon-to-be-spouse wants. Thus, go ahead and forget the rest—even those naysayers and do-it-my-way-ers.

6. Remember what it’s all about.

In between the vendor meetings, bridal appointments, seating chart changes, and RSVP chase downs, remember what this time is all about—you and your groom, your commitment to one another, and the bliss and adventures that follow.

Therefore, as you’re planning your wedding, take it all in. Love on one another. And, don’t let silly feuds zap your spirit and joy of getting married. I’m sure you’ll hear this a lot, but in all honesty, it’s a monumental time in your life that goes by way too fast. So, enjoy it.

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Well, there you have it. While a stress-cry or ‘zilla moment may be completely unavoidable, we hope you’ll take some time to apply any of the above tips to help you keep your cool while you’re planning one of, if not, the most special, memorable events in your life.

And, if you find yourself needing to bring in some reinforcements to ensure wedding planning, and even your wedding day, is a stress-free event, contact the McKenzie Phillips Events team today. We’ll ensure you sit back and truly relax as we organize and manage everything your way!