The Mental Impact That Planning a Wedding Can Have on a Couple
Your wedding day will be beautiful, amazing, and everything you’ve ever dreamed of! However, for anyone who has planned a wedding you know that it can be stressful and seriously take a toll on your mental health. Not only can it be stressful for you, but it can put a lot of pressure on a relationship. While hiring a wedding planner is an essential first step, there are still pieces of the process that you as the couple will have to be involved in and make decisions on. Follow along to gain some insight on how to understand your and your partner's mental health during the wedding planning process.
Keep Open Communication
Everyone envisions their wedding in a different way, and that is why it is very important that you sit down with your partner and understand what they want in a wedding. What do they see their big day looking like? What are the top 3 priorities for each of you? This means that your communication needs to be stronger than ever! You may realize there are aspects of the wedding you disagree on or have thought of differently. It is always important for you to speak openly about your wishes and priorities with everyone involved. This includes your family, friends, wedding party, and your planner! The only way to resolve any anxiety about your wedding is to talk about it!
If this kind of communication is difficult or you feel as if you would benefit from a third party it might be helpful to look into online therapy. Therapy would give you as a couple a chance to talk through your disagreements and find ways to address and cope with issues as they come, even after the wedding. Maybe there are issues in your communication in general and this planning is just making them more seen. That is okay! Relationships take work and couples therapy could be a great way to strengthen your relationship before the big day.
Start Planning Early and Hire a Wedding Planner
The earlier you start planning the more time you have to focus on each piece of the process. This allows you to really think about what’s important to you and tailor the day to your wishes as a couple. You don’t want to feel rushed or overwhelmed during this process, even though that is easier said than done! It is important to educate yourself on what you will need for the wedding and the different aspects of the wedding day. Rely on your wedding planner to help guide you through the important decisions and take care of the little details for you. For more information and a great place to start planning check out these wedding planning books. Take on the planning together and take one step at a time. Get started now, you'll thank yourself later!
Don’t Compare
You might be at the point in your life where you have seen many other weddings. You have seen ones on TV, ones your friends have had, and you hear a lot about what you “should” do for your wedding. The easiest way to ruin your own wedding is to compare yourself or your wedding to others. Your wedding is to celebrate your relationship. Every relationship is different, so every wedding will be different, too.
The first step to wedding planning is to have a conversation about each of your priorities for the wedding day. You can also start these conversations by asking “What have you enjoyed about weddings you’ve attended in the past?” Or, “What have been your least favorite part of weddings you’ve attended in the past?” Write these down separately and then review together!
Having a conversation about your priorities as a couple as well as traditions each of you would like to incorporate will help the planning process to be smoother. It’s important to communicate these to all parties involved.
Seeing Family and Friends
Weddings are a great way to bring people together. You might get to see loved ones that you have not seen in years. This thought can be incredible but also daunting! Not only are you seeing your family but you are blending two families together and will be seeing all of your partner's family as well (and maybe some you haven’t met yet!). Make sure you tell your partner how you are feeling about this- maybe there are people you are nervous to see or this whole social situation is overwhelming for you. This is the time to understand each other's feelings so you have each other to lean on during the wedding day. Talk to your planner about how to craft a wedding day to make each of you comfortable in the various social situations that will arise!
Being the center of attention is not for everyone, it can be tiring and even take a toll on your mental health, especially if you are an introvert. Making sure everyone is having a good time and making sure everything goes as planned can be difficult, but that’s what you have hired a wedding planner!. Take time to enjoy the moment, and remember this day is yours to cherish!
Take Time for Yourself
Your wedding is going to be a wild whirlwind of a day! It will be one of the best, yet exhausting days of your life. Make sure that leading up to your wedding that you are taking time just to yourself or just as a couple to bask in the moments. Having time to just enjoy will help refresh your mental health and remind you what all this is for. Take some time during the week leading up to your wedding to have a romantic dinner or a movie night- and don’t talk about the wedding!. Step away from the wedding planning and the wedding talk and just relax with your partner and decompress. You will want to remember your wedding and the planning process for the joyous moments, so take time to remember and appreciate them.
Conclusion
Getting married is a big step in your life and many things are about to change. Your wedding day should be special and magical, but planning it can get difficult, which is why we’re here! Have open communication, plan ahead, and find time to step away.