Pre-wedding anxiety is normal especially if you are the emotional type. Many thoughts are likely to run through your mind, some bad and some good. You may worry if you are making the right wedding choice, if the photographer would take good pictures, if the weather would be friendly and so on. You shouldn’t go into your marriage feeling this anxious. Here is how to beat the pre-wedding anxiety that accompanies your big day:
1. Be kind to yourself
Getting engaged is an amazing feeling, but once the initial thrill from Facebook and Instagram wears off, planning a wedding can make you feel pretty overwhelmed. There’s a huge amount of pressure for everything to go perfectly, and if you’re anxious, you’ll probably feel that pressure even more. Breathe and be kind to yourself. You deserve the best.
2. You are not a bad person to hate the planning process
Planning ahead is second nature to anxious people. But being bombarded with questions almost every minute is very different: It can put you into a sour mood. If you start to get cold sweats when looking at floral displays and potential outfit options, then get your mum, dad, maid of honour, bestman, partner, or just a random stranger from the internet onboard and get them to give you suggestions or opinions.
3. It is okay to think of yourself
You’re going to feel pretty delicate the week before your wedding, even if you’ve been careful and looked after yourself. Maybe people are used to you being accommodating and nice. But this is your wedding. It’s very okay to say no, or to let the phone ring without you picking up. Of course, people would call you and you’ll want to say yes to requests to pick people up from the airport or bus parks, or answer endless questions from people who didn’t read the details on the invitation and give descriptions numerous times. To avoid this, appoint a gatekeeper. It could be a mum, one of the bridal party, or a good friend. Give out their number and let people bother them. They can deal with weird requests, and only come to you with the important issues.
4. Let your partner reassure you
‘Don’t do life alone’. As an anxious person, being in the limelight isn’t really one of your things, but it’s an important part of any wedding. Self-consciousness might not be something you consider until quite close to the day itself, but it’s a good idea to plan for it. More couples are making their own traditions to walk down the aisle together instead of avoiding each other before the ceremony. It’s just as romantic and it certainly wouldn’t bring bad luck. Hug each other first, reassure each other, hold hands and take strength from them.