Wedding Wednesdays: Four Ways to Feel Better When It Comes to Wedding Planning

Wedding stress got you overwhelmed? Planning your nuptials can be one of the most exciting times of your life, but it can also be accompanied by sentiments of pressure. While you're balancing finding your ideal venue to finalizing seating arrangement charts, it's easy to get overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list.

Lucky for you and your partner, there are plenty of resources available to help you manage wedding planning stress. The Knot has teamed with a psychotherapist and Head of Therapy at Lasting, the number one couples counseling app, whom works with clients to identify the best strategy to combat this common issue—and found that it all comes down to knowing your limits and practicing regular self-care.

If you’re feeling tense as you mark off your checklist, these three tips for managing wedding stress are for you!

Ask for Help
Practice letting other people help you. This might be easier said than done, especially when you're planning something as monumental as your wedding. But if your family and friends offer their involvement, let them assist.

Set Realistic Expectations
Most people have a general idea of what they imagine their wedding day to look and feel like, but it's important to set realistic expectations. Determine which factors are most important to you while also taking into account things like your finances, the location of your wedding and the time of year you'll be getting married.

From there, determine what is and what isn't possible. Focus your energy on the things you can control (like decorations for your venue), but try not to dwell on factors that are out of your hands (like the day-of weather). Once you set realistic expectations for yourself, you'll be able to manage stress that arises from circumstances that are beyond your control.

Take Breaks
It's important to plan time to actively discuss your wedding plans with your partner. Be intentional about the moments when you can talk about things like bridal party colors, décor and food. However, it's also necessary to set aside time to discuss other unrelated topics, like your career or The Office.

You need time to step away from the intensity of planning a wedding. Not only is this necessary for your mental health, it's also healthy for your relationship with your partner. Schedule dates where you both promise to leave the wedding talk behind and decompress with an activity you both love.

Take a deep breath, you got this! Keep calm and devour the details of wedding planning with help from The Knot!