You are not alone in your wedding planning stress

Brides often have stress even in the happiest moments. On one hand you are caught up in a la la land of love, and lace, and spun sugar considering the happiest day of your life, and on the other hand, you’ve got to handle the stress of being a shrewd business woman, a tough negotiator, and have the ability to make decisions that won’t always please everyone. It can feel like being caught between a rock and a hard place.Here are 5 legitimate reasons that weddings are stressful.  Can you relate to any of these?

1. When it comes to wedding planning, having hard conversations are inevitable —  For instance, what to do when a dear friend is hurt that she was not chosen to be the maid of honor? Conversations like this are uncomfortable.

Can I get an Amen?

2. Another topic of stress is the financial aspect of wedding planning.  Weddings can be expensive, and many couples end up going beyond their budget and even going into debt.

3. In addition to the stress created by spending possibly more money than you ever have at one time, there are the logistical planning details that go along with an event like a wedding.  Will the photographer will arrive on time? Why is the florist showing up with giant fuchsia gerbera daisies instead of tiny white field daisies? etc. And if friendships,  money, and details of planning weren’t enough stressors to contend with, weddings can bring up a lot of family-related stress.

4. As you plan your wedding you may quickly see that your and your spouse to be’s families may have very different visions for what they want to happen and not happen at the wedding.  You may be finding that everyone has a strong opinion about how your wedding should go based on THEIR personal preferences, values, religious beliefs, and even political orientations.   You may even find yourself at odds with your spouse to be every now and then. Working through these challenges and learning to compromise can benefit relationships in the long run, but in the moment they can be very unsettling.

5. Friendships, Money, planning details, and family conflicts aside, perhaps the most stressful aspect of wedding planning, and the one most likely to fuel “bridezilla” moments, has to do with the pressure to be a beautiful bride and to look flawless on your big day.
This pressure can lead women to starve themselves and behave in unhealthy ways for months before the wedding so that they can fit into their too small dress (oh, ladies, I am all for fitness, but please don’t buy a dress that is too small for your wedding.  Please don’t.  Save yourselves the stress and the possible expense of having to purchase a new dress.) ,  or to spend countless hours and dollars on hair and make-up products and services,  or to overdo sun or tanning bed exposure,  and what about this? to worry so much about whether your skin will break out that it breaks out worse than ever.  All of this leaves a bride feeling totally dissatisfied with her appearance and stressed out more than ever.

See, you are not the only one.  We’d love to hear your story.  come join us on our new Facebook Group just for brides to be.