Don’t STRESS over your wedding preparations…

Planning for a wedding is one of the most exciting times of a couples life together however the magic of preparing for this monumental occasion can sometimes become overwhelming leading to stress levels rising.

As today is National Stress Awareness Day, which is an annual campaign that aims to promote awareness of the particular challenges of modern day life that may lead to excessive stress, we thought it would be useful to highlight some of the warning signs that could indicate you are suffering from stress.

Planning a wedding can be right up there at the top of ‘stressful situations’ due to the extent of what is involved in the planning process. Have we got enough money? Do we opt for a church or a civil ceremony? Will Auntie Barbara be offended if we don’t invite her? Shall we go abroad or stay at home? How do I choose my bridesmaids? Do we need cars? Do we really need canapés? Wedding Favours – what shall we put on the tables? Am I going to have a nervous breakdown because of all these questions….? 

Stress can lead to depression so it’s important to recognise the symptoms that indicate you could be suffering from stress. Here are a few psychological, emotional and physical signs to look out for;

PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNS

• Inability to concentrate or make simple decisions
• Easily distracted
• Less intuitive & creative
• Worrying & negative thinking
• Depression & anxiety

EMOTIONAL SIGNS

• Tearful
• Mood swings
• Extra sensitive to criticism
• Defensive
• Feeling out of control
• Lack of motivation
• Frustrated
• Lack of confidence

PHYSICAL SIGNS

• Aches/pains & muscle tension/grinding teeth
• Frequent colds/infections
• Constipation/diarrhoea/ IBS
• Weight loss or gain
• Dizziness/palpitations
• Panic attacks/nausea
• Physical tiredness

Keeping stress levels to a minimum
Some ‘wedding planning’ stress is normal however excessive stress can impact on your ability to plan you day effectively, which will affect your productivity and motivation and ultimately ruin what is supposed to be one of the happiest experiences of your life. You can’t control everything but by referring back to the symptoms list above you can manage the planning process better to avoid stress overtaking you. Don’t be afraid to lean on your family and bridal party for support, their role after all is to help the couple and most would be more than happy to help, so delegate where you can. Take advice from your loved ones but don’t feel like you have to always take the advice as this too can become overwhelming.

Go with your heart and plan a day that’s personal to you and your fiancé and most importantly have fun together whilst doing so.

Click here to view our extensive selection of Wedding paraphernalia to help you get your planning ball rolling…