Admit and appreciate your feelings
Yes, it will be a happy and fun time and it will be full of romance. There will be times though, where you will feel frustrated, angry, crazy, anxious, and probably every other adjective that you can imagine. Realize that all these feelings, both positive and negative, are a natural part of the planning process.
Who wouldn’t feel overwhelmed! You’re making decisions about which family members and friends to invite. You’re trying to make decisions about your gown, the ceremony, the reception, the photographer, your hair and makeup, what your bridesmaids will wear, and that’s just the beginning. Worst of all, you’re probably doing it all at once even though you try to stay focused on only one task. Let’s not forget all the hormones that are now racing through your body, which add their own effects on your moods.
If you do feel the entire wave of emotions, admit they exist and appreciate them. We have all been socialized to believe that weddings should be a time of pure happiness. The bells ring, birds sing, and romantic music plays in the background. While all those visions may be real, there is a great deal of stress involved which needs to be acknowledged. Remember to take your feelings in perspective. They are, in actual fact, validating just how important this day is for you. You care because your wedding day signifies a huge transition in your life. It’s only to be expected that you will feel all those different emotions.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a breather for yourself. Forget making decisions for the moment and go take a long walk along Yonge Street (we all know there’s a lot to see there!) How about meeting friends to chat about everything except the wedding, just to take your mind off all the planning? Or, do the flipside and get support from reliable loved ones.
Acknowledging the mambo jumbo pot of feelings gives you the strength to say, “Yep, I love this man and I’m really excited about the wedding and the gown and I can’t wait for it to happen. I’m still the same beautiful person that I’ve always been. I’m just so boggled down by all this planning that I have to do and it’s really stressing me out/I feel frustrated/I’m getting antsy…. Who wouldn’t feel like this? It’s only natural.”