How to be Chill Before your Wedding Day

Planning a wedding can be stressful and exhausting—what with the number of things you need to deal with, from finding the right vendors to stopping your mother-in-law from taking over. All these wedding details can get you feeling anxious and restless and keep you up all the nights leading to the big day. But if you want to look great in your wedding photos and not appear like some sleep-deprived zombie, you need to find ways to stay relaxed and stress-free.

Pause and take deep breaths when you’re starting to feel overwhelmed. As much as you want to make sure that everything and everyone is taken care of, you also need to take care of yourself.

Here are some helpful tips to wake up refreshed, relaxed, and radiant on your wedding day.

Practice Mindfulness

With a seemingly endless wedding to-do list, it’s easy to get stressed and overwhelmed. Take a moment to stop whatever you’re doing, clear your head of worries, and take a deep breath. Focusing on breathing in and out can calm your mind and relax your muscles. You can also try guided meditation or yoga to reduce stress and improve your overall well-being. 

Stay Connected with Your Partner

After a while, the pressure, stress, and expectations involved in planning a wedding can take a toll on your relationship. You might be spending more time with your wedding planner than your spouse-to-be. But your wedding is not about the caterers, the florists, the band, or the venue. It’s not even about your parents or the guests. It’s about you and your betrothed. It’s a celebration of your love story.

Stay connected and affectionate with the person you love most. Schedule dinner or movie nights and spend some quality alone time. Share your excitement and concerns about your upcoming nuptials, but also talk about things you both enjoy that are not related to your wedding.

Pamper Yourself

Make room in your busy schedule to treat yourself to a massage to loosen up those kinks and knots in your back, neck, and shoulders. Not only can a massage reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, but it can also relieve tension headaches and improve mental alertness.

If you’re not up for a spa treatment, settle into a nice, warm bath to melt the stress away. Add some bath salts to the water, play some relaxing music, and pour yourself a glass of wine as you enjoy a long and soothing soak.

You can also light a scented candle or incense sticks to add to the calm and boost your mood. Lavender is well-known for its relaxing properties, as well as chamomile, jasmine, and peppermint.

Lean on an Inner Circle of Support

As amazing and organized as you are, accept that you cannot do everything by yourself. Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking, so don’t be afraid to enlist the help of family and friends with the flowers, décor, dry cleaning, transportation, or other tasks they’ll be happy to do for you.

Your maid of honor and bridesmaids aren’t just there to look pretty on the receiving line. They’re also there to help you plan and execute your dream wedding. Aside from attending the engagement party, bridal shower, and rehearsal dinner, they’re there to help you with pre-wedding duties and give you love and moral support throughout the planning and wedding ceremony.

Welcome Humor

Watch something that will make you laugh, such as your favorite rom-com or stand-up comedy. Laughter reduces stress, relieves pain, relaxes your body, and even boosts your immune system. Instead of stressing about the seating plan, the food, the dress, and the chances of rain on your wedding day, try to approach things in a lighthearted manner and find humor in the situation. 

Also, accept that you cannot please everyone and you cannot control everything. Instead of viewing everything as an aggravating challenge, let humor give you a more cheerful perspective. Laugh with your significant other and with your friends and put everyone in a light and happy mood. 

Get Moving

Exercise isn’t just good for your body, but it is also good for your emotional and mental health. Hitting the gym, taking a walk, going for a run, or even just dancing in your bedroom, can help reduce stress and improve your mood. Exercise can also help you relax, lower symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improve your sleep which is often disrupted by stress.

Many consider exercise as meditation in motion. While indulging in a long walk, jogging around the park, or swimming several laps in the pool, you can focus on your body’s movements and let all the concerns surrounding your wedding drift away.

Focus on What Matters

Your wedding is not an exhibition you put on for other people. It’s a celebration of your love and life-long commitment to your better half. Instead of worrying about everything else that can go wrong, take a deep breath, relax, and focus on the two of you as you start your happily ever after.