Weddings are joyous occasions. Serving as the ultimate celebration of love between a happy couple, they signify the beginning of an exciting new chapter. But while the day itself is often one of the most memorable experiences of your life, most couples will tell you that the build up can be extremely stressful.
Worryingly, one recent survey found as many as 72% of newlywed couples said that the planning stage of their wedding was either “very” or “extremely” stressful. While those numbers sound high, it perhaps isn’t a great surprise given the amount of work which goes into making sure your big day is as magical as you want it to be.
While you won’t be able to negate the stress associated with wedding planning altogether, one of the best ways to manage it is to educate yourself on what some of the biggest pain points can be. Here are some of the most important things to look out for.
Decisions, decisions, decisions
There are a wealth of choices which need to be made at all stages in the run-up to your wedding. And while most of these on an individual basis would be fairly mundane, the sheer scale of them tends to place a heavy burden on your shoulders over time.
Aside from things like the guest list, seating plan, your wedding’s theme, the music you want played, the location, and who does or doesn’t make the cut for your bridal or grooms man party, there are a bunch of calls you need to make about the ceremony itself.
Just some of the wedding day ceremony decisions you’ll have to make include:
If you’ll have a flower girl or ring bearer
● Who will or won’t be part of the ceremony
● What order will your bridal party or grooms men walk down the aisle
● If you want a religious ceremony or not
And while some people are decisive enough to work these things out quickly, this many decisions has the potential to leave others feeling emotionally drained.
Finding the money to match your vision
The average UK wedding costs a mind-blowing £31,974. That’s almost exactly the same as the median annual wage. When you think about it in those terms, it’s little wonder that finding the money for your special day leaves a lot of brides and grooms feeling anxious.
The rule of thumb here is to always make sure you can actually afford your wedding. While that might sound obvious, you’d be surprised how many people take out loans in order to pay for them. Remember, accruing years of debt doesn’t often compare with the enjoyment of one day.
Fear of forgetting something
With so much to plan, it’s only natural you’ll worry that something might get overlooked. Truth to be told, there’s a good chance a tiny element of planning might be forgotten about, or left to the last minute. Just accept that as part of the process, and remember that most people won’t even notice it (so long as it’s not something important like the dress!).
Planning a wedding requires a lot of time, effort, and, sadly, stress. Knowing what to expect, while remembering what you’re doing this for in the first place, is the best way to manage that.
