CALM: Our top nerve-busting tips in the lead up to your wedding day
Let’s get real. Weddings have the ability to rattle the nerves of even the most calm and collected bride-chilla. After all, you’re planning a milestone event, managing relationships, making huge decisions, and entering into a legally binding agreement with the love of your life, all of which you may be doing as a first time event planner with absolutely no resume experience.
So, we’ve put together a few helpful and achievable tips for managing nerves and stress leading up to the big day, that won’t add to your long list of to do’s.
Outsource
Remember that team of people whose one job it is to help with wedding related stuff? Outsource jobs to them. Your wedding party is your secret weapon to being in five places at once.
Play to their strengths - don’t get Barry to choose the flowers, if he’d be better tasting the beers. Ask fashion-savvy Veronica to Google some options for bridesmaids dresses within your colour palette. Have a chatty mother-in-law? Perfect. Ask her to get to the ceremony venue 30 minutes earlier so she can greet your guests.
Set clear expectations about what needs to be done when, and put it to the back of your mind until then.
Keep a worry diary
If you’re having recurring dreams about turning up to your wedding in your year 10 formal dress, write it down. In fact, set a timer for the same time every day, and do a brain dump of everything on your mind. Within a few days, you may realise that there’s a common thread between all your worries - being late, feeling self conscious, forgetting the rings, your guests not having a good time, your uncle drinking too much…
Seeing everything on paper gives you an opportunity to find a solution, or remind yourself that that’s on the list for next week and your make up trial won’t be forgotten. You can also remind yourself of the facts - I won’t be late to my own wedding because I’ve put Kevin in charge of on-the-day scheduling, and I trust him to keep me on track.
Treat yourself
Think about when you’re your happiest. It might be walking your dog, or getting a head massage at the hairdressers. Book in for a Friday lunchtime blow wave, blend a smoothie that always makes you feel amazing, or treat your love to coffee at your favourite cafe. You might be saving for the three-tiered cake of your dreams, but it doesn’t mean you can’t splurge on a Sunday eclair to sweeten the deal!
Forget trying to memorise your vows
There’s a lot to say about vows written at the eleventh hour. It doesn’t mean that you or your partner don’t care to have written three drafts by the month’s end prior, but means that you work best when you’re in the zone. Practise briefly in the shower when you have some time to yourself, and remember that you won’t lose points for referring to your notes on a day where you’re the headlining act. If your vows come from the heart, they’re already perfect. If you don’t have access to a printer, we can print your vows out and bring them on the day!
Lean on us
We can’t tell you enough how we relish in a truly unique wedding ceremony. However, if all you want to say is “YEP”, we’re also great at doing the ol’ point to you when it’s your turn.
The basic run sheet of a legally-binding wedding ceremony looks like this:
I’m legally allowed to marry you.
Do you want to be married?
Do you also want to be married?
Sign here.
You’re married.
If saying “YEP” in front of 10, 20, or 100 people keeps you up at night, our Just us ceremony might be for you. You’ll need two friends to witness your signature, and you’ll be married in about five minutes!
But if you have a few more things to say, we also have a library overflowing with readings, poems, vows, and ceremony traditions that can make this format a little bit more floral and sparkly. Allow us to help with your nerves by doing what we do best - We can write the whole ceremony for you. We let you know when your paperwork is due. We’ll know who’s giving us the nod when you’re about to walk down the aisle.
And worst case scenario, we’ll crack a joke if you say the wrong name at the altar.