Top Tips for Handling Wedding Stress

Planning a wedding is an exciting time for couples, but it can also bring a a huge amount of stress. With so many details to consider, personalities to deal with and family issues, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, with the right mindset and strategies, you can work together as a team, manage any wedding stress and have an amazing wedding. 

Here are some of our top tips for keeping calm and making the most of the planning towards your special day.

1. Start Planning Early

The earlier you begin planning as a couple and get on the same page, the more time you have to handle details without feeling rushed. Create a timeline, set deadlines, and break tasks into manageable steps to stay on track.

2. Set a Realistic Budget

Financial stress is one of the biggest wedding worries and it can put a LOT of strain on the relationship. This is NOT what you want when planning the best day of your lives. Set a realistic budget early on and stick to it. Prioritize what’s most important to you both and find creative ways to save on less critical elements (check out some of our other blog posts for creative ideas).

3. Delegate Tasks

You don’t have to do everything yourself! Lean on your partner, wedding party, family, or even a wedding planner to help with tasks. Delegating reduces stress and ensures everything gets done efficiently.

4. Focus on What Matters

It’s easy to get caught up in the details, but remember that your wedding is about celebrating love and commitment. If something goes wrong, don’t let it overshadow the joy of the day. The aim of the entire day is to be married at the end of it and you will be!

5. Practice Self-Care

Make time for yourself during the planning process. Whether it’s a relaxing bath, yoga, exercise, or a fun night out, taking care of your well-being will help keep stress levels in check. Check out our wedding day stress meditation post and video.

6. Stay Organised

Use checklists, spreadsheets, or wedding planning apps to keep track of vendors, appointments, and deadlines. Staying organised will help you feel more in control and prevent last-minute surprises.

7. Communicate with Your Partner

Wedding planning should be a team effort. Have open and honest conversations with your partner about expectations, concerns, and responsibilities to ensure you're on the same page. Make sure you're checking in with each other and listening to each other. Another great thing to do is to schedule dedicated wedding planning nights so that your entire relationship doesn't become absorbed by the wedding.

8. Have a Backup Plan

Weather, vendor cancellations, and other unexpected challenges can arise. Having a backup plan in place for key elements (such as an indoor option for an outdoor wedding) will help you stay calm if changes are needed. Check out our post ion backup plans.

9. Take Breaks from Wedding Planning

Don’t let wedding planning take over your life. Schedule breaks where you and your partner can spend quality time together without discussing wedding details.

10. Accept That Not Everything Will Be Perfect

Perfection is impossible, and small hiccups are inevitable. Embrace the unexpected and focus on the big picture—your love and the celebration of your new journey together.

Final Thoughts Wedding stress is natural, but it doesn’t have to take over your experience. By staying organised, taking care of yourself, and keeping things in perspective, you can enjoy the planning process and make beautiful memories along the way. 

Remember, the most important thing is celebrating love with the people who matter most.

XX

Wedding Planning - Handling things that go wrong on the day

 Your wedding day is one of the most important and memorable days of your life. You've probably spent months, maybe even years, planning every little detail to perfection. But as with any big event, things don’t always go exactly as planned.

The key to a stress-free and enjoyable wedding day is being prepared for the unexpected and knowing how to handle any hiccups that might come your way.

Check out our suggestion for tackling some common wedding day mishaps with grace and ease.

1. Weather Woes

Outdoor weddings are beautiful, but Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate. If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony or reception, have a backup plan in place. Rent a portable tent or marquee, arrange for an indoor space you can move to if the weather is bad, or provide guests with umbrellas and blankets in case of rain or chilly weather. If it's hot, have large umbrellas on stands, fans, water stations, and shaded areas available.

2. Wardrobe Malfunctions

A torn hem, a broken zipper, or a missing button can cause last-minute panic. Pack an emergency kit with a sewing kit, safety pins, double-sided tape, and stain remover wipes. Designate a bridesmaid or groomsman, or even a trusted friend or family member as the go-to fixer for any fashion emergencies.

3. Late or Missing Vendors

If a vendor is running late or doesn’t show up, stay calm and where you can, delegate. Have a trusted friend or wedding planner handle the situation for you if that’s at all possible. Pre-confirming all vendors is wise in the weeks leading up to the big day, and have a list of backup vendors just in case.

4. Technical Difficulties

From a microphone not working to a DJ’s playlist disappearing, technology can fail at the worst moments. Do a sound check before the ceremony, have a backup speaker, and store important playlists on multiple devices. A good wedding coordinator or celebrant will be able to adapt and keep everything going no matter what! The main objective of the day is to be married to the one you love, so as long as that happens, it’s all good.

5. Family or Guest Drama

As many couples are aware, weddings bring together people who may not always get along. If tensions are high, consider assigning a trusted friend or relative to play peacemaker. Plan your seating arrangements carefully, and remind everyone that the day is about love and celebration, not old grudges.

6. Running Behind Schedule

Timelines are great, but delays happen. Make sure your schedule has a little extra time built in as a buffer for hair and makeup, travel, and photography. If things start to run late, prioritize the most important things and trust your wedding planner or coordinator (if you have one) to help keep things moving smoothly.

7. Food or Cake Mishaps

If your caterer is running late or a cake gets damaged, remain calm (or at least try to!) and be flexible. Most caterers have contingency plans, and your venue may have extra supplies. If your dream cake gets smudged, embrace the imperfection—it’s a great story for later!

8. Cold Feet or Emotional Overload

It’s completely normal for both brides and grooms to feel overwhelmed or nervous in the days before the wedding and especially on the day. Take a few deep breaths, step away for a quiet moment if needed, and remind yourself why you’re getting married. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who will keep you calm and excited, and as the wedding is taking place and you are standing there, staring at the one you love, soak it in. Let that wave of love, excitement and joy for the future engulf you together.

9. Remember the Bigger Picture

At the end of the day, your wedding is about celebrating love and starting a new chapter.  As I said before, the goal of the day is to be married – and you will be!

Things may go wrong, but what matters most is that you and your partner are surrounded by love, joy, and the people who care about you. Embrace the unexpected, laugh at the little hiccups, and enjoy every moment – both good and not so good!

Final Thoughts No wedding is ever truly perfect, but that’s what makes it uniquely yours. The most important thing is to stay flexible, focus on the love you’re celebrating, and make wonderful memories—no matter what surprises come your way.

XX

Hens Night Game: Weiner in the Hole

This is a fun (and a little rude) hens night game which will have all your guests in tears from laughter.

How to Play:

Each guest has a piece of string tied around their waist with a cocktail frankfurt attached to the end (we reccommend piercing a hole into the frankfurt and threading the string through to ensure it is extra secure - a loose weiner is not good!). 

The string must be long so that the frankfurt is dangling. If it is tied too close to the body, this game becomes too easy! 

Your guests line up and below them on the ground small shot glasses are placed. One glass for each person. 

The aim of the game:

The aim is for everyone to squat or kneel over and get their frankfurt into the shot glass. 

The first person to hold it there and yell "weiner in the hole" is the winner.

There should be prizes, but we'll leave those ideas up to you!

Have fun!!

Your Wedding Day - How to make sure you soak it in

 

As a wedding celebrant I have the unique opportunity to be standing right there beside hundreds of couples as they take that huge leap into marriage and commit their lives, hopes and dreams to each other. 

It's an interesting vantage point because over the years it has really demonstrated to me how we all love and commit to another in our own unique way. Some couples are laughing and joking, others are teary and nervous, and others are so focussed on each other they barely notice anyone else is even there!

No matter what kind of couple you are, the most important thing is that your wedding day really reflects who you are. Sure, it's a serious occasion and you might have lots of guests there, but when those people who know and love you walk away from your wedding thinking, that was so them, then that is what really counts.

So, if you and your partner are the kind of couple who joke and tease each other, your ceremony should really have that feel. If you and your partner are serious and romantic, then that should shine through in your wedding ceremony and the vows you say to each other.

But, there's one very important thing I always try to reinforce when I'm working with couples, no matter how they intend to approach their wedding day - MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A BREATH AND SOAK IT IN. 

It is so easy to get caught up with all the noise, the details, the planning, who is where and whether everything is going to plan, but on that day, the most important thing is being there and being present with the person you love, in the moment, and committing your life to them. Even if small things go wrong, you'll still be married at the end of the day, which is the whole point of doing it!

Sometimes when I'm standing beside the groom (or the partner who is beside me) and the bride (or other partner) is about to walk down the aisle, I'll whisper, 'This is it. It's finally here. Look where you are.' and I'll hear them suck in a breath and hold it. The emotion, the excitement, the nervousness as their loved one is about to come and join them and take vows filled with promises of forever. It's a beautiful moment to be a part of and so very important for the couple.

Another opportunity to really soak it in is when signing the legal paperwork (if it's done that way in your country). The couple and celebrant go over to the signing table and the couple sit down. I often fuss around a little bit and give them a minute to chat and laugh and look at each other and then I'll say to them, Can you believe you're now married? and you see the way they look at each other in that moment. It's as if all the stress and worry melts away and their hopes and dreams and being set in motion.

There are also other opportunities to connect and bring yourself back to the moment throughout your wedding day. Every time it's feeling busy on the day, let that be a reminder to you to take a deep breath, look around you and commit it to your heart and memory. Squeeze your partners hand and let yourself feel the excitement of this life changing moment because in the coming years, and particularly in your older years, you will look back on this day and draw upon those feelings. it will become one of the defining moments of your life. 

Good luck!

The Wedding Gurus xx

 

Wedding Rituals and Traditions - The Silent Flower Ritual (mothers)

The silent flower ritual is one of the simplest and most basic rituals that may be included in a wedding ceremony, but it’s significance and emotional depth are long remembered.

The silent flower ritual brings significance to the roles of the mothers on this special day, that may otherwise go unspoken and to all that they have contributed in the lives of the couple present. In nurturing, loving and caring for each of them and in being there to share this special day with them.

Once the guests are assembled and the groom and celebrant are waiting for the bride, the entrance music begins and the bride enters carrying her bouquet with 2 loose long stem flowers. As she approaches her groom on her father’s (or whoever is escorting her) arm, she lets go of him and walks silently over to her soon to be mother in law and hands her one of the flowers, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She then walks over to her own mother handing her a flower also and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

No words are said during the ritual and the bride then returns to her escort’s arm and continues to her groom.

The ritual, though silent, is very meaningful and brings a tear to the eyes of guests and of course the mothers. It is a truly wonderful way of honouring the mother’s role in the lives of the couple and their importance on this day. The mothers are always very pleased, particularly when they are not aware that it is going to take place.

The Wedding Gurus xx