Five Tips to Lessen Stress While Planning a Wedding

While caught up in the whirlwind of planning a wedding, it is easy to forget to take time for yourself. Suddenly, in addition to responsibilities at work and at home, you find yourself faced with coordinating dates, contacting vendors, setting appointments and making decisions at every turn--it’s exhausting!

A truly radiant bride starts inside: do whatever it is that makes you feel restored. Stress is nearly impossible to avoid, but incorporating the tips below can help alleviate some of the extra tension you may be feeling during this exciting (and crazy busy) time.

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Drink enough water. Every system in your body depends on water and even mild dehydration can leave you feeling tired and drained. Getting at least eight 8-oz glasses per day is a good rule of thumb. I read somewhere (maybe on webmd, but more likely buzzfeed) that drinking a very cold glass of water when you're feeling a bit tired can actually help perk you up! 

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Sleep well. Seven to eight hours are generally recommended and not making your Zzzz’s a priority (always over Yyyy's in my book) can have negative effects your health, memory, and overall mood. Create a bedtime ritual and make sure your bedroom is quiet and comfortable to ensure the best rest. 

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Get up and move. Even regular, moderate-intensity exercise can help boost energy, improve your mood, reduce your risk of serious health conditions, and increase your chances of living longer. Make it fun, find a partner in crime, or try a pursuit new to you to incorporate more motion into your day. Trust me, I'm not saying you should be a crossfit trainer by your wedding day, but a nice walk in the evening after dinner is really quite a nice way to get on the move. Plus, if you want to take your future hubby along, it's a nice way to unwind without technology and just be with each other. Ooo, segway... 

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Unplug and unwind. With the vast amount of wedding inspiration available to brides via the internet, feeling overwhelmed is all too common. Instead of investing hours scrolling through Pinterest night after night, filling up board after board, pick a new recipe to make with your main squeeze and log off. The time you spend experimenting and working together to make a meal can help connect and center the two of you--it might just become a new family tradition!

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Live Luxe. We think you’re wonderful every day, but while you’re planning a wedding, you ought to feel extra fabulous. Treat yourself to a massage, indulge in a new piece of statement jewelry, or splurge on the nicer bottle of wine just because; spoiling yourself a little falls under the umbrella of self-care in our book and goshdarnit, you deserve it! 

Whether your wedding is fast-approaching or still far away, your engagement can be a happy, crazy, busy, exciting, hectic, frenzied time. Taking care of yourself should be a priority everyday, but it is especially important leading up to your wedding. To (mis)quote Audrey Hepburn, "Happy brides are the prettiest brides". Remember to slow down and celebrate this exhilarating time because The Big Day will be here before you know it!

by Annastasia Gabbert

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