HANDLING STRESS DURING THE WEDDING PLANNING PHASE

Planning a wedding is one of the most wonderful of life's experiences. It is also one of the most stressful. You need to understand that you can't really have perfection, what you can expect is to have a terrific day. Don't lose sight of the main goal – that is to get married. Brides and grooms need to respect each other. And if you find 'just' that is not enough then consider the following tips to avoid stress while planning your wedding.

1. Have Reasonable Expectations: One of the greatest challenges facing brides and grooms is their feelings of wanting to satisfy everyone – family, friends and relatives. And that is why setting appropriate expectations is very important. Reasonable expectations will make a big and positive difference. Listen to each other, communicate and respect each other. Sometimes, the challenges and issues facing couples preparing for their wedding, also prepare them for marriage. It is a very wonderful and valuable time.

2. Be Organized: It really pays to be organized. Stress comes from unexpected happenings, and if you are unorganized you will attract frequent disasters. You and your to-be spouse need to get a good organizer, day planner or calendar to set up timetables and dates, and who is responsible for what. It needs to be checked daily, with extensive notes to indicate the status for various portions of the wedding plan. It will keep you from getting confused.

3. Delegate Tasks: Managing stress involves knowing what you're capable of handling. List out all the tasks you have on your plate – including your daily responsibilities and all the wedding planning to-dos. From there, decide what you can and cannot handle. Then, call on your family and friends to help take over some of your wedding-related tasks. One of the best things you can do is hire a wedding planner. You'll be surprised how much stress you manage to avoid and how much more you'll enjoy the planning process when someone else is there to work through and execute all the nitpicky details.

4. Plan on Money Issues: Money issues also frequently come up and create stressful situations. Brides are more emotional about wedding plans and all the other events leading up to the wedding. Grooms are more concerned or 'stressed out' about money. Money and financial issues are always stress inducing, and it doesn't necessarily matter how much money someone has. Which is why, it is better to stop, relax, listen, and communicate with each other rather than fight and get worked up.

5. Make Time for Each Other: One of the best ways to relieve stress is to be with your future spouse. Spend time together with the restriction that you will not discuss the wedding plans for a while. Go to a movie, have a nice quiet dinner, go swimming or walking – just spend some time alone. Put the responsibilities that have been consuming all your time on the back burner for a while. This will definitely give you the release you need.

6. Eat Right: Consuming the right foods can aid in lowering stress. Eat stress-busting foods like whole grains and any red, green, or orange vegetables. Keep the jitters at bay by limiting coffee and other caffeinated beverages. Stay away from fried foods too. In fact, try to relax with a mug full of chamomile tea – a time-tested herbal stress reliever.