Elle’s Bridal Diary: You Don’t Have To Do It all Yourself

I would like to start this week’s post with a confession: I don’t like help. There, I said it. Now, hands up those of you who enjoy being helped. Mmmm, didn’t think so. Many of us do not enjoy admitting that we are not Superwoman, asking others for help or allowing others to lend a hand when we really need it. Moving through the planning to the doing phases of your wedding you will find the tasks piling up and time running out.

If you’re anything like me and most other Brides to be I know you’ll find a number of issues suppressing your cry for help:

Pride

We don’t like to admit that we cannot get to every project, every store, every task while juggling our already busy lives and relationships while trying to also maintain that Bride-to-Be glow. We feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness when in truth no one really expects you to do everything all the time. Throughout our preparations so far I’ve had to let go of my pride and welcome the help of those who cared to offer.

Guilt

We often feel as if we are burdening others by asking them to take over a small project or run an errand on our behalf while we’re tending to a different matter. What I have learnt is that there are so many people – especially close friends and family members who are more than happy and would be excited to do something for you and feel part of your special day. This is a way to not only include your loved ones but as they say, “many hands make light work”.

Control / Mystery

Sometimes we simply want to do things ourselves to maintain the element of surprise and have complete control over some of the details. For this you will need careful and creative planning. Break up your project into smaller parts so that the bigger picture remains a secret – this could also build excitement with those involved and gives them yet another reason to look forward to the big day. As for the details, there may some hidden gems out there so listen with an open mind, but remember to stay true to you and your fiancé’s style and story.

So, now we’ve included some friends and family and everyone gets to lend a hand. It is important to maintain a balance. With more people involved it requires you to pay careful attention to who is doing what and not lose track of roles that have been assigned and projects that have been left unattended. That said, everyone is helping so that they can be part of this magical occasion – do not damage friendships over unfriendly knots and bows and skew cut ribbons. This is part of the journey and an opportunity to build relationships and extend the celebrations.

Most importantly, you may not be able to DO it all…but you certainly can ENJOY it all!

Read more from Elle as she plans her wedding in our Bride to Be section.