Survive Wedding Planning Without Losing Your Self-Respect

There are books written on the subject of surviving wedding planning. Amazon advertises ‘The “Survive Wedding Planning” Kit’ – a page devoted exclusively to books on planning weddings, and surviving them. How is it that a day that should be absolutely wonderful, evokes such terror in so many?

Here’s how to survive and maintain your dignity:

Your happiness is not dependent on the wedding – don’t get lost in the detail. Things can get out of hand and little things like bows on the back of chairs can take on immense proportions. Remain objective and remember, you are NOT your wedding (if you even begin to think along these lines, it’s time for a weekend away)
Place a moratorium on magazines – paging through glossies is a sure-fire way to undermine your self-esteem; you can’t compete with under-age models and Photoshop
Screen out any unsolicited advice – whilst everyone is well-meaning, there will be those who bombard you with advice and stories you didn’t ask for; remember that their stories and negative vibes are about them and nothing to do with you or your wedding; listen, make noises and then walk away, or if you can, walk away immediately
Keep your friends around you – surround yourself with positive people and friends, particularly when you feel inadequate and down in the dumps (and there will be moments); try not to have interaction with those who leave you feeling exhausted
Take up meditation – the benefits far outweigh the need for discipline (doing it daily can feel like an added strain initially) and there is no better time to allow the brain to shift its activity from the stress-prone right frontal cortex to the calmer left frontal cortex – they’ve done studies on meditators and found this to be the case – helping with stress, anxiety and mild depression; it does wonders for detachment
Remember this is about the two of you – and nothing else really matters, even if things go pear-shaped