10 Pieces Of Funny Advice For The Bride On Her Wedding Day

Many women may grow up believing that the happiest day of their life will be their wedding day. Sometimes, they might be told this explicitly. Other times, this belief can be internalized through fairy tales depicted in books and movies. Still, women are often stereotyped as bridezillas when planning their weddings.  Perhaps when so much expectation is placed on a single day, the pressure to make it perfect often follows.

It may be time for brides to stand up for themselves and prioritize what they want for their wedding days, not what their family and friends want for them. The wedding, after all, is just the first day of a lifelong commitment. It may be beneficial to remember that this special day is about you and your partner, not about the needs of anyone else. 

Still, you may not want to hurt anyone’s feelings, and that’s understandable. It might feel easier to give in than to stand your ground. If you want a wedding that truly is the happiest day of your life, though, you may need to set some boundaries with those around you. Here are ten funny pieces of advice that could actually help you summon the confidence you need to do just that.

Put your game face on!

You may think the only face you need on your wedding day is the one that your makeup artist paints on you, but you may also need to put your game face on. That may mean letting things roll off your back that might normally get under your skin. This approach may help to alleviate some of the pressure of needing things to be perfect. The desire for things to be perfect on your wedding day can be problematic and cause undue stress. It could be helpful to remember that it’s rare for things to go perfectly with any event. 

Still, most brides do their best to make it as close to this ideal as possible. One thing you can do to save yourself some time and headaches on your wedding day is to have a game plan in addition to your game face. Pinpoint the ceremony's timing, including the different parts of the ceremony and reception, and write it down for your partner and your wedding party to see. Get everyone on the same page when it comes to your expectations for the day. Having a plan before the big day may make it easier to follow the schedule once the day arrives. You may also want to avoid any last-minute changes that could lead to stress.

“Let it go.” 

Now that you have a game plan, you may be able to breathe a little. Take a moment to think about why you need things to go perfectly on your wedding day. Reflect on what the goals are for the day and what you will achieve if things do go perfectly. On the other hand, think about what you will lose if things don’t go exactly as planned. Chances are, you’ll realize the stress isn’t about wedding perfection at all. You may be having cold feet, for example, or you might feel like you're losing control in some other area of your life. 

Once you’ve had time to reflect, grab your favorite imaginary microphone, channel your inner Disney princess, and belt out the anthem from Frozen. Or at least sing it in your head as many times as you need to in order to let go of any negative emotions you might have around your wedding day. Reconciling with our true feelings and doubts may help us let go of unrealistic expectations or the need to control things. You might find it’s much easier to let things roll off your back when perfection isn't tied to an emotional anchor.

Imagine your spouse is a tree

You may have heard the saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees”. On your wedding day, consider putting a spin on this advice and hyperfocus on your tree—that is, your spouse. Everything else about the day can fade into the forest, so to speak. 

Your wedding day will likely be the first of many special days in your marriage. It can be easy to get caught up in the spectacle of the day: the dress, the cake, the decorations, the guest list, and so on. Still, once the ceremony ends and the music has died out, you are left with that one person you have promised forever to. This vow exchange is worth celebrating, but you may want to avoid getting too caught up in the details. It could be a good idea to focus on being present with your new spouse instead.  

Look in the magic mirror

If you’re like most brides, you’ll be looking in the mirror frequently on the big day, especially before you walk down the aisle. You might be checking your hair or your lipstick, for instance. It’s understandable to want to look your best. Still, it may be a good idea to check in on your emotions as well. Perhaps a good way to remember this is to imagine you have a magic mirror that reflects your inner emotions rather than your outward appearance. 

When you look in this magic mirror, consider giving yourself permission to ask the hard questions: How do you feel about the wedding? The marriage? Is there anything you need to talk through with your partner, a friend, or a therapist? It's okay to unpack some of the emotions you’ve been experiencing since you got engaged. 

Delegate, delegate, delegate

Being a bridezilla might be unacceptable on your wedding day, but acting like a princess is perfectly fine. This is your day, and it’s okay to relinquish the reins and delegate the planning to someone else. You deserve to stay completely in the moment at your wedding. Consider finding someone you trust to make everything goes smoothly behind the scenes.  Knowing that someone else is pulling all the strings can help you relax and have fun on your wedding day. 

Chow down

This may seem like an odd tip, but you may be surprised at how little time you have to eat on your wedding day. You may want to have your caterer set aside food for you to eat at the end of the night. Consider asking for a sweetheart table for you and your new spouse, and carve out time to sit and eat together. You could also bring snacks to the hairdresser and have a hearty breakfast in the morning. The day may be tiring, and you will need energy to get through it, so you may want to make feeding yourself a priority.

Don’t be a people pleaser

This may seem like strange advice for a wedding, but you might want to avoid being a people pleaser when it comes to planning your ceremony. As soon as you announce your engagement, you may be flooded with unsolicited advice from everyone around you. You may be told who you should invite, what colors you should choose, which parts of the ceremony to keep, where to have the reception, and so on. To say that it can be overwhelming might be an understatement.

People might mean well, but it's nearly impossible to make everyone happy by including all the suggestions. Consider sticking to your instincts instead. You might want to ask yourself what you want and forget the rest.

Use your mental pause button

Your wedding day may go by quickly, and you could find that when you try to remember, it might all be a blur. Consider activating your brain’s pause button. That is, make a point to take a time-out from all the activity to savor the moment. When you hit this figurative pause button, you may increase the chances that your memory of the event will stay crisp and clear. Remember what your partner looked like. Remember how the decorations looked. Remember how you felt on this momentous occasion. 

Be selfish with your spouse

Many couples are so preoccupied with other people at the wedding that they may not see much of each other aside from walking down the aisle. If you want to avoid sharing your spouse on your big day, consider being selfish with them instead. Your guests came to witness the beginning of your great romance, so it’s okay to save the socializing for a less momentous occasion. 

Party on!

Perhaps the most cliché, yet helpful advice you could ask for in regard to your wedding is to have fun. Your wedding is a wonderful day that warrants a celebration full of glee and excitement. It may not go perfectly, but when you look back on your wedding day, you might not remember those things. What you may remember instead is the elation you felt when you finally said “I do”. Consider being intentional about enjoying that feeling and celebrating it fully.

Feeling overwhelmed by wedding planning? A therapist can offer support

Weddings can take a lot of work to plan and might even lead to stress and disagreements. Some degree of stress while planning a wedding might be normal, but it could be a good idea to keep an eye on your overall wellbeing, including your mental health, during this time. If you feel overwhelmed by the stress of planning your wedding, consider reaching out for support from a mental health professional.

If you’re in the midst of planning your big day, you may not have time to meet with a therapist in person. Online counseling may be more suitable given your circumstances. With this form of internet-based counseling, you can attend therapy sessions from the comfort of your home or anywhere you have an internet connection. You may also find this setting to be more conducive to the kinds of sensitive discussions you might need to have prior to making a lifelong commitment. 

Online counseling has also been proven to be just as effective as in-person therapy. A comprehensive meta-analysis of studies reviewed nearly 10,000 different cases, comparing the results of in-person and online therapy. Researchers were unable to identify any significant differences. 

Takeaway

Wedding planning takes time, but you can fit counseling into your busy schedule with Regain. Our online counselors are available to chat with you about your upcoming wedding whenever it’s most convenient for you. This can alleviate any worries or stress you may have prior to the ceremony. Get started today.