As National Stress Awareness Month and the start of a busy wedding season, April offers us a chance to step away from the planning binder and find a few minutes to just breathe. Landfall Lodge has seen many a celebration grace its pastures, and we have some suggestions to help you manage the stress of coordinating, creating, and arranging your big day.
Quit Stressing? Piece of Cake.
“Planning my wedding was easy, I didn’t feel stressed at all!” said no DIY newlywed, ever. Dealing with the stress of managing a once-in-a-lifetime celebration might be one of the toughest strategies to nail down, because every bride, groom, family, venue, and celebration is different. Some couples have friends they can trust to follow their décor plan and help with arrangements, and some have to meet the expectations of family members who are contributing financially. There’s nuance to every celebration.
Whether you’re just getting started on wedding planning or getting married this season, we want to share our approach to stress management for the soon-to-be-marrieds out there. At the end of the day, whatever you choose to relieve pressure can’t be right or wrong if it keeps you focused on the part of the experience that matters: each other.
How Do You De-Stress While Planning a Wedding?
Acknowledging your wedding stressors is an exercise of introspection. Know thyself. Take what serves you from this list and leave what doesn’t.
1. Be the CEO of Your Wedding
Think like a boss for a minute: if one of your employees were overwhelmed by their workload, you would find something to take off their plate. Are you overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks involved with wedding planning? Delegate, delegate, delegate. Don’t handle everything alone. Ask friends/family for assistance when you can, and take people at their word when they offer help. Even something as simple as “help me find vegan caterers in the area” or “please bring Tide pens to the ceremony” can save you hours of research or, at the very least, an errand. If you don’t have people around you who can help, or if planning becomes too much to handle alone, hire a professional.
Speaking of professionals, don’t forget to utilize the ones you’re already paying! Find out what your venue has to offer for your day, whether they provide in-house services or have a list of partner vendors that they work with regularly. They might have recommendations for scheduling or setting up that will help bring your vision to life.
2. Set Boundaries
With weddings, it’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to please a lot of people, but remember – this is YOUR day! It is acceptable to say “no” to unwanted advice and limit your availability during this time. Limit planning hours to avoid burnout, and set boundaries for yourself to maintain fitness routines, sleep schedules, self-care, and the things that bring you joy.
3. Organize
Designate roles in advance, and let your wedding party know the schedule/your expectations before the day arrives. If you have people helping with setup or cleanup, write down what needs to go where to avoid ambiguity, and put someone in charge of making sure it gets done. Yes – we know – you don’t want to risk someone else doing it when you have spent so much time crafting the aesthetic. We only schedule one wedding at a time here at Landfall Lodge, so you have access to the property for the entire weekend. This way, if you want to be involved in the setup, you can do it the day before, rather than feeling the time crunch of just a few hours before “I do.”
Whether you book an entire weekend for your wedding or let someone else take the reins for the sake of stress management, we hope you feel empowered to delegate like a pro, and make some time for yourself!
4. Prioritize Self-Care
Do yoga, go for a walk, or run. Mediate. Take an aromatherapy bath to stay grounded. Make sure you keep doing the things that were already a part of your weekly routine, before the wedding planning started. If you enjoy doing crafts, this can double up as a wedding party activity or décor making! We love the idea of craft parties with the wedding party to make centerpieces and wedding favors, or to do any of the tedious little projects that a few extra hands can do with some direction.
Other activities that can help with stress management:
- Any exercise
- Play games or do puzzles
- Journal
- Read books you enjoy
- Cook or bake (only if this is not a stressful thing for you!)
- Watch a movie or show you like
- Volunteer – sometimes, giving your time to others is a great way to feel the weight of our own lives lift off our shoulders.
5. Make Time For Your Partner
The pre-wedding days are a special time that deserves its moment. You’re planning the party of your life, but this is also the only time you get to be engaged. Make sure to schedule regular, non-wedding-related time with your partner, where you don’t talk about venues or photographers, don’t respond to emails, and just be two people in love.
You could book a night out or get massages together to rejuvenate yourselves before the big event. Make date nights or spa days part of your wedding budget, if it helps you stick with it. Taking breaks together is a great way to separate the stress of coordination from the marriage you’re going to have – and that’s what it’s all about!
Plan With Confidence. And Hydrate.
Our last nugget of insight is this: sometimes the best solution to a problem is the simplest one. Whenever you start to feel overwhelmed or stuck on a decision, take a minute to regroup with a glass of water and see where that leads. As a family-run venue, it’s our goal to make every celebration a deeply personal experience, and we’ll do whatever we can to help your dream come to life. We provide on-site photo opportunities, vendor freedom, indoor/outdoor space flexibility, and an entire weekend to let your wedding day unfold with slow precision and grace. Weddings at Landfall Lodge are never booked back-to-back and never rushed. Contact us to learn more about how we help you create a meaningful, slow-wedding experience!