Slow Down!!

Planning a wedding can take a lot out of you. Add work, family, holidays, pets, family,  household chores, errands, financial stress, (did I mention family) and you have what could turn into a complete meltdown. I mentioned family more than once because family causes not only a great deal of happiness, and a lot of stress. It is easy to get caught up in constantly going from one project to another at such a fast pace that you sometimes forget what you are doing.

As a couple, you need to remember what is important that made you want to be married. Not the wedding, not the flowers, not the dress but, each other! Take one day in the middle of all of the fuss and stress and drama to just SLOW DOWN and enjoy life.

To fully enjoy a ‘slow down’ day here are some tips:

-Unplug your cell phone, put away your laptops, take a time out from technology. No facebook, no skype.

-Visit a local tourist attraction that you have always wanted to see but never had time.

– Do something outside your comfort zone. Ziplining, paintball, bowling, go for PBX electric skateboards, whatever it is that you don’t usually do, do it. Segway through the city?

– Turn the day into a movie marathon. Rent a bunch of movies you have been longing to see but, never have time. Popcorn, snacks, cuddle up on the sofa and enjoy!

– A day of relaxation and pampering for both of you. Get a massage facial, manicure and pedicure.

-Spend the day in the garden, if you have one. If you don’t – find an Arboretum near you and plan your future garden or just enjoy the beauty of nature.

There are dozens of things you can do to slow down. The important thing is to make a commitment to taking this day to yourself and don’t let anything interrupt you. The wedding planning and decision making can wait one day.

-Penny Frulla

 

 

Bridal Stress Got You Down?

If you are lying awake at night counting centerpieces instead of sheep, if every minute of every day is spent talking about, thinking about or obsessing about wedding plans….. it might be time to unwind a little.

The thing about stress is that it affects you not only mentally but physically. Some people gain weight while others lose, some people have insomnia while others oversleep. No matter how you look at it, being stressed out in the weeks and months before your wedding is bad for your health.

How to De-stress your life :

Stay Organized – Make sure you have a great wedding organizer or even a simple binder and a checklist.

Budget – Stay within your budget and do not overspend. Debt is a huge stress for anyone.

Help – Hire a Bridal Consultant or Wedding Planner if you can afford it. If you can’t, ask friends or family to handle the small things for you and do not second guess every detail.

De-Activate – Don’t plan so many social events that you have no time to yourself, decline a few invitations and use that time to read or catch a good movie.

Unwind – Find time to do something out of the ordinary….nothing wedding related. Having coffee with the bridesmaids is a guarantee that you will talk about nothing but the wedding. Physical activities are guaranteed stress busters; Zumba class,  Laser tag, Aerobics, biking or anything that will increase your heart rate and get your mind off of things.

 Hire – Use only trusted professionals so you don’t have to worry about whether or not the caterer will show up or if the flowers will wilt before the end of the night. Check our each wedding vendor completely so there are no surprises and your work is done.

The worst thing you can do is to try to avoid the problem or mask it with alcohol or  prescriptions. A glass of wine is nice with (or without) dinner. But no amount of wine, or beer or vodka will not get rid of your problems, it just makes them worse. Facing the problems and dealing with them is the only way to make it go away.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago