The time between the engagement and the wedding is not a smooth ride. You will experience a rollercoaster of emotions that all brides-to-be go through and, take it from us, are completely normal! Planning for your wedding is a bit like meeting your man. You start off feeling on top of the world, nothing can stand in your way.
However, gradually reality kicks in, and just like noticing the teeny flaws and imperfections on your man, the wedding planning reaches bumps in the road. Whether you have a wedding planner or not, you will feel these stages of emotions. But fear no more, we have just the right advice to deal with each mood.
Stage 1: Engagement Euphoria
The first stage is the BEST! You are on cloud nine, hand-in-hand with your new fiance and a sparkling diamond ring on your finger! You have received more likes on your Facebook status than ever before and you are loving it! This is the stage to make the most of. Milk the attention, boast about how happy you are, and tell everyone about how he proposed. This is the stage to embrace. Don’t worry about any wedding planning at this stage. Perhaps an engagement party will do, after all, why not accept double gifts!?
Stage 2: Planning Priorities
So the attention has died off a little and you are ready to get out your new wedding planning book that your bridesmaid got for you and start filling in the beautifully decorated pink pages! However, your emotional high starts to turn into emotional manic. All you can think about is the wedding, wedding, and wedding!
Whether you are on top of it or not, the planning can be overwhelming. We advise starting with thinking about your budget. Be honest with yourself, we can’t all have a wedding on a private island! Then you can decide on the venue, caterer, dress, photographer, and entertainment.
Stage 3: Fed Up
If you are planning a wedding and have not yet reached stage three, we are sorry to predict the worst. If you are at stage three now, we know just the remedy! Planning for months on end has now become more of a chore. The in-laws are butting in, the suppliers are ringing you, and you have an assortment of flower arrangements taking up your dining room table.
Planning has reached its peak! If you have not opted for a wedding planner by now, keep up the hard work! Hold it together, and start to think about the honeymoon, hair and make-up trials, and take to Pinterest to research the finer details.
Stage 4: The Final Countdown
You have reached the final countdown and there is no turning back. Rather than thinking about the wonderfulness of being married to the man of your dreams, you are worrying about how much there is still left to do – even though there isn’t! Relax! Make the most of the attention again. Embrace the “OMG, my best friend is getting married a from week today” texts and get your beauty sleep because you are getting married!