7 Tips for Avoiding 7-7-07 Wedding Stress

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Brides and grooms are booking wedding venues and vendors like crazy to grab what is seen as the "Lucky 7" wedding date. Vegas is booking up fast as couples plan early (for Las Vegas) for 7-7-07 nuptials.

Bethan and Michael - small.jpg

For those of you who are rushing to the altar to get hitched on that wedding day, here are some wedding stressors to watch out for and some Wedding Goddess Solutions to help you through.

1. Remember, Bridezillas are made, not born. I've said it before and I will say it again...It is easy to get sucked into the vortex of wedding planning stress, and overwhelmed by the stress, pressure and expectations of those around you. You have to include stress management, self-nurturing and time to chill out as an integral part of her wedding planning process.

2. Know what YOU want before everyone you know starts telling you what you're wedding should be. Discuss the kind of wedding you want. When you start sharing the news, without having a clue about the experience you want to create, you are more vulnerable to pressure and influence from others.

3. Stay on the same page with the man you will marry. Make an agreement that you will make all decisions together, and back each other up. The moment there is a weakness in your partnership, you will both be swayed more easily by other people's opinions.

4. Everyone has something to say about your wedding. Its a given. Just accept it. Whether they are paying for it or not ... no matter whom you are or what age. You'll be showered with congratulations and gifts… and bombarded with unsolicited advice.

5. Your friends and family have an agenda for your wedding. People tend to see your wedding as a chance to fulfill their own needs. They tend to act out what its all about for them – not you! You have to set clear boundaries, and also protect yourself emotionally from the sometimes-negative vibes from well-meaning friends and relatives.

6. You can include loved ones without letting them run the show. There are so many creative ways to honor them in the ceremony and at the reception. Get over your desire to make everyone happy and focus instead on honoring family ties in a way that is meaningful to your marriage.

7. Your happiness in life (and marriage) DOES NOT hinge on your wedding -- or wedding date -- alone. Our culture places a tremendous emphasis on having a great wedding and not enough focus on having an awesome marriage. It's okay to be temporarily obsessed and to yearn for the perfect wedding -- we all go there at some point -- but you have to keep your eye on what's truly important. Too many brides treat the wedding itself as something to be worshipped and served. Don’t give the wedding day so much power! Step back and realize, the most important part of the day is not the day itself ... but that you walked down that aisle and into the arms of the One you love … the One you look forward to building your life with.

Photo of Bethan and Michael by Jason Groupp
www.jasongphoto.com

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway is a leading interfaith and non-denominational wedding officiant. She creates unique ceremonies for couples of all backgrounds and faiths, and is also widely recognized as a relationship coach, bridal stress expert and columnist. She is author of WEDDING GODDESS: A Divine Guide To Transforming Wedding Stress into Wedding Bliss (Perigee Books, May 2005) and the new online course, Discover the Goddess. Visit Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway at www.WeddingGoddessWisdom.com.

Posted February 27, 2007 5:26 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Email This