Bridezilla

Planning a wedding can be stressful, there’s no doubt about it. It’s expensive and time-consuming and no one seems to care about it quite as much as you do. With all of the added stress, it’s easy to become a little irrational and difficult to deal with, despite your best intentions. Here are a few ways to avoid becoming a total bridezilla in the months leading up to your nuptials…

Keep Your Priorities Straight: Yes, there are invitations to be mailed, flowers to be arranged, dresses to be ordered, food to be selected, but what’s the point of all of that? This wedding, above everything else, is about uniting your life with another, making a public declaration of your love, and committing to become husband and wife. As important as the favors or centerpieces or seating chart might seem right now, at the end of the day, your wedding is about you and your fiancé. When you feel the pressure of wedding planning creeping up on you, take a moment to remember why you’re putting together a wedding in the first place.

Keep Yourself Organized: Regardless of how big or small your wedding day is going to be, there are still tasks to be done. One of the biggest causes of bridezilladom is overwhelming stress. Avoid the added anxiety by staying on top of things. Buy a wedding planner, make checklists, and plan your time efficiently.

Continue Living Your Life: Although it may feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day or days in the month to get everything done before saying “I do,” it simply can’t be all wedding, all the time. You (and most definitely your fiancé) need a break from the wedding stress from time to time. Set aside non-wedding hours each week where you can spend an evening with your partner having fun and talking about anything but the upcoming nuptials. Or set up a girls’ night with some friends or an afternoon of solitary pampering.

Ask for Help: You don’t need to carry the full weight the wedding on your shoulders. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your friends, family, and most certainly, your fiancé (Operation Groom Involvement). Even if you’re a total control freak, there are always tasks that can be done by others, you just need to reach out to the people in your life. However, when you ask…

Be Respectful of Others: Be considerate of time and expense when asking friends and family for help. Your maid of honor and bridesmaids should be there for you in your time of need, but it’s unreasonable to expect them to be at your beck and call 24 hours a day. Be honest with them about your needs and schedule a time that’s convenient for them. Be thoughtful about their budgetary concerns and limitations when picking out dresses, shoes, and activities they’re expected to participate in. Wedding Timelines.

Show Your Appreciation: Don’t forget to say ‘thanks’ to everyone who’s lent a helping hand throughout the planning process. Nothing says bridezilla more than an ungrateful or entitled bride. Be sure to express your sincerest gratitude to everyone—friends, relatives, vendors—who give of their time and finances to help make your wedding day a beautiful reality. Thank you card etiquette.