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Wedding Planning Stress Relief

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Wedding Planning Stress Relief

Let’s face it, whether it’s a normal wedding planning year or 2020, wedding planning is stressful. To avoid taking out your angst on your friends and family it’s important to take breaks. Don’t allow wedding planning to take over your life! Here are five tips for wedding planning stress relief.

1.) Free Exercise Classes Online

Did you know the endorphins you create by moving off your couch make you happier? Why sit in anxiety if you don’t have to? When you’re feeling overwhelmed, YouTube has thousands of free exercise videos, from yoga to HIIT. No need to spend money for expensive subscriptions. Take advantage of free resources. Better yet, make a routine of for how long you wedding plan before you take a break and work it out. Your brain and body will thank you when you feel like an emotionally and physically healthier bride/groom.

2.) Therapy

Weddings can bring up years of family or friend tension and chaos. Those stressful situations are bound to have a negative effect on your emotional health. It is now easier than ever to see a therapist. You can use online resources like Talk Space or Better Help or simply use the therapist finder resource on Psychology Today. You can even narrow down therapist by specialty, location, & sex. There is no shame in seeing a therapist. We all need stress relief from a safe space to speak openly and problem solve. You’ll leave feeling better and continue to grow as a person throughout the process. It’s really a stress relief win-win!

3.) Soak in that Vitamin D, go outside!

Did you know 42% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D? Being deficient in Vitamin D can cause all sorts of negative side effects such as depression, illness, exhaustion, & muscle pain. No one wants that! A great way to soak in some Vitamin D, which is a real mood booster is to go outside! Whether it’s cold or warm, going for a walk outside can do everything from boosting your mood to your immune system. Everyone benefits from some fresh air and sunshine!

4.) Watch a funny movie or TV series with your fiancé!

They say laughter is the best medicine and we agree! If there is a movie or TV series that makes you guys laugh; that’s a great place to start. Stay away from drama or sci-fi if you are stressed. Your body’s adrenaline will pump, which is the opposite of stress relief. Better yet, make a night of it! Pop some popcorn, have some wine, or make your favorite dinner. The more special you make it, the more fun it will be.

5.) Organize Your Living Space

They say if your living space is organized you feel less stressed; we agree! Have you lost a wedding contract under a pile of books, magazines and papers? It’s time to organize! You could get a wedding planning file folder to keep important documents together. Organize one space in your home to do wedding planning to avoid losing anything. Then your whole house doesn’t get buried under wedding planning papers and chaos. This option will not just benefit your wedding planning, but also your every day life.



What did you do to control your wedding planning stress? Did anyone give you good wedding planning stress relief advice? Share in the comments below! For more wedding planning inspiration check out more Chicago Wedding Blog posts below! Happy Planning!

Bachelorette Party Sailing

Bachelorette Party For The Bride Who Doesn’t Want To Party

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Bachelorette Party For The Bride Who Doesn’t Want To Party

Are you a bride for whom big crowds and attention is an anxiety inducing thing and not something to celebrate? We’ve got some great bachelorette ideas for the bride who wants to slow it down, chill, and not party like it’s their last day on earth. You don’t have to do the strippers, get blackout drunk, or spend thousands of dollars – your bridesmaids will thank you since they’re the ones usually footing the bill!

Why not try a spa day bachelorette party with your girls?

Plenty of spas offer reserved space for parties of 4 or more. You can even do couple’s massage but with all your gal pals. You can go the extra mile and rent out a hotel room near the spa too and keep the chill vibe going even after the facials, massages, pedicures or skin peels. Grab a few bottles of wine or sparkling beverages and enjoy your ladies’ company in the privacy of a hotel room.

The old school sleepover, but bachelorette party version.

Remember those days when you had a few girls over and gossiped the night away? Why not re-create that for your bachelorette party? It’s a low budget idea that can include a bunch of girls. It doesn’t have to be your house, maybe your maid of honor can host or you can rent out a hotel room. Big pillows, painting nails, plenty of adult refreshments and food will make the sleepover not your average high schoolers!

The next idea is certainly pricey, but also very private; rent a sailboat!

What’s better than having a chartered yacht take you and your friends/family out for a scenic tour of the water? You can drink responsibly since you won’t be driving, and some chartered boats may provide food and beverages depending on how long you want to rent it.

Have you tried Glamping?

Check out Glamping Hub for the most up to date places you can take your bridesmaids to go hang out in nature. There are a lot of styles of glamping; take your pick of teepees, tents, cabins, etc. It’s all the fun of camping but with electricity and toilets. If you’re a nature loving bride this is the perfect place to celebrate your upcoming marriage.



See! If you’re a bride who doesn’t feel comfortable partying, there are plenty of fun options. Whether you enjoy the outdoors or indoors, vacation or home, you will have an amazing crazy-free bachelorette party. For more wedding planning advice and ideas check out more Chicago Wedding Blog posts below.

Engaged Do's and Dont's Couple

Wedding Planning Do’s and Don’ts

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Wedding Planning Do’s And Don’ts

Congratulations on your recent engagement! In the age of the internet you have endless options for wedding planning advice. That being said, before you search all over for different topics; we’ll make it simple for you. While wedding planning can be undoubtedly stressful, we can help with some wedding planning do’s and don’ts to avoid common unnecessary bumps in the road.

Do’s

1.) Get your engagement ring insured.

Could you imagine losing the most treasured, expensive piece of jewelry you’ve ever owned? You would be heartbroken, your fiance may puke. Let’s avoid that by ensuring your engagement ring is covered by an insurance policy just in case something happens to it. Better safe than sorry with such a meaningful piece of jewelry.

2.) Take time to enjoy your engagement before rushing into wedding planning.

It is so stereotypical to say this, but it’s true. “Slow down and soak this time in. It goes by so fast!” Soak in your engaged bliss by sharing the story with your loved ones. Or you could have a Zoom or in person celebration. Go on celebratory, “We’re engaged!” dates. As long as you give yourself a year to plan your wedding you are just fine. Remember you choose the date anyway, so enjoy it!

3.) Day dream and gather ideas and inspiration early.

Without putting pressure on yourself (because, remember, we are not rushing) look up different wedding colors, venues, and attire. Gather pretty ideas of inspiration so when you get planning you already have a starting point. Colors and photos of inspiration from bridal magazines or online blogs are great places to start. The options are endless, so best to narrow it down early.

Don’ts

1,) Ask for too many opinions.

This one always ends up becoming an issue for everyone. It’s great to talk about your plans with your loved ones, but remember the more opinions you open the door for, the more you will receive. Well-meaning relatives and friends often share their excitement for you by giving you wedding opinions and advice. Even then, you do not have to take that advice. Remember, it is your wedding. Trust you gut! At at the end of the day, those who matter will be so happy for you and the details will be forgotten.

2.) Plan a wedding you can’t afford.

We all love looking at dreamy online wedding photos. However, what you cannot tell by looking at the photos is the cost of that extravagant wedding. Some wedding dress photos on Pinterest, for example, will say they cost $900, when they actually costs over $3,000. Remember, don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Photos are great for inspiration, not always your budget. Even so, there are ways to achieve the same aesthetic in a budget friendly way. Websites like Oriental Trading and Amazon are great for inexpensive wedding decorations.

3.) Forget to keep your wedding day in perspective.

Your wedding day is sure to be one of the most memorable, exciting days of your lives! Nevertheless, don’t forget a wedding is a day, a marriage is a lifetime. Continue dating each other just as you did before you were engaged. The wedding planning process can bring ups and downs. Hold close to each other, supportive friends, and family to help you keep small inconveniences and stresses in perspective. At the end of the day, you get to marry the love of your life. And, truly, The Beatles had it right when they said, “All You Need Is Love.”

We hope these quick and easy wedding planning do’s and don’ts help you avoid wedding planning mishaps. There are so many positive experiences you have while planning your wedding. Apply these great tips and it’ll be easier to focus on the good and lessen your wedding planning stress. Happy Planning!

Wedding After Party Food Truck

Wedding After Party

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Wedding After Party

You’ve done it – you’re married and nothing besides Aunt May’s lost hat was catastrophic! Now you and your partner would like to continue the wedding festivities. That’s called the Wedding After Party and we’ve got some tips on how to throw the best kind!

You’ll want to scout ahead of time where you want your wedding after party.

If your venue has a hard closing time this is even more important so that you can keep the momentum going! Or perhaps you have a good family member or friend who offers their place. That’s even better since you could decorate and stock their fridge way ahead of time and you’ll know it’s open. However, you can also think about reserving a theater, bar or conference room at a hotel. You can also take into account locations: are you near a beach or live music venue? Have a bonfire or jam to a live band!

For the after party decorations no one is expecting over the top grand, but you can think of a few signature decorations.

We love the idea of using your honeymoon as the theme of the after party! Are you going someplace tropical? Then why not go to a tiki bar and hand out leis. This does require some set up beforehand so if that’s not an option explore venues that are themed.

Now comes the most important part of a wedding after party, the food!

You’ll want to be sure guests get a great bite to eat before more dancing or running around town. A food truck is a brilliant idea that can pull right up to wherever you want. Think tacos, sundaes and pizza trucks. If your after party is going to go until sun-up we suggest a breakfast. You can end up at a food truck or nice breakfast place.

When even the after party is winding down we love being thoughtful to the family and friends who have stuck with you this long.

Why not assemble a little hangover kit or next day rest spa basket? Just a few things like Alka-Seltzer, aspirin, sunglasses, bottle of water and a pack of gum for the hangover kit or scented soap, lotion, hand sanitizer and candle for the spa basket. You can have these final gifts as guests arrive at the beginning of your reception or hand them out at the after party. We love the idea of celebrating your wedding all night with those closest to you!

For more helpful wedding planning tips and inspiration, check out more Chicago Wedding Blog posts below! Happy Planning!

stylish halloween wedding

A Tasteful Halloween Wedding

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A Tasteful Halloween Wedding

Perhaps you’re planning a fall wedding and want to not only embrace the season, but also Halloween theme! You may be afraid such a spooky, dark theme is too over the top. Because of this, we have great ideas to keep the haunted spirit without exactly saying it’s entirely a Halloween themed wedding.

For starters:

Not all Halloween themed weddings have to be tacky with fake blood and zombies. We love the idea of a masquerade ala the Italian Renaissance or any Victorian era! You can have the ambience of decadent, sophisticated and elegant, with a touch of spookiness.

Halloween Wedding Venue:

The venue can certainly pull of a Halloween themed wedding, more than simply decorating with pumpkin and colorful leaves! We love the idea of a mansion for the reception or a Gothic looking church for the ceremony. When the venue is gorgeous it can double for amazing pictures too! If you want a more overt spooky tone, have your reception at a haunted location. A great example is The Stanley Hotel in Colorado was where Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining. A lot of local historical buildings have their own ghost lore you can capitalize on as well.

Halloween Wedding Decorations:

In tune with venue are the decorations for your wedding. We love huge chandeliers and long drapes. You can also arrange bare branches if the venue has a fireplace all the better for throwing shadows and light. Candles dripping wax are a nice touch. You can also use decorated skulls (picture Dia de los Muertos) on the tables as centerpieces with your wedding theme slogan “until death do us part.” This gives it a fun, slightly macabre feel that your guests will enjoy!

These are just some ways you can throw a tasteful Halloween themed wedding. We love the autumn wedding season because there’s so much variety in how you can show off your big day! For more fall wedding inspiration check out the recommended blog posts below!