Getting Hitched Without A Hitch: How To Deal With Wedding Season Stress

Weddings can be an incredible milestone in a relationship, but they aren’t always all flowers and cake. Pre-wedding anxiety and stress can be overwhelming, and in some cases, they may have detrimental effects on overall health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stress can cause changes in appetite, feelings of fear, frustration, worry, and sadness, sleep disturbances, lower energy, difficulty concentrating, increased substance use, and a higher risk of certain diseases.

These symptoms can have a negative impact on not only your wedding, but also your relationship and personal health. To combat stress, consider hiring a wedding planner, spending quality time with your partner, engaging in self-care, and working with a licensed therapist.

Wedding stress symptoms

Stress can manifest in different ways as your wedding day approaches. Physical stress symptoms may include difficulty breathing, sleep disturbances, high blood pressure, fatigue, digestive issues, headaches, and chest pain. 

Wedding stress can also cause you to feel irritable or angry, which could increase the chance of conflict with your fiancé or other loved ones. Stress can cause other emotional symptoms as well, such as anxiety, an inability to enjoy previously enjoyable activities, low self-esteem, and loneliness. 

In addition to emotional and physical symptoms, stress can also change your behavior. The worry surrounding your wedding may lead you to purposely miss social events to avoid discussing wedding-related topics. Even if you do want to focus on the particulars of your wedding, stress can make it difficult to concentrate and may have detrimental effects on your memory. This could create challenges with scheduling and deadlines that may negatively impact various parts of the wedding. By recognizing these symptoms early, you may be able to prevent these behaviors and other consequences of stress. 

How to deal with wedding stress: 4 techniques to consider

To prevent stress symptoms or reduce their severity, it can be important to take the steps necessary to address wedding stressors. Below are a few potentially effective ways for you to defuse stress and enjoy your dream wedding. 

1. Enlist the help of a wedding planner

While some may think that the day of the wedding is the most stressful part of the process, the planning process beforehand can be equally (if not more) overwhelming. Between creating a wedding budget, deciding on a theme, finding a venue, sending invitations to your wedding party and other family members or friends, hiring musicians and a photographer, getting a caterer, and all the other small tasks that bring a wedding together, it can be understandable to feel tense or pressured throughout the wedding planning process. 

To ensure that these components are taken care of so you can enjoy your special day, it may be helpful to hire a wedding planner. Wedding planners can take care of all those pre-wedding tasks, creating a schedule and keeping you informed on how your event is shaping up. Depending on what type of services you need, you may want to consider specialty planners, who generally handle specific elements like design and decor, or full-service planners, who can handle everything from the months before the ceremony to the reception. 

For some, hiring a wedding planner doesn’t work with their budget, or they may want to have complete control over their wedding. However, for those who are experiencing a significant amount of wedding-related stress, finding the necessary funds to get a professional wedding planner may be worth the money. 

2. Spend quality time with your partner

With so much energy and time going toward your wedding, it can be easy to forget the reason the event is happening: to join you together with your partner. Taking a break from the wedding process and spending quality time with your significant other can remind you why you are getting married in the first place. It can also directly relieve stress through the release of chemicals like oxytocin.

Oxytocin is a hormone that can have a significant impact on wedding stress and overall health. Sometimes referred to as the “love hormone,” oxytocin may have multiple positive effects, including the following:

• Lower cortisol levels, resulting in less stress
• Lower blood pressure
• Better overall mood
• Increased sense of trust and generosity
• Higher levels of romantic attraction and attachment
• Promotion of growth and healing

There are a variety of ways to increase your levels of oxytocin with your partner, such as those listed below.

Physical touch

Physical touch can encourage the hypothalamus to produce oxytocin and bring you and your partner closer together. Activities like sexual intercourse, cuddling, hugging, holding hands, and kissing may all boost oxytocin levels and increase the strength of your relationship. If the wedding schedule is packed, you might compare calendars to see when you can steal a few hours to cuddle up for a movie, hold hands on a walk, or snuggle up at the beach. 

Exercise

In addition to releasing endorphins and boosting levels of serotonin, exercise can significantly increase the production of oxytocin. By engaging in physical activities with your partner, such as biking, swimming, hiking, or team sports, you can have fun while also increasing your oxytocin levels. Exercise can have multiple other benefits, too, such as reducing feelings of anxiety, helping to manage weight, increasing overall longevity, and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and infectious diseases. 

Communication 

While updated evidence may be beneficial, research suggests that communication with trusted individuals can also increase oxytocin levels. Setting aside time to talk with your partner, especially during instances of wedding season stress, can be essential. Not only can you increase your oxytocin, but proper communication can also help to defuse potentially stressful situations or address conflicts that may have been building throughout the planning process. 

3. Engage in self-care

As important as it may be to be available for your partner and care for their needs, it can be equally essential to dedicate energy to self-care. While your personal self-care techniques may vary, some potentially effective methods include the following: 

Get enough sleep

Sleep can be a key element in reducing cortisol levels and combating stress, so it can be important to get between seven and nine hours each night. To ensure your sleep quality remains high, it can be helpful to follow sleep hygiene best practices. These can include behaviors like keeping a consistent bedtime, ensuring your bedroom is dark and quiet, sleeping at a comfortable (typically cool) temperature, avoiding blue light and other electronics before bed, abstaining from alcohol and caffeine before sleeping, and getting exercise during the day. 

Eat nutritious food

Eating food that is not processed, fried, or sugary may help to regulate hormone levels, especially cortisol. By choosing to eat vegetables and foods high in omega-3 fats while also staying properly hydrated, you may lower stress while also improving other aspects of your health.

Partake in your passions

Pursuing your hobbies or engaging in activities related to your interests can be an effective way to relax and take a break from wedding planning stress. These activities can be anything you are passionate about, such as reading, birdwatching, playing video games, woodworking, or anything else that takes your mind off your worries and lets you focus on something that captures your attention. 

Discussing self-care with your partner can also be beneficial, as they may have suggestions on relaxation techniques. In addition, letting your significant other know you need to have some self-care time can be courteous, and in many cases, they’ll be happy to accommodate you. 

4. Consider talking to a professional

While talking to your partner or loved ones about wedding stress can be helpful, it may be more beneficial to speak to a mental health professional. A therapist can help you identify which aspects of your wedding are causing your stress, discuss challenges or other life transitions you may be facing in your relationship, and find out if any outside factors could be affecting your emotional state. 

Benefits of online therapy

In some cases, in-person therapy may not be accessible or convenient. For example, individuals who are planning a wedding may not have time to commute to a therapist's office. In these situations, it can be frustrating to try to fit in therapy sessions, no matter how helpful they may be. However, alternative options, like online therapy through platforms like BetterHelp, can offer a way to see a professional therapist from the comfort of your home. 

Effectiveness of online therapy

In addition to convenience, online therapy can also be effective. Research suggests that online therapy can effectively address the symptoms of stress, as well as other mental health challenges, such as worry and emotional fatigue. 

Takeaway

While wedding stress can be difficult to manage, there are multiple ways to cope and reduce stressful feelings. By watching for symptoms, hiring a wedding planner, enjoying quality time with your partner, and engaging in self-care, you may improve your mental health and better enjoy this significant life event. However, these techniques may not be enough to deal with stress, and it could be beneficial to seek the help of a therapist. For those who are busy getting ready for their wedding and may not have time to attend in-person therapy, online therapy can be an effective and convenient alternative.