Real brides share their tips for managing wedding planning stress

Where better to get some tips for dealing with wedding planning stress than from real brides who have been through it all before?

If you’re currently planning a wedding, you’ll know it can often feel like an incredibly overwhelming task. Throw external pressures, difficult family members, and social media FOMO into the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for some serious wedding planning burnout.

To help lighten the burden, we recently took to Instagram to ask our lovely followers how they manage wedding planning stress. As always, the response was incredible, and we’re so excited to share all of the helpful, insightful tips from real brides who have been there, done that.

Married Couples: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about managing wedding planning stress?

• It’s your day. Plan your day how you (two) want it. You don’t have to follow traditions!
• Delegate, delegate, delegate — that’s what bridesmaids and family are for
• Stop telling everyone all your ideas. It makes them feel like they are entitled to an opinion
• Set aside a specific day/time to plan. Don’t let it take over every minute of your life
• Sometimes plan B is better than plan A, so don’t worry if you hit any snags!
• Have a separate email address specifically for wedding stuff
• Take a step back to enjoy the process and most definitely the day itself! Don’t stress too much about the little things ❤️
• Book your suppliers as early as possible to avoid disappointment!

Engaged Couples: What do you do to unwind when you need a break from wedding planning?

• We had a weekend away with a strict ban on any wedding talk
• Put down my phone, put away my laptop, and take a break from social media
• Go for a walk with a good podcast — it takes my mind off the stressful thinking
• Catch up with girlfriends and ask them not to talk about wedding-related things
• Schedule time with your partner and turn off all communication from the outside world
• Wine breaks! Lots of them 😂
• Binge watch my favourite TV show and switch off from wedding planning
• Plan a day to not read wedding emails or Facebook groups and go get pampered
• I go for a walk to let all my planning ideas settle. This often helps me find solutions!
• Sometimes, it’s just best to distance yourself from anything wedding related for a time

Married Couples: What are your tips for managing wedding planning stress for those currently going through it?

• Take it one step at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed
• Ask for help from friends and family
• Have planning nights scheduled, and during the off nights just enjoy being away from it
• Organisation is key! Spreadsheets, documents, and planners are what got us through
• Take time away from planning when you need to — it’ll all get done in time, don’t worry!
• A mini road trip or weekend in the city always helps my partner and I relax
• Don’t leave planning to the last minute. You want to be able to enjoy the weeks leading up to the wedding
• Write a list of everything you need to do. It made me stress less having it all in front of me
• Practise daily mindfulness when the wedding planning feels overwhelming — light a candle or some incense and just take five minutes to breathe

Loving these tips from real brides and keen to get your wedding planning underway? Our wedding specialists are here to help and will curate an affordable supplier package just for you, including your celebrant, photographer, videographer, musicians, and more.