How to Deal with Wedding Stress

Relatives and Friends

• Keep them occupied: Delegate assignments for each family member to keep them occupied, out of your way, but still, feel included.
• Limit their expectations: The earlier you decide on things, get everything set, and let everyone know what the plans are, the less likely they are to make an issue when things don’t go how they imagined.
• Remember they have good intentions: Remember that everyone who wants to help you out loves you, maybe they mean well and want you to have a perfect wedding, or maybe they regret a certain detail about their wedding and don’t want you to go through the same thing.
• Get some help: Is your sister diplomatic and good in dealing with people? Tell her how you feel and ask her to meddle in whenever someone is stressing you out.
• The over-excited mother-in-law: Your mother-in-law means well, but she also might have very strong and stubborn opinions about how your wedding should be like. So to deal with your overexcited and opinionated mother-in-law remember, first of all, that she has good intentions, give her a special project for the wedding to keep her occupied and feel included.
• The children: Many of your friends and relatives are going to want to bring their children to your wedding. You love their children but it doesn’t mean you want to have 15 kids running around on your wedding day. Make sure you add a note to your invitation that this is an adults-only occasion. If there is no other way but to deal with the kids at your wedding, read our article on how to deal with the children at your wedding: "Who Says Having Children at Your Wedding Can’t Be Fun?"
• The nagging bridesmaid: Your bridesmaid is the person who you love spending time with and trust with major decisions. But did your bridesmaid turn into a maidzilla? She can’t decide on a dress and is never pleased with the color you choose.  What to do? Have someone else talk to her but not on your behalf; instead, they should make it sound like they have noticed her behavior and how they think she should help you out instead of causing you stress. But make sure this person is someone she likes and has a good relationship with.

Your Partner

Keep some things a secret: Plan for a surprise first dance, or a unique entrance, and keep it a secret just between you and your fiancé.

Brainstorm and assign duties: What is he better at? Finance? Organizing? Design? Brainstorm his and your talents and interests, and break up the duties accordingly.

Set your priorities: What do you both care about most? He might care about the music and would want to spend more on a great DJ, you might want to spend more on those fancy invitations you always wanted.  Create a list of what you agree to splurge on and what you decide to save on.

Discuss possible disagreements before they happen: Have a talk with your partner on what is most important to you, what you should agree on, and how you both are a team and not assistants to each other; make sure each of you understands that you both have opinions that are equally important.

The Chaotic Guest List

This issue is very common especially in the Arab World where big families tend to take over half of the wedding. You only want 200 guests, but your parents are already writing their 400 guest list, is a very common scenario, do you agree?  What do you do then?

Try and talk to them and show them that you understand their needs in having all those people, but also explain why you feel this way, and give them a guest limit outside of the immediate family.

Read: 3 Tips To Help You Trim Down Your Wedding Guest List