What do brides stress most about on their wedding days?
Your wedding day. Perfect. Beautiful.
Or a day full of stress for the bride?
It shouldn't be that way. You really should relax and enjoy every minute rather than worrying about whether everything is going to go exactly to plan.
That's easy to say when you have probably spent months planning your big day (not to mention quite a lot of hard-earned cash).
So I consulted an expert, Michele Paradise, of The Bridal Coach, who has helped countless brides to look and feel their best on their wedding days.
I asked what brides worry about most and how to handle their concerns.
Here's what Michele had to say:
The dress--It's only a dress. Yes, it's probably the most expensive dress you will ever buy and you will only wear it once so enjoy it. Make sure you wear the dress and the dress doesn't wear you! It will get dirty, stepped on (especially if children are at your wedding), maybe something will get spilled on it and perhaps torn. You can't always prevent these things from happening so go with it. Once you've walked up the aisle and had the pictures taken after the ceremony, relax and enjoy the dress...you'll never wear it again!
Seating plans--I know that a lot of you fret unnecessarily about who's going to sit next to who. Get over it! Remember what the wedding is about. You've invited your friends and family to help you celebrate the love and commitment between you and your fiance so stop worrying and second guessing who will get on with who. They're adults and I'm sure they can cope with social situations so let them get on with it. Obviously, if 2 people really can't stand each other you won't seat them at the same table unless you want internal fireworks.
Perfection--So many brides use the word perfect when thinking about their wedding. They want the perfect dress, perfect cake, perfect venue and perfect wedding. Sorry ladies but the perfect wedding doesn't exist! I've been to many weddings and have spoken to many wedding planners and photographers and they've never seen the perfect wedding and that's OK. You don't want a carbon copy of everyone else's wedding - personalising it is what will be remembered. The weddings people remember most are the unique ones with the personal touches that are meaningful to you and your fiance. If you mix relatives, alcohol and emotions together, you certainly won't get the perfect wedding so relax and enjoy the ride!
Thanks for these top tips Michele, on handling all the stuff brides stress about! You can follow Michele on Twitter @BridalCoachUK , visit her Facebook Page and watch her video here.
Photography credit: Mark Anderson
