Wedding-planning, despite being the most joyous event of the lifetime, could be very stressful.

In addition to this stress, there could be work stress, family stress and many more.

I remembered I was totally stressed out during my wedding planning period last year that I almost broke down. I’m not sure if I’m entering depression stage but this was real to me.

I know some wedding couples could be stressed out too and they are not aware of it. To add more impact, they give each other more stress, hoping that each other can understand them.

A fair amount of stress is important to ensure your wedding plan is according to what you have planned. Too much pressure may cause you to end up as an unhappy bride or groom or even to the extent of calling the wedding off.

One of my readers emailed me pleading for help. She felt alone because the groom was in overseas and not supportive. She felt that she was the one planning the wedding. Moreover, the in-laws were setting many unrealistic expectations such as “forcing” her to carry out in the exact manner they wanted.

There was no say in the bride at all and she felt like calling off the wedding.

This was not the only one such email I received. There were a few more like this. Some brides managed to cope better after that. Others canceled their weddings.

So how did I cope with my stress while planning my wedding?

The first thing I did was blogged and told the whole world what I was feeling. My aunties were my loyal fans and were always closely following my posts. My cousins too. They emailed me and even posted in the comments telling me to sound out whenever I needed help.

I was very touched.

One of my aunties even told my mother about it. Partially, I was pleased that my mother was informed so that she understood what I was feeling at that time.

In Asian’s culture, we don’t share what we really felt. We speak the politically-correct content so that everyone, except us, is happy.

My wife was very helpful too. I’m not saying she had no stress. In fact, she had more than mine. Her mother was trying to control what we had planned. We were almost toppled upside down.

My friends were there to chip in now and then. I had a few friends who were not invited to my wedding but they helped me alot. I’m really grateful to them.

My colleagues were very understanding too and they assisted me in anyways they could. Some made my wedding ang-pow box (but ended up I didn’t use at all.) My manager gave me emotional support because she understood how stressful wedding-planning could be.

In all, these are 5 ways to cope with stress:
1. Share with your significant-other
2. Share with your family members and relatives
3. Share with best friends who understand you
4. Share with colleagues so they can know what you are going through
5. Continue with your hobby

Still carrying on your hobby put your mind off wedding for a while. Use this opportunity to rest and re-charge.

What about you? How do you cope with your stress?



Tags: email, extent, brides, weddings, lifetime, unrealistic expectations, cousins, depression, wedding planning, work stress, loyal fans, wedding plan, wedding couples