3 Ways to Manage Wedding Day Anxiety

Your wedding is a big deal. Whether you're just going for a low-key elopement or a big weekend long event there are certain details you will be stressed out about. Here are some tips to help you manage the stress and anxiety that comes with your wedding day.

1- Stay Hydrated!

Celebrations call for the spirits to be passed around and indulged! Which is fine, but please make sure you drink lots and lots of H20! Make sure you get plenty of water to keep your head clear, bloat down, and you'll just feel better! Especially at a summer wedding the heat of the day alone can be dehydrating without adding a huge dress, activities, and alcohol it's a recipe for illness and no one wants that!

2- Plan, and Have a Plan B!

If you have 2 weeks to plan or 2 years, the same rule applies. Get organized. Consult with professionals that have seen the inner workings of a wedding (and yes, there are inner workings!) to get their advice on what to expect, and how to best handle a situation. As a photographer I am often with my clients through the planning process, sometimes the rehearsal, most of the wedding day, and then we're in touch for weeks and some times years afterward! Having a team will help you manage what tasks are to be done and delegated!

3- Don't Sweat the Small Stuff!

I feel like a broken record saying this to my clients, but, at the end of the day if you marry your love- that's ALL that really matters. I've learned over the years that sometimes couples are so worried about what their friends and family will think/say that they end up planning a wedding that's not about their love and relationship at all. It ends up being someone else's wedding. The truth of the matter is, you are the ones getting married and you should be the ones making the decisions. That being said, it's not a matter of if something will go wrong, it's a matter of what. Maybe Aunt Sue will fall and break her arm on the dance floor, maybe the ring-bearer will taste the cake before it's cut, maybe a hurricane blows over your wedding. The point is, you will be married and this is all part of the story of your day. And it deserves to be documented, treasured, and a part of your legacy!

Chantal Paradis is a Maine wedding photographer offering wedding photography and engagement photos in Maine, New Hampshire and New England.