How to Manage Wedding Stress

As anyone who has gotten married can tell you, the months leading up to a wedding can be a time of stress as well as happiness. There's just so much to think about and do!

You need to find ceremony and reception sites, to choose just the right clothes, to make sometimes touchy decisions about who will be in your wedding, to furnish a complete home for your life after the wedding - and all this while you're having the inevitable doubts about getting married in the first place. While wedding jitters are about as common as weddings, there are ways to make sure the anxiety doesn't get out of hand.

How to manage wedding stress:

• Don't be afraid to admit you're upset. Tell your partner what's bothering you, whether it's a serious question about your relationship or a relatively trivial worry that you'll go blank when it comes time to say your vows. If you try to keep the stressful feelings to yourself, you'll only transfer them to something else, getting overly irritated at a late train, or a run in your stockings. Take positive action whenever possible.

• Share the wedding responsibilitiess. If you're the bride, don't assume you have to do everything yourself. This idea is old fashioned, as well as exhausting. Ask your fiance to join you in picking out a catering hall and registering for gifts. He can write a share of the thank-you notes and handle all the honeymoon arrangements.

• Keep a calendar of everything you have to do. This kind of master plan gives you the secure feeling that you're not forgetting something crucial. Also gather any business cards, fabric swatches or magazine clippings you accumulate all together in one place - either a wedding planner made for this purpose or a simple manila envelope. Organization has the magical effect of reducing stress and anxiety to a manageable level.

• Have a system for each task. Say you're doing your invitations. First, see if the task can be broken down into steps. (You have to address the envelopes, stuff them, seal them and stamp them.) Then, decide how you'll tackle each step: How long it should take and who will do it. Next, set a completion date (invitations should be mailed six weeks before the wedding). Finally, take action by setting a time and a place to begin.

If you are concerned with how to manage wedding stress, the aforesaid tips will more than likely make your wedding ceremony an enjoyable experience.