The excitement of a new engagement can send some women into wedding overdrive. The sparkly ring on your finger fuels dreams of Vera Wang gowns and floral arrangements that stem all the way back to childhood. At last, your dream wedding is en route. However, there is an important component that occasionally gets lost in the shuffle–your man. Once budgets and stressful decisions are brought to the table, some couples can go from alter-bound to miserable if they’re not careful. Here are our tips to avoiding Bridezilla behavior and maintaining a happy relationship.
1. Greet The Elephant In The Room No matter how much you’d like to sweep them under the rug, certain topics require attention early on. If you’re contemplating a prenuptial agreement or you come from different religious backgrounds, reach an agreement on these issues so you can breeze through the fun parts.
2. Keep The Romance Alive You might be swamped with organizing a million things but don’t get so consumed with planning that you neglect your man. Cook his favorite meal occasionally or slip him a thoughtful card gushing about why you can’t wait to be his wife.
3. Let Go Whether they admit or not, men have a vision of their ideal wedding just like we do. If you exclude him from the decision-making, he won’t be as enthusiastic as he deserves to be. While some husbands-to-be would rather you do the work, you never know until you ask. Find out his hopes about certain aspects of the big day and let him take the reins.
4. Stick To The Budget The B word makes most people cringe, especially when it’s associated with such a special day. But you and your partner will clash less if you create a realistic plan with some wiggle room. Prioritize the areas of the wedding where you’re comfortable to splurge and figure out where to cut corners.
5. Assemble A Team Putting too much on your plate is a surefire way to burnout and create tension with your man. Sit down with your fianc and make a list of resourceful people in your lives to help you delegate responsibilities. If you know an event planner or his mother is a caterer, you can easily lighten your load.
6. Create “Wedding-Free Zones” No matter how amped you are about getting married, you don’t want to reach the point of obsession. Whether it’s a weekends-only clause or a late night rule, commit to not watching Wedded To Perfection and simply be a couple.
7. Communicate Apply the same rules you normally would to your relationship during this phase. Stay connected and share your innermost fears, joys and frustrations as you move closer to making a lifelong commitment. Keep each other in the loop.
8. Fight Fair Wedding planning is full of compromise and before it’s all said and done, you are going to butt heads. When things begin to get heated, keep the big picture in mind and avoid throwing low blows. Learn to laugh at yourselves (you’re fighting about stationery, after all) and you’ll realize your trigger points are minor in comparison to the love you’ve built.
9. Celebrate The Little Things Have you finished your invite list? Arranged seating? Picked an amazing venue? Boost team morale up by praising your accomplishments along the way. Reward each other in sweet ways like a surprise breakfast in bed.
10. Avoid Comparisons The couple next door might be planning a ceremony with all the bells, whistles and budget that you and your partner just don’t have. However, your nuptials will be tailored to reflect your relationship, so try not to size everything up. There’s nothing to prove except your love for each other.
See how our Will You Marry Me? couples’ wedding plans are going. Read More:
