Are Brides Really Stressed or Do They Just Think They Have to Be?

In a recent #WeddingMarket chat, an interesting topic came up: Are brides truly stressed out with wedding planning or do they simply take on the role of being stressed out because everybody tells them they should be?

To answer this question, let's start by defining what stress is. According to Webster, stress is "a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation." It can be caused by negative or positive experiences, environmental factors, or other external stimuli. With that in mind, planning a wedding can definitely fall under the stress causing category. To say otherwise, is unfair. Keep in mind, that stress is a natural part of life, and increases or decreases depending on the specific situation. The bigger question, in my opinion, is how the bride deals with it.

Every personality is different. Some people use stress to help them get things done, while others may take it as a signal to ask for help. Whatever the case, feelings of stress or overwhelm can play an important part for the engaged couple. Pinpointing what's causing the most stress for the bride is instrumental in helping her overcome the issue and start to relax and enjoy her engagement.

Everyone agrees that this is a happy time for the engaged couple and that wedding planning should be fun and enjoyable, not stressful. But lots of new emotions and feelings come with getting engaged. Throw that into the mix of wedding planning and the situation becomes ripe for added stress. Plus the couple might be dealing with other issues like financial limits or family drama, which could create more challenges.

Yes, stress is real. Validate it and then see where it's stemming from. Maybe there is an easy fix, like hiring a wedding planner to help if a bride isn't the most organized person. Or maybe it will take a bit more effort, like seeking out therapy for an anxiety issue. Once the stressor is identified and worked on, brides will likely have more fun in planning their wedding.