I see this all the time as a Fort Wayne wedding photographer. Before your wedding day you will more than likely feel the stress of everything bubble up into nerves. From wedding planning to creating a new family dynamic. There is a lot of stress that can pile up, and you need to calm pre-wedding nerves so that you can think clearly and go into your wedding confident! Whether it’s you, your significant other, or a friend of you who is going down the rabbit hole, you can be rest assured that you’ll have some tips to help overcome what you’re feeling.

When You Have Pre-Wedding Nerves

This is the biggest decision of your life. It’s not something you should take lightly. Also, you’re going through it right now! There is so much to do when planning a wedding. You’re stressed and probably a little done with the whole process. Wedding planning helps you to understand why some people skip the big day to elope. Nevertheless, you can get through this and make this one of the greatest times of your life!

So What Do I Do?

Take some time off from wedding planning and give yourself a few days to decompress! Take a bath and binge watch your favorite comedy on Netflix. Take some time to focus on self care and stay away from all wedding planning thoughts! Doing things that interest you in your free time instead of worrying about your wedding budget, seating charts, and so much more. This can really help. Get back to the things that make you, you! 

Think about the reason you said yes (or proposed) in the first place. Why do you love your significant other? Think about your fondest memories. Go through all of the past photos of you two. Reminisce and think of all the ways you have grown together! When we take a look at the happy moments, we can remember why we are going through all the craziness leading up to your wedding!

Talk with someone about how you’re feeling. It helps to talk to someone, but especially someone who has been through what you’re going through. Try to talk to someone you look up to who has a healthy and stable marriage. They might have some insights on how they cope with stressful moments.

If you’re having pre-wedding nerves because your relationship doesn’t seem as magical as it once was, try to reconnect. Take some time together and do something special. You can try spicing up your dates, there are a lot of ideas online! If you’re fighting more, it might be the wedding planning stress. Try to be understanding and have healthy communication on the situation.

When Your Significant Other Is Going Through It

Pre-wedding nerves are normal! This does not mean you’re going to be left at the altar. It’s a big decision to make and sometimes once the initial shock wears off, you’re given time to sit in your thoughts. When they realize the gravity of it all, it makes it a little scary. And it’s okay! Be there for them and work on this together. 

It’s so important to not get too stressed or scared when they bring up these feelings. It takes a lot of courage to be so open about fears and anxieties when it comes to marriage. Acknowledge their efforts and validate their feelings. Most importantly, give them the floor and just listen. Validate their feelings first, and then you can tell them where you are coming from. 

When Your Friend Comes To You About Their Pre-Wedding Nerves

The most important thing to do when a friend comes to you in confidence about their pre-wedding nerves is to just listen. There is no need to say anything at first.  A lot of the time they just need to vent and get their feelings out! As long as they’re not 100% spiraling, you’re good to just sit back and nod. 

If the friend asks you what you think, the first thing you should do is validate the feelings. Go back to their points and just say “I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way” or “That is so difficult.” Don’t offer any advice, just make sure your friend knows that they’re heard!

If they do start to spiral a little bit and they’re about to call off this wedding, keep them grounded! Talk about the things that they’ve shared with you in the past about their partner. Make sure that your friend isn’t only focused on the bad or stressful aspects, but that they’re thinking about the reason they wanted to get married in the first place. 

These tips will help you to begin to navigate through your pre-wedding nerves. Remember to focus on the good and be open with those feelings. And when you get back to wedding planning after you’ve taken time to cope, let me know. I’d love to help make getting those photos stress-free for you.