You guys, it’s seriously been a minute since I last posted, and for that I apologize. I may not be in full fledged wedding planning mode like some of you, but I am definitely taking a step back and smelling the nice, Florida ocean air.
Have you heard someone say, “Hun, I think you need to take a step back, you’re stressed. This isn’t what wedding planning is supposed to be like. It’s supposed to be fun, and you’re not having it, just take a step back.” Well no kidding you’re stressed, and honestly hearing that made me more stressed as a bride! You’re planning this giant party for 100-300 of your friends and family, you feel like you have all this judgement on you, and you just want to be done. Here’s the thing: you’re not alone! Heck, I am in the wedding planning business and I was stressed during my planning process! We’re human, our desire to be perfect is a real thing, but let me tell you: I wouldn’t change any of the little hick ups that happened at my wedding, I absolutely loved them!
Although hearing the statement above wasn’t something I wanted to hear, whoever was saying that was right. I was stressed. No I didn’t want to have fun planning, because I knew that wasn’t a thing. But, I knew I needed to take a step back. I needed to take a moment, whether it was for a day, or for a week, and reevaluate. To do this, I went exploring. I’m so much more relaxed in nature. I would go hiking, or if it was a weekend, my parents and I would go adventuring to a neighboring town or to a redwood forest. I got to think about what I wanted. I was able to explain my vision to my parent’s without getting upset, and actually be able to hear the compromises they think would work best for my situation. I got to do this all while soaking in the fresh air, giving our dogs loving and kisses as we explored, climbed over rocks, and smiled. I did it. I took a step back.
So, ultimately, this is me telling you to take a step back for an hour, a day, a week, how ever long you need. Coming from someone who has been in your place; it’s okay to be stressed. Don’t let the, “this is the best time of your life; don’t be stressed” statement get to you. Seriously, I hate putting my things down when I know I need to be working on them. A great compromise to not stopping is to take a notebook to your favorite place (the beach, woods, a mountain view, heck your backyard!) or like the one pictured below and scribble all the ideas that are stressing you out and see if you can find a pattern in your madness. What is it that you are trying to do? you could even crinkle the paper if you are overly frustrated and throw it in your back pack if you need to start over! This is what I do when it comes to things ranging from graduate school to work to just wanting to be crafty!
At the end of the day, we are all human. We want one of the most important days of our life to be absolutely perfect with no flaws. But, I hate to say that it won’t be that way because, guess what? We are all freaking human. Just enjoy your day, it’s seriously going to be so fun! Remember to breathe through the planning and find different views if you need! Heading outdoors to work will seriously be worth it, I promise.
There’s no question that this planning thing is hard; but, you got this! You know why? Because you’re AUTHENTIC. ADVENTURE. LIVING.