Immediately wedding bell rings, most brides tend to lose themselves in the razzmatazz and fantasy of the run-up to the D-Day. They get carried away with so many things they have to put in place like their dream dress, make-up artist, vendors, venue, colours and making guests’ list without offending anyone.
We have different types of brides; the ones that overthinks the event before the D-Day and the ones that are hyperactive and break down a few hours to their D-Day. It’s almost natural for any bride to sink deep into nervousness that can affect their mood a few hours to their event to the point of wondering whether to continue. Keep calm, all those are pre-wedding jitters and cold feet.
This takes me back down memory lane when my aunt was getting married and she broke down a few hours to her big day. I eavesdropped her telling her friends her husband-to-be even asked her if she didn’t want to go ahead with the wedding. ‘Phew,’ funny right? But why would any bride want to back out from their wedding a few hours to say, “YES I DO”, and sealing it with a French kiss.
Even the calmest bride can fall off the emotional grid and be caught off guard. Pre-wedding thoughts like second-guessing every decision will make you ask yourself if you are really ready for this (to be married). Is the venue a best choice for the wedding? Is the décor up to standard of what the guests would love; down to menu? All the complaints are pre-wedding jitters. So BRIDE, breathe and know it’s normal.
Tell me why anxiety won’t set in or you won’t start feeling overwhelmed when you know you are not running a secret wedding that will involve just you and your groom plus a few family members. Your choice of wedding is the one who has sent invitation to kings and queens around, calling them to come celebrate with you and for sure they will also come with a friend. So, the overwhelmed feeling is inescapable.
Another aspect of wedding that triggers stress in couples can be family drama or finances and when it comes to weddings in Africa, Nigerian wedding to be precise, most parents love calling the shots and leave the couple feeling like they have less say about their big day. I think Nigerian parents should know the young couples have their wedding dream pictured already and their emotions should be considered when making decisions, thank God for the After Party that has become life-saving arena for couples to have special moments with their close friends.
So, for the beautiful brides walking down the aisle this weekend, the just engaged, team God-when, here are tips to follow to make your D-Day smash and not let pre-wedding jitters steal the best part of the day or leave you cranky while making your wedding look like an “arrangee”, while your pictures end up as memes on social media.
The following are the tips to keep in mind before walking down the aisle to say yes to “forever till death do you part” in the presence of those we love and cherish;
Be positive: dear bride, you need a positive state of mind on this beautiful day and before fear creeps in, give it all it takes to stay afloat with positive energy. Let your mind be occupied with happy thoughts that will help you wrestle down negatives that might want to cloud your big-Day.
Pay attention to your body: one important aspect of preparing for your big day that needs your attention is also how much attention you pay to your body – knowing what to eat, avoiding consumption of things that doesn’t work for you, that can cause break out or sudden appearance of acne – you wouldn’t want to put yourself through the stress of running around for skin care products that can make the acne disappear while exposing yourself to another unforeseen danger.
Work with your calendar: paying attention to your monthly flow is another thing to save the date. Well, when it’s almost the time of the month when a lady is about to start her menstrual flow, there is usually changes in hormones, making some cranky and paranoid. So, mixing this with your big day might not go well. So, check your calendar and make the best choice of date.
Good sleep: in all you do, don’t joke with good rest as the time approaches. As long as you have so much running through your mind, create time to close your eyes to rest your brain. And like most brides stay up late on their eve night, maybe because of friends around, however, the idea of bridal shower the night before the wedding should be scheduled for another day just to let the bride have enough rest before the wedding day.
Eat: sticking to healthy diet is another way to prepare yourself, talking of your body, mind and brain. Adding adequate protein and vitamins to your eating lifestyle will play a key role in your skin radiance, and drink water! Water! Water!
Breath: catch your breath! Taking a deep breath in between every moment can help calm nerves and relax muscles. So, when overwhelmed, just take a deep breath.
Don’t forget to eat: yes, we know it is your big day and you don’t want to be caught unawares breaking turkey bone on your big day. Wink! Snacking won’t be a bad idea or getting some finger foods to keep you energised to beat stress and fatigue.
Quiet time is important: a quiet time is important to help you visit your world, search within to find the most comforting words to keep you active throughout the D-Day. However, it can be with your best-friend, your siblings or just a call across to your groom-to-be.
Read also: 12 amazing health benefits of eating sesame seed
Every bride deserves a great hype ladies to make her big day less stressful and keep her hyper and cheerful throughout her big day. So, while running around to satisfy half the guests you don’t know, pay attention to your girls also. They are very important on that day. Their positive and boisterous energy will keep you sane, lively and happy all through. It is your day and you deserve to enjoy every bit of it!