Looking Good and Feeling Good On Your Wedding Day

No one will argue that one of the most important days of any woman’s life is her wedding day. Little girls play dress-up and teenagers pour over fashion magazines looking at wedding dresses and imaging what it will be like when their wedding day finally arrives. As newly engaged women start to find out- planning a wedding day is more stress than they ever anticipated. Dealing with family , working with a budget, looking after all the little details like wedding photographers and wedding party favors can start to takes its toll. As many brides find out- the hard way- all that stress can have a huge impact on their bodies and skin. Tense muscles lead to headaches, excitement leads to lack of sleep and overall stress can cause breakouts on the face and bloating in the body. No bride wants to face any of this on her wedding day! There are lots of things you can do to help your body cope with stress of planning a wedding.

Plan for problems! The best way to avoid stress is to do your best to make sure you set yourself up for success. Money worries can be avoided if you have a realistic budget. Talk with your partner and come up with a realistic budget. There will be lots of expenses you may not anticipate- gratuities for the DJ, extra wedding party favors and corsages for all your fiancés cousins flying in from Italy.

If overbearing family members might be an issue- its best to get things out of the way earlier rather than later. It’s better to tell your mom that you want to buy your own wedding gown and not walk down the aisle in her grandmother’s antique wedding dress now instead of the last minute. As the wedding day gets closer people will get more and more sensitive and things may upset them more than usual. Try and stay ahead of the game and not just “hope” everything will work out.

Take care of yourself. You have waited for this day most of your adult life. Nothing will be more important than enjoying the day with your family and friends who all love you and want the best for you. You owe it to yourself to make sure your body and mind are able to take in and enjoy the entire day. Stick to a regular bed time and get lots of sleep-or as much as you can. Not only will lack of sleep give you short temper- but it can cause headaches and bloating.  You should always drink plenty of water- but the week or so leading up to your wedding make a special effort to drink water and hydrate yourself. This will help with bloating and swelling. Many brides have been shocked to that their wedding bands don’t fit or shoes are too tight.

Pamper yourself. If possible try and get a professional massage the week of your wedding- what a great way to spend an afternoon with your mom or girlfriends. Take lots of relaxing bubble baths, using high quality bath products and lotions. Sprinkle a few drops of lavender oil in the bath- it will help relax you.

Take a few practice runs. Try out that perfect nail polish or new makeup before your wedding day. If you are getting your nails done professionally go a couple of weeks before and try out the nail color you will be wearing on your wedding day. If doing yourself- have a friend over and try different colors and see how different nail polish wears. Try out the make-up you will be wearing. You would be surprised how many brides don’t think to try out their new eye shadow before hand- only to find out it makes their eyes puffy and red. A good choice for make-up is natural make-up; it is organic and with natural ingredients and  much less risk of any kind of a reaction. Also- when it comes to mascara- water-proof mascara is a must! Even if you are not the sentimental type- you will be on your wedding day and no bride wants their mascara to run. A word of advice- do try for a more natural looking make-up- avoid frosted or glittering make-up for the ceremony.

Planning a wedding is exciting AND stressful. By being proactive and taking care of yourself you will help minimize the stress on your wedding day. With lower stress you and your groom will be able to enjoy your wedding day to its fullest and cherish those memories forever.

Lisa Stewart freelance writer and former wedding planner and florist in Toronto, Canada. She has worked extensively with Toronto florists, wedding photographers and other wedding professionals.