BRIDEZILLA!

Planning a wedding is a stressful, largely thankless job. When you consider that you're planning a wedding on top of doing your regular job and keeping up with loved ones, it can become a nightmare. While there are some bridezillas out there, most of the brides-to-be who are saddled with this nasty label simply let their anger and frustration get the best of them. If you'd like to keep bridezilla at bay, take these nine tips to heart.

1. Plan on being overwhelmed. Even if you've got your wedding checklist under control, a wedding is still a life-changing event and you're bound to have some strong feelings about it. As much as you want to be calm and collected, you may be weepy, snippy, lonely, or fidgety at times. When you feel the 'zilla coming, step back and take a long break.

2. Diminish the effects of "Bride Brain." Think about how you react to stress in everyday life, and keep your usual coping strategies in mind. If you get clumsy when you're stressed, don't try to create your intricate handmade invitations until you feel better. Do you get forgetful? Make detailed lists. If you lash out, let your family and friends know in advance that you're under a lot of pressure and may say things you don't mean.

3. Enlist the help of one solid, responsible girlfriend (or guyfriend). As wedding DJs, we have seen countless best gal pals step up to the plate when things went awry before and on the wedding day. Why not a sister or your mom? Your friend isn't caught up in your family drama and can protect you from it.

4. Practice being overwhelmed. If you don't usually like being the center of attention, practice at your bridal shower and bachelorette party. If handling multiple responsibilities freaks you out, learn to take smaller steps. When you sense you are becoming overwhelmed, it's time for another break. If you can cope, you will survive and stay in your loved ones' good graces.

5. Connect with your fiancé. Don't let wedding planning overshadow the great relationship that led to the upcoming event! Designate wedding-free days or weekends. Tell your spouse-to-be to let you know when he's feeling overwhelmed by all the wedding talk. Remember how you used to go out on those awesome dates? Make time for those dates again!

6. Allow your wedding to take on a life of its own. Do your planning but when the big day finally arrives, let your wedding be what it wants to be. A major life event like this will have its own personality, rhythm and soul. Something will go wrong, and someone will probably have something negative to say. You can control that, so just let it go.

7. And let go of perfectionism! Be delighted by spontaneity, not appalled that things aren't going as planned. Some of the best memories couples have are of those little unplanned events that made the day special.

8. Be emotionally connected to yourself. That way, you can connect with others. If you feel confident, happy, and in control of your own emotions, you'll be able to engage with your spouse and your guests on a deep, satisfying level.

9. Create a mental image of the bride you want to be. Just because you have a lot to do doesn't mean you can't be the kind of bride who has fun before and during the wedding. On the other hand, if your mental image doesn't quite manifest in your everyday experiences, don't beat yourself up. You are a complex human being with complex emotions, and that's okay.


A Music Plus
Denver's Wedding Entertainment Specialists
Disc Jockeys, Live Wedding Bands, Event Entertainment Specialists
http://www.amusicplus.com/