Guest Post By Sophie Parsons
When you’ve dreamed of your wedding day, you probably always envisioned yourself as a glowing and happy bride. Now that you’re engaged and in the thick of planning, you may be feeling more stressed than “glowing.”
That’s okay and completely normal! Though you may feel that way now, there are plenty of changes you can make to your daily routine and mindset to feel your happiest and healthiest on your wedding day.
Love the skin you’re in
Feeling happy and confident starts with you! Are you giving into the noise in your head telling you you’re not thin enough, your hair isn’t long enough, or your skin isn’t clear enough? Challenge yourself to ignore that deceitful voice that shows up without your permission and really try to open your mind to your unique and beautiful qualities that made your spouse-to-be fall in love with you in the first place.
With that said, it never hurts to practice self-care and develop a daily routine before the wedding. We all feel an extra boost of confidence when we make time to take care of and pamper ourselves. Self-care can be as simple as making sure you floss every day or as extensive as getting your teeth whitened. Your skincare routine can be as intense as having a strict regimen you follow every day or as relaxed as simply drinking more water. No matter how you choose to practice self-care, just be sure to do it out of self-love and care for your body, not out of shame, embarrassment, pressure, or punishment.
Make others feel appreciated
When it comes down to it, this day is about you and your spouse. That’s why elopement has become a popular trend in recent years. But if you’re choosing to go the more traditional route of a large gathering to celebrate your marriage, consider what you can do to show the special people in your life gratitude and appreciation during this momentous occasion. Whether it’s a special gift with a personal touch, a heartfelt hand-written thank you letter for even the smallest gestures, or a special shout out or dedication during the reception, helping others feel appreciated helps to boost your mood, happiness, and confidence.
Focus on what’s important
Whether we realize it or not, society puts huge amounts of pressure on us to have a wedding that looks a certain way. We often get so caught up in the details—the projects, the objects, what we have and what we don’t have— that we forget what this day is really about: celebrating the life-long love you’ve found.
There’s nothing wrong with finding joy and excitement in designing your dream wedding and seeing your vision come to life, but remember to take a step back and realign your focus if you ever start to feel like getting married is becoming more about putting on a show for everyone else and less about marrying the love of your life.
Feel good from the inside out
Your upcoming wedding is a great motivator to develop a new healthy lifestyle, as long as it’s not coming from a place of self-hate and punishment. Focusing on your health, physical or mental, feels good, and feeling good translates to a glowing, happy, healthy and stress-free bride!
There are plenty of ways to bring health and fitness into your life, even with your busy bride schedule. The two things you need to think about are nutrition and exercise. Both can seem daunting, but investing in different health programs can take the heavy lifting off your shoulders. For example, consider joining a flexible diet plan with community support to help you learn the ins and outs of a balanced diet. For exercise, keep it simple yet effective by downloading an at-home workout app you can complete from the comfort of your own living room or joining a local group fitness.
Accentuate your favorite qualities
Find the physical attributes you love most about yourself and accentuate them on your wedding day! If you love your eyes and their color, tell your make up artist that you want to use a style and color that will make your eyes pop. If you love your legs, consider a tea-length dress or one with a slit. If it’s your hair you’re proud of, find a style and accessories that will showcase it perfectly. Happiness and confidence will come from focusing on the positive, so let your favorite qualities shine on your wedding day!
