My Top 5 Wedding Wellness Tips

I loved my wedding day. The months leading up to it? Well… I got through it, okay?!

Planning your wedding is one of the best & most trying times you’ll encounter. There are endless expectations, you want to please everyone & you have been dreaming of this day for years… So the pressure is on for a picture perfect day, right? On top of all that, you want to feel & look your best. So you hit search on good ol’ Google looking for “best wedding diet,” & bring up countless links telling you how to lose weight quick in a mad dash towards the big day.

I’ll be honest.. I did not diet for my wedding. I spent the year I was engaged planning my favorite day of all time, marrying my best friend. It was this picture that kept my head straight during the months of hard work, stress, events & every other wonderful moment in between.

It is easy to get swallowed up & bogged down by the pressure of planning a wedding — which is why I wanted to share my top wedding wellness tips to get YOU to your big day feeling your absolute best! Each wedding is unique, just like each married couple is — & your wellness routine around your wedding prep process should be exactly that! Unique to you. These are some of the things that I focused on & practiced during wedding season that helped me stay sane (as much as possible) & able to show up on the big day feeling every bit myself, exactly as I dreamed.

TOP 5 WEDDING WELLNESS TIPS

eat food & drink water ||

Okay that may sound basic — but it’s so important! Wedding diet blitzes are all the rage the weeks or months before your walk down the isle. Before you hop onto a crash diet train, think about what is most important about you at your wedding — are you present? do you have good energy? do you have that new bride glow? Focusing on eating nourishing meals that support your health goals & drinking adequate water to help your body function at it’s fullest is your best bet for feeling the most comfortable in your own skin.

This could look a lot of ways before your wedding. Maybe you need to meal prep to make sure you have nutritious meals & snacks on hand for stressful planning days . Maybe you do want to lose a little weight before the big day — that’s okay! Working with a registered dietitian in the months prior to your wedding can help you feel confident in the food choices along the way & ultimately feel confident in that gorgeous dress you’ve been dreaming of wearing.

At the end of the day, it matters that your body is receiving the nourishment it needs so you feel your absolute best from engagement day to wedding day.

balance energy levels ||

Planning a wedding can take up a lot of free time! Not only do you work all day, maintain your social life, but you also have to decide how to arrange a seating chart for 100+ people?! And WHO rsvp-ed last minute?! While wedding planning can soak up a generous portion of your time, finding the time to fill up your own energy cup is crucial in beating burnout!

Getting adequate sleep is so beneficial for your overall health & so important when you get busy or a little stressed out. Good, quality sleep helps us to make healthier food choices, think clearly, boosts mood & just feels darn good after a long day. Listen to your body & don’t pull all-nighters for planning’s sake! Prioritizing rest is just as important as staying productive in times it is needed.

Staying active in a way that feels supportive to your mental & physical health. “Sweating for the wedding” is a great way to feel good in your body, burn off some of that nervous (or anxious) energy as the months & weeks pass, but there is simply no need to overdo it! If you’re dreading your workouts — then they are not right for you! This is a rule of thumb for any kind of activity during any season of life, but it definitely applies during the stressful time of wedding planning. The last thing you need is the extra stress of early morning workouts when you hate waking up before 7am or extra cardio sessions when you thrive on a pilates reformer. Just as your diet during this time should support & nourish you, your workout should do the same! Listen to your body & give yourself the movement you need.

manage your stress ||

There is no way around the fact that wedding planning can be stressful — from the first grandparent who asks if you’ve set a date, to the last minute third-cousin who has decided they absolutely cannot attend without their best friend from college. Manage your stress around unforeseen changes, family drama, weather problems or whatever comes up with some self care, supportive activity, happy hour with a friend to vent or whatever else you need in the moment. It is 100% okay to feel stressed, frustrated, or any emotion in between — this is an emotional time! Allow yourself to sit in that feeling, reflect upon it & fins a way to comfortably move yourself through it. Find a way to relax through the hard moments, rather than let them dominate your experience.

positive internal dialogue ||

The voice in your own head is constantly speaking to you. What is it saying to you during this time? Are you waking up each day ready to tackle the challenges that may be at hand, reminding yourself the positive of it all? Or is it bringing you down, causing guilt, stress or increased anxiety? Our self-talk plays a huge role in overall well-being. How we approach the day through our own thoughts can determine a lot about the choices we make & impact our overall experience of our day.

Practicing gratitude is one of my favorite ways to get my self-talk under control when I feel my thoughts drift into a negative space. Whether you prefer to practice mantras, journal or leave sticky notes around your home, find a way to spend a couple of minutes a day practicing gratitude for all the good in your life. Bringing a gratitude practice into your day can not only boost your mood & improve your outlook, it can also keep you grounded in the present moment.

ask for support ||

As a bride who planned most of my wedding myself — I can tell you this is a big one! If you choose to utilize a wedding planner/coordinator, wonderful! If you don’t (like me) then find yourself the support & help you need along the way! Whether it’s to arrange your centerpieces, decide on shoes or just as a cheerleader in your corner, find yourself those key people that are there to support & love you. If someone is guilt tripping you about not getting a plus one on their invite, stressing about your planning timeline or giving you grief for watching what you eat the week before the wedding — find you those friends that have your back, will support your decisions & help you keep your mind clear & your heart happy during this time.

There are a million other things I could say about wedding planning, wedding diets & all the tips along the way — do you want to see more about this?? Leave me a comment & let me know what you would like to know about wedding wellness!

The bottom line is — this time is special. Enjoy it. Soak up the little moments. Have fun! Take care of yourself. And be true to who you are, both individually & as a couple. Sending all my love & married-life vibes your way!

Cheers!

xx,
mallory