How To Survive Wedding Season Without Burning Out
There's no denying that weddings are incredible, celebrating two people in love, catching up with friends and family and of course, having a cheeky little boogie. But sometimes, when the invitations start to stack up, it can all start to feel a bit stressful.
This Summer, we were very kindly invited to 4 weddings, all of which were taking place within a 2 week window. As I'm sure you can imagine, when I realised this, I panicked - my main concern being..how the heck am I going to have the mental, emotional and physical energy to get through all of the events? One of my aims this year has been to take better care of myself, so with this in mind, I realised I had to put some boundaries in place to help me through.
These are the top 8 things that I did and would recommend to you to help you get through wedding season as calmly as possible...
1. Cherry-pick the events you attend
Gone are the days when weddings were one day events. Nowadays they can last anywhere up to a week, months if you include hen dos, bridal shopping and the rest which all requires A LOT of time and energy. Then add in work and home life responsibilities, the excitement can quickly turn into overwhelm and stress. So, this year, I've tried to cherry pick the events I attend according to what I think I'll be able to handle, what I think is reasonable and what I think I'll enjoy - nobody wants me turning up when I'm not a vibe.
2. Organise your outfits in advance
This is one of my top self-care tips of all time. I plan every outfit in advance, right down to the underwear. I even go as far as trying them all on, writing everything down on my Outfit Organiser, steaming everything and hanging it all on my rail ready to go. I find this really helps with my anxiety, causes less last minute 'OMG-I-hate-how-I-look' moments and it leaves more time to get ready in peace. Also, when you plan your outfit for exactly how you want to look, the likelihood is you'll feel more confident in your look when you get to the place which means you can relax and enjoy yourself without feeling self-conscious.
3. Check what stage you're at in your cycle
This ties in with number 1. During the middle 2 weeks of our menstrual cycle, we tend to naturally be more sociable and outgoing because of the hormones at play, so this is the best time to be out enjoying the events. If the events don't align with your cycle, you could manage this by minimising the time you spend at each event or ensure that you have enough time to rest both before and after the event.
4. Stay overnight
If the wedding is taking place more than an hour's drive away and if it's going to mean driving super early or late, generally, we try to stay in a hotel nearer the venue. It can feel like a lot of faff packing everything up, but it means not having to stress, and the worst thing for me, having to get ready 2/3 hours before the event actually starts.
5. Getting a taxi to parties (this one's for the childfree drinkers)
There's nothing worse than going to a wedding and having to drive your drunk and annoying partner home. Within weeks of us being married, Harpreet and I came to the decision that we either both drink and get a taxi or no one drinks and one of us drives. It's saved a lot of arguments I can tell you.
6. Make yourself a self-care package
This is another one that I do to help ease my anxiety and increase my confidence. In my handbag I take the following things:
Confidence Cards - Let's be honest, we're not always excited at the prospect of seeing EVERYONE at a wedding, we all have that auntie who wants to make a comment. In these cases, on the morning of the event, I go to my Confidence Cards and pluck out the ones that help me tackle any negative feelings I might have about myself. For example, if I'm feeling nervous about being judged for wearing an Indo-western outfit as opposed to a traditional one, I'll pull out cards with affirmations that remind me of why it's fine. Then at the event, I can open my bag and have a glance whenever I need that confidence boost.
Chunni Grips - These are a new discovery for me but I'll never be attending a religious event without them ever again. A chunni grip is a special grip that attaches to your chunni and then clips into your hair which means it stays put all day long. Genius! I was very kindly gifted mine from @jeets.accessories.
Eyelash Glue - Just in case the falsies start flapping.
Sewing Needle & Thread - Just in case something pulls or rips.
Cream - I fill a little travel pot up of face cream just in case my dry skin decides to make me uncomfortable.
Concealer - Just in case of make up mishaps after all the emotional moments.
7. Don't be too hard on yourself if the house is a mess
I almost just expect it now. My motto is, something's gotta give, the house will still be messy tomorrow, we'll deal with it then. I do try to do a big deep clean before all the festivities begin, this way, not much needs doing during the actual craziness and any mess that we create is less than it would have been had I not tidied everything up before.
8. Schedule time to do nothing
This one is probably the most important one, but it really depends on how much we honour ourselves re: Number 1. If there's a free morning, afternoon or evening between events, use the time to do absolutely nothing, put your feet up, watch some TV, eat something nice and nourishing (for the body or soul) or have a much-deserved nap...anything that's going to help you re-charge your battery. I actually went out and bought myself a 'well-done for surviving' present after the last couple of weddings.
I hope that was helpful. I think the most important thing that I want to stress is to honour and respect yourself and your boundaries. Let me know in the comments, are there any of these that you do already? Are there any that you'll be implementing going forward?
Love always, Sabrina xxx
