Guess who’s back? Back again? Shady’s back, tell a friend! AND we are back with a Spring Cleaning Part Two. We tried to include all ten tips in one post to help you “Spring Clean” before the big day, but it was too much to take in at once. In the previous post we talked quite a bit about how you can enhance your wedding planning mentality by doing small things for yourself or your surrounding environment.

Wedding planning has been named one of the hardest tasks to accomplish. No matter if it’s 250 guests or 25 you still have the same pressure on you. Our goal is always to make your job EASIER! Every step we take is to relieve some stress on you as the couple. Including offering some tips and tricks we have learned work not only from our brides, but also using them in our day to day work.

6. Health = Wealth

With great power, comes great responsibility. I know, I know it sounds cheesy, but it is single handedly the most important element to keep your stress levels down. If you maintain a good health regimen, your body will be up for the tasks your mind has set out for it. If your physical self is run down, you won’t be able to accomplish the tasks you have set out for yourself in that day. Then, you will get frustrated with yourself and start pointing fingers (even if it’s at yourself).

We can’t recommend enough eating foods that not only protect your body during your stressful life, but to also encourage it to keep pushing. As you can imagine, wedding days are long! It will be a full 16 hour day for you – that is EXHAUSTING! For all the best reasons of course. You have to prepare your body and mind for enduring such an emotional day. Feed it well!

Also, we know many couples get on the #ShreddingfortheWedding trend and WE LOVE IT! If you can maintain a workout routine for what your body needs, it will help you have stamina in your wedding planning. I know it sounds crazy, trust me I do. However, your body is only going to give out to you what it’s used to getting from you. I will say it one more time for the people in the back – your body is only going to give you what you give it! Treat it with care, and build it up!

7. Preparation is Key

This will be a short note, but so so so important. We totally get that work is first, it’s paying for the wedding, right? However, if you are able to take off work the whole week before the wedding to get your ducks in a row, it will help you tremendously! At minimum, if you could take off 2 days prior to wedding day it will land you in a much better head space. Guests from all walks of life will be present, your two families joining into one, some of your greatest friends – that is a lot of pressure to handle at once. Take a couple days before everything kicks in to mentally + emotionally prepare yourself. It will help you have stamina throughout the whole wedding weekend! Not to mention, pack and collect everything prior to running out the door.

8. Spiritual Spring Cleaning Part Two Before the I DO

No matter if you are spiritual, religious, or refrain from believing in any divine, this is an important note for you! Do some spiritual or internal Spring Cleaning Part Two of yourself and your partner if they allow you. This can come in many forms. Many couples choose to do premarital counseling to prepare themselves for the mindset of sacrificing one’s self as single, and giving to your partner as husband or wife. Often times we do these things out of love, and often times out of making someone happy. Premarital counseling is for couples to understand the weight of what marriage is when you don’t feel like tending to someone else.

If it is not premarital counseling that tickles your fancy, you can always spring clean your spiritual self in another way. You can just find a thing, a place, or an act that brings you total and complete happiness. A time where you can be completely yourself, and just be at peace with everything that is happening at that moment in time. For some this can be Yoga, and for others this can be reading. Wherever you find the ability to let go, and reflect on yourself is the perfect place to be.

9. Get in Loser, We’re Going Shopping

An important note many couples forget when sending invitations out, is having your registry ready for purchasing once the guests receive you invitations! Many guests will immediately go either in store or online to purchase your gifts. They don’t want to forget about it, so they do it first thing. Making sure your registry is set up and ready for delivery will be the perfect way to watch your future self have fun!

Also, registries are PERFECT for setting up items that YOU want. Adding items in there for “fluff” is not going to help you, and it will just add to your Goodwill trips in 1.5 years. If you want to offer purchase options for all sorts of budgets, you are able to set up a “Honeymoon” or “Cash” fund. This can be a great offering for guests who aren’t sure what to buy, or don’t know how much they can budget to give. Guests will be happy to partake in gifting the couple money to buy their new home, or go on a fabulous honeymoon over buying them a $70 blender. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, PEOPLE.

10. Never Stop Dating

WOW. We could literally leave this just as the title. This is the most important note in this post. For the love of all things good in this world, NEVER STOP DATING YOUR PARTNER! This world is full of stress, pressures, illnesses, bills, etc. that can strip your happiness from you. If your happiness is taken from you, it is harder to love someone else unconditionally. You are always trying to fill your own cup with what is left over.

Take time out of your day to date your partner as if it is still week one. Never lose the motivation to take time to call them just to say hello. Never forget what it felt like to hear them say “I love you” for the first time. Always have the same passion and drive as you did in the very beginning to show them they are loved. Taking time away from the stresses of the world, and giving it to your partner will be a direct reflection of how your marriage will continue to unfold!

Self-Care Sundays

An honorary member of the top ten Spring Cleaning & Spring Cleaning Part Two tips: Self-Care Sundays. Every Sunday (or one day that makes sense for you) do something to better your physical, mental, emotional well being. Maybe it’s doing an at home face mask with a smoothie. It could be watching your favorite Ryan Reynolds movie with a glass (*cough* bottle) of wine. Whatever it is for you, make sure you have a day that hits the “RESET” button. Ten quick notes as your take away bullet points from these blog posts: It IS about you. Clean what you can control. Utilize those around you. Rest your body and mind. It’s your wedding, and your life. Fill your cups first. Preparation will help you in the long run. Be easy on yourself. Let others help you along the way. Take time for your partner.

XO.
Kayla LeDuc