Overcome Symptoms of Perfectionism During Your Wedding Planning

Many brides have been dreaming of their wedding day since they were young. Some may have just started thinking about it for the first time, but find themselves idealizing it all. I get this. I’m a planner, a dreamer, a creator myself, and long for the ‘perfect’ event, photo, fill in the blank, you name it.

This idealism can lead many brides to become either paralyzed or overwhelmed and stressed. Perfectionism in wedding planning isn’t in itself bad, but if it’s not understood and dealt with properly, it can cause rifts between you and your loved ones, and maybe even create havoc with your budget. As a perfectionist myself, I’m here to help you to recognize and overcome symptoms of perfectionism in the face of your wedding planning.

Name it and put it in its place. The saying goes that the first step in overcoming something is being able to name it. Coming to terms with the fact that you tend towards perfectionism and setting boundaries for yourself and those involved is the best thing you can do before even beginning the planning process. Verbalizing this to your loved ones is also key so that you have the support you need when the perfectionist enemy comes out to play.

Remember what the day is about. When you feel like the day isn’t going to be as perfect as you’d like and the stress comes on, stop, breathe, and remember what your wedding is all about. Yes, I agree, beautiful center pieces and a dazzling dress are amazing, but if you let that become the focus rather than the fact that you get the honor of becoming one with your love, it can perpetuate the perfectionism and distract you from what really matters.

Create enough time to plan. That perfectionism paralysis I talked about earlier? Yeah, that can lead to some major procrastination. In order to make sure you are able to still live a healthy, balanced life while wedding planning, give yourself enough time to do it. It can be easy to keep pushing it off in fear of making a “wrong” or imperfect decision, but that habit of procrastinating decisions will end up creating more stress than any less-than-ideal decision you can make. (If you are overwhelmed by where to start or what needs to be done check out this great wedding planning timeline & checklist!)

Remember, be kind to yourself. Focus on your relationship with your future spouse and what truly matters. Your wedding day should create joy, not fear and anxiety, so, I dare say, allow yourself some imperfection along the way!