5 Ways to Bring Zen to Your Wedding: BEFORE THE CEREMONY
Weddings can be stressful. As a wedding officiant, I often find that couples get nervous about 30 minutes before the ceremony starts. Everything starts to feel very "real" as brides and grooms. As couples see their guests arrive, they begin recognize the importance of the day and see the culmination of weeks and months of planning.
Here are 5 things I recommend to ease your nerves before your ceremony.
Have a First Look
If you’re the type of person that gets nervous around crowds, doesn’t like to be the center of attention or gets anxious rather easily, then this is a great option for you. Depending on how involved you are in the process and your personality type, there can be a lot of internal stress built up to that moment of seeing each other for the first time. The First Look will give you peace of mind knowing that your significant other will be there for you to help calm those nerves.
There are quite a few couples that prefer to see their beloved for the first time when they walk down the aisle. So, if that traditional ritual is important to you, just move on to #2.
Re-read Your Vows
Writing personal vows is a reflective and intimate process. Many brides and grooms are most nervous sharing their promises during the ceremony. So, I encourage everyone to take a moment and re-read them so you feel more comfortable. The same goes for traditional or prompted vows if you are going that route. Taking time to review your vows will connect you to the meaning behind them, and get you excited for a future together.
Smell Some Calming Essential Oils
There have been tons of studies in recent years about the power of aromatherapy. Don’t believe me, just check this out. The essential oils best known for their calming properties include:
Bergamot
Chamomile
Clary sage
Lavender
Lemon
Neroli
Rose
Ylang-ylang
I always have lavender and ylang-ylang in my bag ready to offer my couples a little Zen before the ceremony. Just a heads up that due to the popularity of essential oils in recent years, the market is filled with poor quality products. So, make sure you select one that is 100% pure and natural. If essential oils are not your thing, you can always talk to your florist or make sure your flowers have pretty smells or calming aromas.
Surround Yourself with Supportive People
If you want to guarantee a calm environment before your wedding ceremony, you need to make sure you surround yourself with warm and encouraging people. We all know plenty of well-meaning friends or family members that tend to add stress to a situation, you may need to have your more supportive friends or family members on the look-out to keep them away or limit their time with you. The same goes for the vendors on your team! If you want a stress-free experience, make sure to hire those that you want with you throughout the day.
Add extra time to the schedule, just in case!
Wedding days tend to have pretty packed timelines. If you have a wedding planner or day-of coordinator chances are they are already doing this for you. But rushing or running out of time can certainly add stress to the day. Therefore, it’s important to add time to each item during the day. If you find yourself with down-time, you can take run, do yoga, have a dance party, toast a nice whiskey or just sit together and enjoy a moment in silence.
Doesn’t that sound nice and calming? I thought so!
Do any of these recommendation resonate with you? Which are you definitely adding to your list? Or does this list spark any other ideas? If so, let me know. The comment box below is open!