We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share their advice for staying healthy during wedding planning. Here are some of the best tips:
1. Start a book club.
"My fiancé and I made a little book club of just the two of us. We picked a book we both have been meaning to read, read a little every night, and every day after dinner turn off the TV for a little bit to talk about it together. The book is in no way wedding related and it's great to have some time to get our brains off of everything and just have a little fun and enjoy each other's insights."
—Clare Marrero, Facebook
2. Size up, not down.
"One of the best things I did was order my dress one size up from what actually fit me [to take some of the pressure off]."
—Drea Rockett, Facebook
3. Train for a race.
"I hated wedding planning, so I remained preoccupied by training for (and running) the NYC Marathon, which conveniently took place exactly three weeks before the big day. Not only did I let go of a lot of stress in a healthy way, all the training prepped my body for 15 pounds of dress/veil/jewelry."
—Lindsay Siddiqi, Facebook
4. Make some delicious, energizing coffee.
"I've learned how to make some killer iced coffee and bought a few flavored syrups for them for those days I need a little pick me up in the middle of planning everything."
—Taylor Kuykendall, Facebook
5. Get plenty of beauty sleep.
"I just focused on sleeping and eating well. I didn't care about losing weight and I tried to just focus on the journey of engagement instead of stressing myself out."
—Amanda Bricker, Facebook
6. Delegate, delegate, delegate.
"I paced myself; when I had the time, I got a bunch of wedding-related tasks accomplished, and when I was busier, I made a point to do at least one thing a day. Also, when people say 'let me know if you need anything,' seriously LET THEM KNOW IF YOU NEED ANYTHING. By assigning roles and tasks to other people, I had more time to do the things I cared most about."
—Tami Harris, Facebook
7. Take out your frustration on gym equipment.
"I have some traditional family members who are making it difficult to plan what I want. There are certain things that I will not budge on, but there are some things that I'll let them have their way because I don't think it's worth the argument. To keep myself from going crazy from all of that, I work out, and work out hard. Powerlifting has been a love of mine for two years! It also helps that the apartments I live at have a punching bag in their fitness center so when I feel the urge so slap someone I can punch the heck out of that instead!"
—Melissa Keena, Facebook
8. Go off the grid.
"One week before my wedding, I would call my out-of-town fiancé at 9 p.m. and say good night, then I would hand over my cell phone and laptop to my mom so she'd keep them away from me until the next morning. It forced me to get everything done during the day, and in the evening, I would read or journal and go to sleep at a decent hour. No amount of makeup can compete with well-rested skin and peace of mind."
—Zokally Trejo, Facebook
9. Get in a little quality time with friends.
"Taking time for yourself and going out with your friends (without your soon-to-be spouse) every so often is a must. Even if it's just sitting down drinking a coffee somewhere. The mind needs a rest!"
—Patricia Trotta, Facebook
10. Take yourself on a movie date.
"About a week before my wedding, I decided to go see a movie. I didn't tell anyone, I didn't go with anyone, and I went to a movie without having to worry about any one else's choice. I had a few hours to myself where I could switch my phone off, eat some popcorn, and just sit in a dark quiet room. It was perfect."
11. Or plan nights out with your future spouse.
"Regular date nights with my fiancé (now husband). He can always calm my nerves."
12. Consider the centering power of yoga.
"I'm currently planning and hot power yoga has really helped my stress and anxiety. I do still feel pressure to lose some weight before the big day, but I'm trying to remember that this day isn't about my dress size. I get to spend the rest of my life with my favorite person on the planet and that's pretty fucking cool."
13. Show your nail beds some love.
I made sure to get a manicure every Saturday. It was something small, but it made me feel pretty, especially while going around showing off the engagement ring, and it became something I looked forward to every Saturday."
14. Discover the real meaning of Netflix and chill.
"I set a 'no wedding planning after 11 p.m.' rule. I had to put all electronic devices down and watch two episodes of Friends on Netflix. It let me relax, unwind, laugh, and spend time with my partner."
15. Ignore how you're told you should look.
"I didn't give in to the 'you have to lose weight' philosophy. I was beautiful at 200 pounds! Gasp!! How dare I weigh that much?! The week of my wedding, I got a facial, body wrap, and a massage and it was worth every penny!"
16. Become a nap queen (or king).
"I made sure I let myself take naps and not feel guilty about it. Yes, there were always a million things to do, but when I took the time to rest first I always was more productive when I woke up after. Sleep is your best friend."
17. Try out new kinds of physical activity.
"I'm doing fun types of exercise. I'm currently teaching myself to skateboard and I do ballet."
—Angie Way, Facebook
18. Werk. It.
"I paid for a beauty run through with my hair and makeup girl that led to looking like a pin up while on a motorcycle ride with my soon-to-be husband. That was probably the best way I took care of myself. Like, who doesn't want to look sexy riding around their small town for everyone to see?"
19. Plan a mini vacation.
"My fiancé and I are spending a night or two at the beach a few weeks before the wedding to just be with each other before it really gets crazy."
—Olivia Tobler, Facebook
20. And try to avoid making weight loss part of your wedding planning.
"Realize that you are most likely not going to lose those 20 pounds you’re convinced will make your wedding day perfect. Accept where you’re at and buy a dress that fits you, not one you’re going to try to stuff yourself into. Planning a wedding is stressful enough — don’t throw in being hungry or giving up your favorite foods just to be a size or two smaller. Being happy and in love will make your day and pictures perfect, not a smaller dress size. Your significant other obviously loves you just as you are, or they wouldn’t have proposed!"
Submissions have been lightly edited for length/clarity.
Body Positivity Week is a week of content devoted to exploring and celebrating our complicated relationships with our bodies. Check out more great Body Positivity Week content here.
