Author: Andrea E. McHugh
Photography by: BKB Photography
Some compare the adventures of wedding planning to a roller coaster ride, only every time a coaster goes up, it comes down. For many brides, following the euphoria of the big day that took months, sometimes years of planning, coming down from the whirlwind of wedding day bliss can be harsh reality. Sure the marriage is what is the most important, but it can be hard to big adieu to multiple parties in your honor, hours on the internet scouring hundreds of "must take" photos and those fabulous cake tasting (oh, the perks of planning!) Post-wedding blues, while not a medically diagnosed affliction (hardly!), sets in for a lot of brides who once basked in the glory of making to-do lists, designing a monograms and signature drink dilemmas. Some brides have been known to return home from the honeymoon only to dwell on minor wedding day mishaps ("Im, I'm pretty sure we discussed that the toothpicks on the cocktail hour sliders were supposed to be pink, but they were natural wood tone, and that is just unacceptable. Please call me back.") First, make peace with imperfections that continue to haunt you, and be reasonable about any gripes. There's a wide margin between the unexpected hiccup and major catastrophe. After tying up loose ends including thank you notes and the wedding album, move forward with new interests. Start a new hobby or habit with your new husband--cooking classes, tennis, working out, game nights--because you will have a bit more time on your hands. Finally, when you do reminisce about the wedding, focus on your favorite parts of the day, including the way he looked at your when you walked down the aisle, being announced for the first time as man and wife, and the embrace of well-traveled family and friends, because these, not the uneven escort cards nor the contents of the bathroom basket, will be the lasting memories.


I was just talking about this the other day! I think for me the hardest part will be that I will miss talking to my vendors all the time - they are such rock stars :)
Great advice!
(06.30.10 @ 09:04 AM)This was a great read. Wedding planning and all the excitement around getting married can consume both the bride and groom-to-be! Thanks for sharing...
(06.30.10 @ 11:54 AM)This was a great read. Wedding planning and all the excitement around getting married can consume both the bride and groom-to-be! Thanks for sharing...
(06.30.10 @ 11:55 AM)I am totally going through this right now! I just got married on June 12th- and this is the first week back to work...not fun :(. I am going to missing the whole planning process- maybe I will help others with their wedding!!
(06.30.10 @ 08:31 PM)I agree that you should focus on the positives. It is not very often that a wedding goes off without a snag or two (or way more!) but the wedding is not just about the beauty and glam of the perfect event - it is about the two of you dedicating your lives to each other. No matter how many things go wrong - I am sure you made enough positive memories to hold onto!
(07.05.10 @ 03:42 PM)