5 Ways to Destress as a Bridesmaid

When you’re a little girl, from the age of eight to 18, you toddle around with your little friend playing wedding. While the picture of who might be playing the ONE changes and evolves, one factor remains constant. No matter how old you get or whom you and your friends person is, she is your bridesmaid and you’re hers. Best friends are there through up and downs, for both the highs and the lows. And that’s why, when she’s finally found her perfect match, she’s asked you to be her bridesmaid.

While a wedding can be one of the best times of their life, it also can be a stressful one as well. When you’re close to the bride and in the wedding party, chances are that it's can be a stressful for you too. Make sure you’re taken care of first. This means finding ways to destress throughout the process of being a bridesmaid. Here are our top tips for bridesmaids needing to lighten the load and destress a little:

1. Familiarize Yourself with the Wedding Website

Depending on your closeness, both emotionally and in terms of distance, the wedding website might be a prime duty of yours. Even if it’s not however, familiarizing yourself with the details contained there can greatly decrease your stress and also allow you to be a step ahead of the game.

2. Be a ‘Yes-man’

Unless a bride’s request causes you harm or puts you into debt, being a ‘yes-man’ can take a huge load of stress both you and the bride. For example: going wedding dress shopping with the bride and she doesn’t know where to go for lunch? Just be happy with wherever she picks. For you it’s one day, one lunch; it means a lot more to her and she might want to chose somewhere that doesn’t make her feel bloated before she goes and tries on a bunch of white dresses. Agreeing with wherever she suggests may just make the day feel even more special.

3. Shred for the Wedding with Her

While it might not be your wedding, chances are, the bride is wanting to get in a little better shape before walking down that aisle in a white dress. Suggest going to workout together or taking a fun workout class, like Soul Cycle, for the two of you. Doing this will greatly relieve your stress as well as get you in a bit better shape for whatever lovely bridesmaid dress your friend decided for you to wear. This will also give you a chance to reconnect and spend some quality time with your favorite bride!

4. Try a More Proactive Approach

Majority of the time, you know when you’re going to be in a wedding party way in advance so plan accordingly. Plan to be more mindful of your mental health during that time and actively schedule time to yourself. Try new stress relief methods such as adult coloring books, cbd oil, or a bath bomb. Cbd oil you can add to your coffee in the morning and bath bombs can be a great way to unwind at night. By actively being more aware of your mental health and purposefully planning time to relax and take a break, you’ll be far more relaxed than simply trying to power through a high stress situation.

5. Plan any Travel in Advance

Be the actual wedding itself or the bachelorette party, planning travel far in advance, you not only save yourself heartache, you usually will save yourself money too. Try to book flights four to six months in advance if you can. In addition, you can also look to get money off a trip by booking your flight through a travel site. Not only saving money, it can also help to plan out vacation days at work too, should vacation time be limited or less flexible.

6. Get to Know the Other Bridesmaids

While you might already know a few of your fellow bridesmaids from grade school, there’s a big chance your bestie and the bride-to-be made some friends from college or her work that you’re less acquainted with. Be sure to make friends and get to know these girls as this connection can definitely lessen your stress load. They’ll be there to help you with ins and outs and can help to iron out the details when it comes to the big day. They can also be a great resource when it comes to information for the wedding as well.

7. Pack a “Go Bag”

Whether or not the wedding is a destination or requires you to get a hotel, packing a bag or tote can help you to stay organized day of and can come in clutch in case of emergency. Be sure to have some sort of electrolyte drink, a mini-sewing kit, ibuprofen or Advil, a pair of flats, a Cliff or protein bar or trail mix, and extra feminine products. Being prepared in case of a wedding emergency, can be a major help to your fellow bridesmaids and especially to the bride. You never know, your sewing kit could just be the fix to her wedding emergency.

By ensuring you’re prepared and stress free in time for your best friends big day, you’ll make sure that there’s no one else she’d rather have stand by her side as she takes the next big step towards her happily-ever-after.

Guest Writer: Mollie Wilson