The stress in the weeks leading up to my wedding was on another level—even for me, a person who is never not anxious.
I have a lot to say below, so I’m keeping this intro brief. This is by no means a list of “musts,” but rather a compilation of some of the useful tips I learned during the last month of my bridal era. So please don’t feel stressed or overwhelmed or like these are things you have to do. I want to help make your life easier, not add to your anxiety.
I made a daily and weekly whiteboard to keep me on track.
First things first. I have ADHD, and consistency is not exactly my strong suit. So I got a whiteboard, divided it into sections with some washi tape, and wrote down each thing I needed to do on a daily and weekly basis, so I would have a visual reminder right in front of me.
I used these masks every. single. day.
The Renee Rouleau Rapid Response Detox Masque is literally liquid gold—my holy grail product. I have been using it for years. It’s anti-inflammatory and really soothing. (I’ve even used it to calm my skin after a Brazilian wax.) But it also contains acne-fighting ingredients like tea tree oil and salicylic acid. About four weeks before my wedding date, I started using it every night before I went to bed. Is this something I could afford to do all the time? No. But it was worth it because my hormonal acne made nary a peep. And then once or twice a week, I would do an exfoliating mask before this one.
I also used The Things We Do Coconut Collagen Eye Mask and Capsules. Again, can I afford to make this a permanent part of my skincare routine? No. These were extenuating circumstances.
I drank this tea every morning.
I am obsessed with the Olyxir Lymphatic Cleanse Tea, and I have been since I first tried it. I can’t explain it better than I already did in this review.
The highlights: It’s caffeinated, it tastes really good, and it seriously makes me look and feel wayyyy (emphasis on the extra y’s) less puffy and bloated.
I almost had a meltdown when my now-husband accidentally threw it away because he thought the bag was empty. On the one hand, I appreciated that he was trying to keep things neat. On the other … let’s just say it was fortunate for all involved that I had enough time to buy a replacement.
I wondered if it was too late to elope.
Jk, but not really. I loved our wedding, and it was all worth it in the end. But damn, it was stressful getting there.
I made sure to spend time with my then-fiancé, now-husband, in non-wedding-planning mode.
Your wedding is a really big deal! Of course, it’s gonna come up a lot in conversation, especially as it gets closer and there are still decisions to make. But my partner and I started to notice that it was dominating a lot of our conversations and adding to our stress. So we set aside certain times to talk wedding and the rest of the time to just enjoy our time together and play Uno or whatever.
I had a stylist help me pick out my outfit for the welcome party.
You guys, the amount of time I spent searching for an outfit for this event was nonsense. I got stuck in decision paralysis. I wish I had known way beforehand (like, before shopping for my actual wedding dress) that regular people like me could work with a stylist.
I found Something White Styling on Instagram, and loved the vibe—very “cool bride.” Their website is also very transparent about pricing and what you get with each package, which made it feel way less intimidating than other services I saw. I met with Kate, the founder, over Zoom. Then, she put together these gorgeous outfit boards for me, helped me narrow it down to my favorites, and did a virtual try on to pick *the one.* I felt so confident and good.
I got a lymphatic drainage massage.
This is one of those things you can do at home, but I did not have the time nor attention span to learn how to do a full body massage on myself. So to the pros I went.
I got a dermaplaning facial.
I had high hopes that I would get a facial once a month leading up to the wedding, but that didn’t happen for reasons like “I’m bad at keeping appointments” and “money.” I did, however, make sure to get professional dermaplaning and a DiamondGlow facial (two treatments I have had before, so I knew how my skin would react) a couple days prior to the wedding. My face was nice and prepped for makeup, and peach fuzz stayed out of my photos.
I got my armpits waxed a few days beforehand.
When I went in for my usual bikini wax, I added on an armpit wax and it was a great game-time decision. There were so many things going on the days of our welcome party and wedding that I definitely would have forgotten to shave my pits.
I kept easy-to-grab snacks on hand.
Between the stress and the nerves, I didn’t really feel hungry for like a week (okay, maybe a month) before the wedding. But having readily available simple snacks like Greek yogurt topped with protein granola and berries, seed crackers and hummus or peanut butter, and frozen grapes (try it, and thank me later) made it easier to feed myself.
I panic-ordered a bunch of different shapewear options.
I was all over the place with what shapewear I wanted to wear. I didn’t want to have the worry that my shapewear would roll down, so I eventually settled on an open-bust bodysuit situation and then used double-sided tape to make sure the straps stayed put and hidden under the straps of my dress.
I made sure to have everything for my day-of “problem solver” kit.
Think: other things I panic-ordered. These included fashion tape, a couple different types of boob tape, a sticky bra, a tiny sewing kit, safety pins, and, tbh, I don’t even remember what else. I wanted to be prepared for anything, but I was also in kind of a fugue state.
I got my hair and nails done.
I bite my nails and usually wear press-ons, but my mom and sister surprised me with a gel extension manicure that I am eking every last bit of wear out of.
The hair is pretty self-explanatory.
At the end of the day, remember that your wedding is about you, your partner, and the love you share. That’s the most important thing—don’t lose sight of it!
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