Best-selling author and award-winning renowned therapist, Marisa Peer, shares her Guide to Wedding Day Wellness.
Your wedding is meant to be one of the happiest days of your life; however, in my 30 years as a therapist, I’ve worked with countless brides and grooms who’ve felt overwhelmed by anxiety, self-doubt and post-wedding blues. Some are also hit with guilt for even feeling this way at a time when they think they should be feeling excited and happy!
Managing your mental health during this time is absolutely crucial – not just for enjoying your big day but also for creating a happy, fulfilling marriage that lasts well beyond the wedding day.
Before the Wedding:
Shift from Perfection to Presence
Wedding planning can feel like a race to meet everyone’s expectations – yours, your family’s and your friends’. Many couples get stuck in the trap of trying to plan the perfect wedding. But this constant striving for perfection often leads to stress, burnout and inevitable disappointment when things don’t go according to plan (which they won’t!).
Here’s the reality: there’s no such thing as perfect. What’s truly important is it’s YOUR day, so just focus on being present and savour every moment.
The best way to do this is to prioritise yourself. Set clear boundaries to protect your time and energy, and take regular breaks from planning to do things that make you feel calm and relaxed. To help you stay grounded, take a peaceful walk in nature, meditate, read or simply catch up with friends.
A technique I share with my clients is, at times of overwhelm, stop and repeat the affirmation, “I am enough, my wedding will be enough, and my love is enough.” This not only helps silence your inner critic but also reminds you what’s really important – celebrating your love and connection, not achieving perfection.
After the Wedding:
Embracing the Transition
Once the wedding is over, many couples experience an unexpected emotional crash or post-wedding blues.
The important thing to remember is that there is nothing wrong with feeling this way. After months of planning and anticipation, it’s normal to feel a sense of emptiness or even sadness once it’s all behind you.
Instead of viewing this as negative, embrace it as an opportunity to refocus your energy on what really matters now – your marriage.
Talk to your partner, share your feelings, and remember that you are in this together.
Protecting Your Mental Health as a Couple
A strong marriage is built on open communication, quality time, and prioritising mental and emotional well-being as a team. So, make sure you continue to plan date nights, spend quiet time together, and make time to talk each day.
Above all, remember: just like your wedding day, marriage comes with its ups and downs, but by prioritising your mental health, you’ll help build a relationship grounded in love, strength, and lasting connection.
Still feeling stressed?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed in the lead-up to your big day, I’ve created a Coping With Wedding Stress audio to help you transform stress into excitement available at marisapeer.com
Marisa Peer is a best-selling author and an award-winning therapist who has transformed thousands of lives over her 30-year career with her unique approach, Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT). Her clients include international superstars, CEOs and Olympic athletes.
In addition to her private practice, Marisa founded the ‘I Am Enough’ movement to help people boost confidence, improve relationships and eliminate blocks to success. She has trained over 17,000 therapists worldwide through her RTT School and continues to inspire audiences with her talks at events including Mindvalley Live, the World Government Summit and TEDx.
