A wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of a couple’s life. However, it can also be a day filled with overwhelming emotions, stress, and sensory overload. With so much going on, I was totally blindsided the first time I dealt with a bridal meltdown-even after over a decade of working in the industry. That one bride that “freaked out” was me!
I recently did a consultation with a lovely bride to be, and she mentioned she gets overstimulated, so she would need a private space and time in between activities to soak in the day. Instantly I flashed back to my wedding day… I’d been avoiding thinking about those 20minutes for the last 6 months since, but as I asked her to elaborate it dawned on me that this sounded EXACTLY like what I’d experienced… I had no idea others also experienced this or that what was happening was a “thing”.
“Over stimulation occurs when the brain receives too much information at once, causing a person to feel overwhelmed and unable to process everything that is happening. This can happen to anyone”
Immediately, I was like “ohhhhh”… I got off the call and got straight into reading up on it. I quickly recognized a few reasons why your wedding might make any bride feel overstimulated on her wedding day.
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The wedding week can be extremely busy! I’m so used to being busy getting things ready for other brides I completely forgot I’m the type of person that needs quiet time, and the full day of constant activity that was focused on me was tough. A wedding day can be packed with events and activities, such as hair and makeup appointments, pre-wedding photoshoots, the ceremony, and the reception. With so much to do, a bride can feel rushed and overwhelmed.
2. The wedding day is an emotional rollercoaster. Couples can feel a wide range of emotions, including joy, excitement, nervousness, and anxiety. These emotions can be intense and difficult to process, which can lead to overstimulation.
3. Weddings are full of sights, sounds, and smells. There are flowers, music, laughter, and food aromas, all competing for the bride’s attention. This sensory overload can be too much for some brides to handle…
If I knew then, what I know now, I’d:
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Schedule a break for just me and my husband after the portraits and before the reception so we(I) could have taken a few huge deep breaths!
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Ask for more help- Planning and designing my own wedding was obviously quite easy as I do it all the time, but it was impossible to separate wedding planner Leigh from “Bride Leigh”, so I found it difficult to ask for the help I needed to do the other parts of the wedding process that were more personal.
I always knew that wedding days can be overwhelming and stressful, but I certainly have a deeper insight into why, after my experience. I would encourage anyone getting married to consider this possibility and be proactive in preventing them from happening!
