The Bride’s Survival Kit You Didn’t Know You Needed

Wedding planning begins after your engagement party ends. Even while making your most romantic dreams come true, you might notice that you’re struggling with certain aspects of the experience. Brides often create survival kits to support their well-being until they walk down the aisle. Learning how to make your own will transform your planning process into a laid-back chapter of your life.

Take Care of Your Physical Health

You should feel your best when it’s time to step into your wedding gown. Maintain your physical health with key strategies that could continue improving your life after your honeymoon.

Strengthen Your Immune System

A weakened immune system could drain your energy during crucial planning steps. You could also get sick before your wedding day and feel ill at the altar. Try eating more foods with vitamin C to avoid that future. The essential vitamin is crucial to immune system functioning and minimizing oxidative stress. You’ll find it in fruits, vegetables and vitamin-infused drinks at your local grocery store.

Drink Extra Water

Water is crucial for your overall health. If you typically reach for a soda or iced coffee when you’re thirsty, grab some iced water instead. Experts recommend that women drink 11.5 cups of water daily to maintain their well-being. Carrying a big water bottle covered in your favorite stickers will make that more manageable. 

Avoid Trendy Bridal Diets

Women often hear that they should lose weight before their wedding. Avoid the more extreme bridal diets if you’re feeling the same pressure. Research shows that one in three people who diet develops an eating disorder. If your doctor agrees that losing weight is OK, work with a nutritionist to create a sustainable diet that gets long-term results. You’ll preserve your relationship with food, maintain energy and avoid any adverse health effects of extreme dietary restrictions.

Support Your Mental Well-Being

Your mental health might not feel the same once you have more wedding-related stress. Keep a strong, positive mindset by adding extra strategies to your bridal survival kit.

Reduce Stress With Better Sleep

Struggling to fall asleep messes with your mind long-term. You don’t want to say your vows and feel sluggish because you haven’t slept well. Refine your sleep routine by avoiding screens before turning the lights off. One hour of screen time before bed increases your risk of insomnia symptoms by 59%, so try reading or meditating instead. 

Reducing stress with a simple sleep routine adjustment could also benefit your bridal appearance. Your skin changes with stress levels, so you might have breakouts even with a consistent skin care routine. See how your appearance changes with better long-term sleep quality. You may get the bridal glow you want without buying costly products.

Put Daily Deadlines on Planning

You have a busy schedule, so it’s tempting to email vendors right before you fall asleep. Even though that might make your wedding planning more productive, you’ll feel more stressed during your rest time. Place a hard limit on your wedding work every evening. If you stop at 7 p.m., you’ll have time to relax your mind and ease into your sleep routine. 

Try a New Hobby

Weddings are significant responsibilities. You might want to spend every free moment working on your ceremony or reception, but that won’t improve your mental health. Save time each day for something fun instead. You’ll still work on wedding details, but you’ll balance your anxiety with stress-relieving activities.

You might join a paddleboarding class and attend with friends. Maybe you’d love learning a new crafting skill or taking morning walks with your fiancé. Hobbies lower depression symptoms while boosting relaxation, so your mental health could improve as long as you’re doing something for fun.

Create Your Timeline

Save each bridal survival kit strategy that feels most relevant to you. Once you have your collection, spread those ideas into an actionable timeline. You’ll know you’re on track if your steps align with the calendar. You could do something more general if you like a flexible lifestyle, like:

• Six months out: Start your new routines by adding a lifestyle change once a week. Incorporating new things gradually makes the adjustments easier. You’ll also have six months for the beneficial changes to take effect, like strengthening your immune system.
• Three months from your wedding: Home in on the most beneficial survival kit strategies you’ve found. You could continue your water intake to support your skin health and add a hydrating nightly lotion to conquer dry skin faster.
• One month away: Avoid any dietary triggers or topical irritants that could disrupt your health. You don’t want to have sudden breakouts or stomach symptoms only days before your ceremony.

Remember, your timeline is adjustable. If you’d rather start a new skin care routine two weeks before your wedding, go ahead. You’ll improve your pre-wedding stress levels if your changes suit your comfort level and support your well-being.

Prepare Conflict Management Strategies

Bridal survival kits typically include tips for what to bring on your big day. Preparing a packing list is a good idea, but you might feel surprised at lingering tension that starts building as your wedding gets closer. The ultimate survival kit includes conflict management tips that you can use with your fiancé, friends, family and guests.

1. Demonstrate Active Listening Skills

People often get angry because they don’t feel heard. Active listening skills solve that initial problem. After listening to someone explain why they’re upset, acknowledge that you heard them by saying you hear the specific feeling they expressed. Apologize for the situation and ask how you can help.

Try finding a compromise whenever possible, but don’t think you can’t say no. If someone’s mad because you’re hosting a child-free reception, you shouldn’t change all of your plans if that’s what you prefer. Holding your ground politely but firmly may be the only way to end the conversation.

2. Collaborate on Communication

Imagine your fiancé suggesting acoustic music for your reception dinner. You agree and talk with the DJ about arranging an acoustic guitar playlist. When your partner reviews the DJ’s playlist, they get frustrated. They were picturing folk songs instead of instrumental covers.

Accidental miscommunication happens all the time, especially when you’re planning a high-pressure event like a wedding. When those moments happen, remain curious. Ask how you could both communicate more effectively next time. You’ll learn how your loved ones best receive information, which could differ from yours. The lasting communication skills will improve your relationships long after your wedding day ends.

3. Set Lasting Boundaries

Boundaries teach people how to treat you. Conflict can happen when people cross those lines. Experts note that there are six types of boundaries to consider — physical, emotional, material, sexual, workplace and time. If you don’t identify and reinforce your boundaries, you could deal with more interpersonal challenges.

Your father-in-law might get upset when he doesn’t get a say in your venue selection. He could raise his voice to communicate his hurt feelings. Your boundary might be telling him you’re willing to discuss his thoughts, but he needs to return later when he can speak calmly. If he doesn’t, you can leave. Clear, enforced boundaries strengthen relationships when people respect them.

Customize Your Bridal Survival Kit

You don’t have to have your bridal kit ready the day after your proposal. The best survival plans morph with time. If you have strategies in mind for various challenging situations, you’ll know how to care for your well-being before and after your wedding.