Here’s a cold, hard truth that you’re perhaps not quite ready to accept; though your wedding may have been the best day of your life, the comedown is worse than anything you may have experienced following Glastonbury or Creamfields.
After all the months – and perhaps even years – of planning, once the big day is over, and regardless of where you might be enjoying your honeymoon, expect some post-wedding blues to hit. There are ways to make them less severe, however, and come out the other side a happy couple looking forward to many years together. Here’s how; our 5 IDEAL ways to beat the post-wedding blues.
BE AWARE OF THEM
The first step in tackling a problem is accepting it exists. And as with most things, forewarned is forearmed in terms of the post-wedding comedown. So, accept in advance that the post-wedding blues exist, as this will help you to find ways to sidestep them before your wedding day.
A common reason for feeling down after your wedding is that so much of your life has been taken up with thinking about and planning for the big day. So, once it’s over, you’re at a loose end.
To avoid this, try to keep balance in your life in the lead up to your wedding. Maintain a social life that doesn’t revolve around the wedding (or talking about the wedding) and keep up your normal hobbies and activities that make you happy. Don’t let the big day dominate every single aspect of your life. That way, you won’t have to put your life back together from scratch once the wedding is over.
RIDE IT OUT
Weddings are notorious for bringing out many different emotions, particularly for those getting married. Tying the knot is a big, serious step in your life, and one which signals new responsibilities. It’s likely you will have a lot to work through for yourself, let alone all the inevitable compromises as a couple.
All the organisation and stress can leave you feeling tired, overwhelmed and drained and you’re bound to experience a mixture of different feelings before, on, and after your big day. Allowing yourself to experience these emotions without guilt or repression can help hugely in avoiding post-wedding blues.
LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT STAGE
While a certain amount of emptiness is inevitable once the wedding is over, know that there is still so much to look forward to. If you’re going on a far-flung honeymoon, throw yourself into planning day trips and activities that you’d like to do while away. Alternatively, if you’re planning on kicking back on the beach for a week, choose the perfect book and swimsuit to accompany you and your spouse on your first holiday as newlyweds.
And in the longer term, try to visualise the happy years ahead, perhaps with a family, perhaps with a sense of freedom. That way, you can conceptualise the wedding day as just the beginning, rather than with a sense of loss.
REVEL IN THE MEMORIES
Though we’re encouraging looking forward, there’s absolutely no harm in reliving the special day and luxuriating in it as much as possible, too. Plot a date to meet up with friends and reminisce, perhaps when you get your photos through.
Make a real occasion of it; shop for perfect the wedding photo album, choose to display them on a big screen or in beautifully selected frames, or even spend the days following the event assembling a custom photo book chock-full of wonderful memories…in doing so, the memories will be with you forever.
ENJOY YOUR MARRIAGE
Even if there were hiccups on your big day, the chances are that all your hard work and planning paid off. Sometimes, between the endless lists of invitations, florists and catering ideas, it’s easy to lose sight of why you’re getting married in the first place.
A wedding is a commitment to each other and a celebration of your relationship. So, be sure to remember that your marriage is even more beautiful and important than your wedding day itself. Now you’re married, you’re about to start a whole new chapter. Remember your wedding day with fondness as you step forwards into the rest of your life with your new spouse.