As many of you will recall, when Dorothy is transported into the Land of Oz, she is soon accompanied by three interesting characters-The Tin Man (who longs for a heart), The Scarecrow (who wants a brain) and The Cowardly Lion (who is pining for courage). You may also recall that these three characters travel with Dorothy because they believe that the Wizard of Oz will give them that which they believe they lack. On their journey, however, all three characters eventually realize that they already possess what is it that they believed only the wizard could give them.
Now you’re probably wondering what this all has to do with your upcoming wedding.
The story of Dorothy and her three companions illustrates some important points that brides-to-be may wish to consider. As a newlywed, I can tell you that the journey of planning your wedding can really seem like a trip into the Land of Oz and when you go, you will certainly want to take with you your three most important companions-your heart, your brain and your courage. The decisions you will need to make will require a balance of all three.
Your wedding is one of the most special days of your life and you will want it to be filled with people and things that you love. At the same time, it really is just one wonderful day out of many to come. It’s very easy to lose perspective on what this whole event is about when you’re constantly bombarded by the details. Choosing the font on your stationary or what to get your bridesmaids may start to become bigger headaches than they need to be. Your wedding is a celebration of love. If you put love at the center of all of your decisions, the daunting process of planning a wedding becomes much easier.
It’s also important to use that lovely brain you have and to choose wisely. Make and stick to a wedding budget, even if your parents are footing the bill. You may want to make a list of important things that you are willing to splurge on (my husband and I decided that we wanted a lot of flowers and so made room in our budget for this). Use your good sense and don’t overspend on things you don’t really care about.
Have the courage to make your wedding your own. Don’t listen to all of the “rules” about what you should and should not have, what you should and should not do. I almost had an anxiety attack when I was addressing our wedding invitations-there are so many etiquette rules and I abbreviated some things that “should” be fully written out. At the end of the day, I realized what really mattered was that everyone we loved was there to see us make our lifelong commitment, not whether I wrote “ln” instead of “lane”.
Finally, surround yourself with great and supportive people, because even the most even-tempered of women can find themselves frazzled by this event. You’ll want to be around people who empathize with you, who make you laugh and who inspire peace of mind. Finally, if the stress of the wedding starts to really get to you, you may want to hire a life coach to help your sort out how to handle difficult situations. No matter the situation, there is always a way to compassionately and appropriately handle anything. A life coach can help you figure out how to do just this so that your wedding day is all about love and not about drama.
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Gabrielle Gujjari is a newlywed who successfully survived planning her wedding. She is also a certified professional life coach who specializes in relationships and women’s issues. You can visit her blog here.
