The Role of Self-Care in Wedding Planning: Prioritising Health Amidst the Hustle

Published by Claire Gould on

by Isabella Williams, health and wellness writer

Planning a wedding, potentially your Best Day Ever, is an exhilarating experience. However, more often than not, all of the organisation involved can also be stressful. When decision overload creeps up on you, and you’re running out of time as the big day approaches, your health can take a back seat as you prioritise all your wedding arrangements. That’s when it becomes more important than ever to carve out some time for yourselves. 

In today’s blog, we’re going to look at the importance of self-care in wedding planning and find some simple yet effective tips that you can use to prioritise your health amidst the hustle and bustle of wedding planning.

The Importance Of Self Care In Wedding Planning

Photo by BR1 FDS (pexels.com)

We all know self care is key to a healthy lifestyle, and that exercise and good eating choices benefit every aspect of our lives. In the context of wedding planning, self care will help you approach tasks calmly, and enjoy the creativity of making your dream day a reality.

When you learn to enjoy the planning process instead of looking at it as a big hurdle that you need to cross, you are able to set realistic goals and expectations that are in line with your vision for the big day. Finding ways to care about yourselves – and not letting the wedding planning consume you fully – drastically reduces the stress and anxiety associated with it, helps you notice the triggers associated with physical and emotional burnout, and makes it easier to manage the symptoms and relax.

8 Ways To Prioritise Your Health Amidst The Hustle

Here are eight simple methods that you can incorporate in your daily life to prioritise your health and self-care while planning your wedding:

Create A Suitable Schedule

The first step to ensure that you’re prioritising your health and self-care while planning a wedding is to create a schedule that works for you both. Instead of planning your whole life around your wedding preparations, create windows of time in which you will be working on different tasks at hand. If you want to make sure that the whole wedding planning process works out seamlessly, the best way is to start as early as possible. 

Give yourselves enough time to get through everything without rushing or having to take time away from other important aspects of your lives such as work, time with family and friends, or even some much needed me time. Do ample research on important aspects like the style of your wedding, the venue that you want, your wedding look, key suppliers and catering. The more easily you can define your personal preferences and interests, the more hassle free your wedding planning.

Don’t Neglect Healthy Eating

An important aspect of your self-care journey as you plan your wedding involves properly nourishing your body. When you’re running around, doing twenty different things a day, you rarely focus on what you’re eating, but this will only lead to more stress, both physically and mentally for you.

Instead of indulging in highly processed, unhealthy fast foods, aim to nourish your body with balanced meals and lots of hydration. If you both have busy schedules, it might be worth doing a weekly meal preparation with cooked ingredients of your choice that you can mix and match to enjoy a variety of dishes without cooking every day from scratch or compromising on your health. 

Healthy eating is an essential part of self-care so make sure to incorporate lots of mood boosting foods that keep you energised for a day of planning. You can also choose to keep a few healthy snacks such as protein bars or fruits with you when you’re in a hurry to get on with the day but still want to feel satiated. Most importantly, focus on cutting out bad habits like smoking, or drinking alcohol. This simple shift will help you feel more focused as you go on about your day.

Invest In Self-Care Practices

Let’s be honest, wedding planxiety is very real. While it is okay to be a little concerned about your big day and ensuring that the preparations happen on time, it’s not okay to give up everything else, especially the things that keep you sane and happy, just to worry about the wedding preparations. If you find yourselves giving up your hobbies, or little acts of self-care that you practiced daily during the early wedding planning process, it might be time to take a step back and assess your reasons for feeling overwhelmed.

Afterwards, focus your attention on things that mean the most to you. Do you enjoy going for a run in the morning, having a weekend spa day, going on weekly dates together, or even curling up with a good book after work? Whatever it may be that brings you joy, try to do more of it a few days before the wedding and during the wedding planning process. An important part of wedding planning is preparing mentally and emotionally for the big day. By prioritising your self-care practices, you can make the transition seamless for yourselves.

Understand The Power Of Deep Sleep

Understanding the power of deep sleep can transform your daily life in ways you might not expect. A consistent sleep schedule that aligns with your circadian rhythm helps your body feel more rested at night and more refreshed in the morning. 

To ease any stress or worries—especially those related to wedding planning—try journaling your thoughts before bed. Chronic stress can take a toll on both your body and mind, potentially leading to issues like a weakened immune system, high blood pressure, an increased risk of obesity, and can even lead to migraines that won’t go away.

On top of that, following a night time routine that helps you relax and get to bed can be extremely beneficial. Avoid indulging in late night binge shows or doom scrolling at least two hours before your bedtime. You can also follow a night time skincare routine to help your body relax, take a warm bath, read a book of your choice, and listen to some soothing music. For the best results, focus on optimising your sleep environment by using dark curtains to block out any light, keeping the temperature of the room a little cool, and using silk pillowcases to gently fall asleep.

Practice Mindfulness Daily

Being mindful of how you view the world and practicing gratitude everyday can help you prioritise your mental health during the wedding planning process. Every day, before you open your to-do list or start responding to emails left and right, take a few minutes to visualise your intentions for the day. You can use visualisation techniques to strengthen your grip on the day and create a positive outlook. You can also spend some time meditating to ground yourself and enjoy the peace and quiet before you get on with your day.

Moreover, you can enjoy a plethora of mindfulness exercises, focus on connecting with your body through yoga and breathing and find new ways to organise your day and wedding planning as a whole. Who knows, you may come up with new ideas along the way or choose to elope with your partner instead of planning a complete wedding from start to finish.

Engage In Active Movement

Taking care of your physical health is essential to prioritising self-care when planning a wedding. Whether you enjoy going to the gym or spending time exercising outdoors, choosing your favourite form of exercise and keeping it up during the wedding planning will help you stay more active and focused on the task at hand, while also helping you become physically healthy and confident in your skin before you try on your wedding attire for a final fitting.

However, don’t go beyond the capacity of your body. Instead focus on setting realistic goals and achieving them with the help of a physical trainer, or working out together with your partner. This will help you both spend some time together and complete a goal as a team. Think of exercise as a form of stress relief that you can engage in when the stress of planning a wedding starts to feel overwhelming. Apart from intensive exercise, spend some time doing restorative exercises like yoga and meditation. 

Ask For Help With Your Wedding Planning

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to ask for help, whether that’s from your friends and family, or even professional help like hiring a wedding planner, especially if you plan to have a timeless wedding with a perfect theme and want to bring your wedding vision to life. By delegating tasks related to your wedding planning, such as checking on the decor and catering, booking a venue, sending invitations, and planning the seating arrangements, you can dramatically reduce your stress that accompanies the decision overload. 

The most important thing that you can do for a seamless wedding planning is picking the right people to be in your wedding party. Doing so can aid in delegating any last minute tasks to those who you trust. More space in your schedule can directly translate into more time for self-care and spending quality time with your partner before the big day.

Ask For Help With Anxiety and Overwhelm

Please: don’t struggle alone, and don’t dismiss anxiety as just a normal part of wedding planning. If you are struggling, seek professional help. Experiencing anxiety over the months you spend planning your wedding may feel debilitating. You can always make an appointment with a GP to share how you’re feeling and get some help. The earlier you seek help with anxiety, the better, so please, don’t put this off. 


The importance of self-care can’t be neglected while planning a wedding. When you fail to prioritise your health amidst the hustle, it can show up in the form of burnout. By creating a simple schedule that aligns with your wedding plans, nourishing your body with healthy food, carving time for activities that bring you joy, protecting your sleep time ferociously, practicing mindfulness and gratitude, staying physically active, and delegating tasks among trusted family and friends, you can focus on caring for yourself as you prepare for the biggest day of your life. 


Isabella Williams is a health and wellness writer dedicated to helping readers build better habits and live more balanced lives. Passionate about self-care, mindfulness, and sustainable lifestyle changes, Isabella shares practical advice and thoughtful insights to inspire personal growth. Her writing focuses on creating routines that support mental and physical well-being, empowering readers to take small but meaningful steps toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.


Claire Gould

Claire spends her days writing - either in beautiful calligraphy or online. She lives on the edge of the English Lake District only minutes away from the beach, where she loves to escape and unwind. Claire's calligraphy can be found at www.byMoonandTide.com. Claire launched the English Wedding Blog in November 2009 - it's been a top 10 UK wedding blog ever since, with a regional focus we hope you LOVE.

2 Comments

Priti Shikotra · May 2, 2025 at 6:33 am

Love this! It was v stressful when we planning our wedding – was glad when it was over ?

Lucy · May 8, 2025 at 10:37 am

This post really really speaks to me. It’s so important not to lose yourself and the fun in wedding planning. Yes, it’s an important day but it’s just one day. I loved planning my wedding but my main goal was to make sure I spent as much of it with my new husband as possible.
Lucy

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