"A Truly Spoonie Wedding (Part 2)" - written by agirlcalledcaptain
Hopefully the first half of my wedding post was helpful to you, but if you’ve still got questions about your spoonie wedding (or any social event, honestly- these tips work for just about anything you’re planning!), this post should help you out! If you still have questions or concerns after reading this one, feel free to get in touch with me, agirlcalledcaptain. I will try to help you out as much as possible! :)
Now, without further ado- the rest of the story.
6. Do something nice for yourself.
Okay, no matter how simple you make this, you’re going to be stressed out. No one will judge you, its a big day! You have the right to stress as much as you need. However, stress is a total buzz-kill, and it’s also a bringer of flares. To reduce your stress, try to do something nice for yourself in the time leading up to the wedding. Whether it’s getting a pedicure, ordering some new yoga pants online, or taking a “no wedding talk” day and just doing your thing, pick something that you find entertaining or relaxing. I found that by doing something nice for myself- or, okay, a lot of things nice for myself- I kept myself de-stressed and ready for a happy wedding day.
7. Don’t Forget Your Medicine!
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of your wedding day and forget some pretty basic tasks. If you miss out on brushing your teeth, no one’s going to notice until they get too close and you breathe on them. If you miss out on taking a vital medication and pass out on your maid of honor, that’s a different story. I know, taking your medication with your rehearsal dinner or in the middle of the dancing isn’t glamorous. But your health trumps glamour any day, so ask a trusted friend or your maid of honor to keep you on track with your medication. If it has to be kept cold, you can keep it with the drinks or food at most venues. If you can’t, pack a small cooler with your medication in it’s container inside a Ziploc bag. I did this, and had my MOH track me down when it was time for my next dose. It’s easy to forget in the whirlwind big day, so having someone else hold me accountable was great. For the groom, a best man or one of your parents can hold you medication accountable!
8. Prepare for everything.
This is a pretty good tip no matter what you’re doing. Carrying extra as needed medications, braces, compression hose, or even KT Tape may seem a little dramatic, but it’s better safe than sorry. I know a bride who brought her TENS machine with her and used it while she was having her hair and makeup done, and went through her wedding in a lot less pain than she would have if she hadn’t been prepared! As my dad told me, while lugging six ice packs, sumatriptan, and a change of shoes into the milking barn we used as the entrance to my wedding aisle, “you should expect the best, but prepare for the worst.”
9. Make the Schedule Work for You, Not for Expectations.
My husband comes from a big, traditional family. They wanted first dances, they wanted formal pictures before the reception, they wanted the whole shebang. That didn’t work for me, so we made a few changes to the schedule. Pictures took place before the guests arrived, and many of them were seated. This reduced the amount of standing I was going to be doing outdoors, and allowed me to get some food into my stomach pretty fast after doing the standing. Since I have medications that keep me upright that need to be taken on a full stomach, this was a big deal. Remember- a schedule that works for someone may not work for you, so be sure to consider your abilities and needs while planning your wedding. If you feel like you can only have a dance floor for thirty minutes, or an open bar is a bad idea? Cut it out and add in something that works for you. (This tip is similar to other tips, I know, but it wasn’t intuitive to me!)
10. Pay Attention to Detail.
There are a lot of tiny details that go into weddings, and you’re not going to think of them all. A few you will want to consider, though are: Are you allergic to the flowers you pick? Do you want a scent-free wedding? (This is, luckily, a growing trend! Don’t feel bad about making a special request on your invitations, like asking your guests not to wear perfume. This day is about you. Not them!) Is your hair and makeup artist using products that contain gluten or peanuts, causing you to break into hives or contact dermatitis and forcing you to spend your wedding day in the ER? (Check all hair and makeup products for common allergens. They’re in there.)
Checking small details can be stressful and time-consuming, but for us spoonies, it’s not something we can afford to miss. Consider making a schedule for yourself and checking off one small detail a day for several months, instead of trying to do everything at once.
Yeah, I just mentioned this. So? It’s important! Luckily for you, there are all kinds of apps and websites that can help you with this by giving you a basic timeline of when to do things for your wedding. One popular wedding planning site is The Knot, which offers plenty of helpful tips on when to do things to keep yourself from getting stuck at the last minute with too much on your plate. Be sure to edit the timeline to suit you, and don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go exactly according to schedule. It happens! We flare! You’re still a perfect blushing bride or… grinning groom?
I could probably talk more about how to have a perfect spoonie wedding, but I have thrown enough text at all you lovely readers for now. If anyone has any questions or comments, I am always available to brag… I mean, discuss wedding or party planning.
Have a lovely day and an even lovelier special event! <3
