Total truth time right now: planning a wedding is tough. But when you take that stress, and then amplify it with pressures of a global pandemic, the mood can go from tense, but too-giddy-about-getting-married-to-care to wait, wasn’t there supposed to be light at the end of this overly-traumatic tunnel? Every bride is feeling it, too, no matter where she is in her planning process – be it early in, middle of the road [to the altar], or endgame in progress.
If you’re just-engaged, you probably don’t have a wedding hanging in the balance and you can wait out hopeful, better days ahead. On the flip-side, though, your post-proposal/engagement might not be close to what or how you always envisioned it would be. Social distancing has a way of doing that … taking away your freedom to share your huge news with your favorite people, in person; prohibiting you from going out to celebrate with your best friends, in the aftermath; limiting you only to whatever planning can happen from home (that’s right, for the most part, venue shopping is put on hold until further notice).
If you’ve been planning for a while, you may or may not have to make any big decisions over your wedding date, but your pre-wedding events might be compromised (i.e. your bridal shower or bachelorette party might be postponed or outright cancelled).
If you’ve been a bride in the trenches for some time, you probably got to bask in the excitement of this new milestone for a minute – perhaps by having an engagement party, asking your bridesmaids to be a part of your special day, embracing all things a #bride has the honor of privilege of doing: from trying on dresses and mailing out save the dates, to picking out flowers and taste-testing wedding cakes. Your perfectly-curated wedding, anticipated walk down the aisle, and honeymoon to mark this magical time; however, might need to be adjourned or entirely reimagined.
Whether you’re a 2020, 2021, 2022 or yet-to-be-determined bride, if you have a 💍 on your finger or one in your near future, the circumstances of COVID-19 can seriously rock your world, but we promise, your wedding will be wonderful. It’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when…
So, while you’re waiting for that day to come, take quarantine in stride at home, and be the best [bride] you can be! We have some things to hopefully help keep you safe, healthy, and sane, too… all exclusively shoppable on the Style Me Pretty site right now!
Corona brides, take us along for the ride!
We know, it’s easy to want to fill those cups with something a little stronger these days, but water is going to be your best friend in the end. Proper hydration can lower cortisol – the stress hormone – levels, so sip, sip, sip, and make it cute!
Sometimes, all it takes to smooth out those #sundayscaries (which, TBH, seems like #everydayscaries in the age of corona) is some order and organization. Wherever you are in your waiting-for-wedding journey, you can get a lot out of our bridal planner: from collecting contact numbers to beginning some of that mindblowing budget planning. Not to mention, we haven’t met a sticker that didn’t immediately give us all the feels, and our gold, hand-sketched iconographical stickers are next-level cute.
Being on lockdown isn’t exactly how we all thought spring would start out like (isn’t hibernation only supposed to be a winter thing?!?!!), but we’re treating it as a blessing in disguise. If you’re a bride, planning in the midst of a pandemic, the stress just doesn’t seem to stop – but it’s nothing that some Netflix, a new plush eye mask, and some comfy Eucalyptus and cotton sheets can’t fix. Catch some winks, and don’t make us have to ask you twice! 😉
For the time being, you can’t just text your girls to meet up at your favorite coffee bar, but Zoom dates, with your Nespresso machine nearby, work just as well to break up a stressful day! If you haven’t asked your bridesmaids yet, you can transform the coffee conference call into a regular pour over proposal experience. Let your ladies know that something will be coming in the mail for them soon, and ask them to text you once they’ve received the box (no peeking until the video call is in session!). While you drink out of your Sipping Pretty mug, ask everyone to open their boxes and see how many say YES to the role of lovely bridesmaid. Spoiler alert: they’re all going to say yes!
If there’s anything we’ve learned over the past month (+ some), it’s that communication, information, and transparency are so, so important. And your wedding website will be the first place your guests go for all their updates. That’s why you’ll want to keep it as up-to-date as possible with the news on your nuptials, especially if you’re planning on postponing and/or have new logistics to share. Prettying it up with photos of you and your partner and spending time wordsmithing everything special about your future wedding can be so therapeutic!
… Or change the dates, if you’ve had to pick a new date for your celebration due to COVID. This is one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning – where you can essentially hone a look for your entire pre-vow vibe, be it classic, modern, romantic, boho, whimsy, rustic, etc. It’s also a really fun activity to do together, so when you’re running out of things to do in quarantine, you can pour some wine (it and of itself, pretty darn relaxing!) and hop online to scout that perfect first impression. Our Style Me Pretty collection of stationery, complete with save the dates and change the dates, is stunning and completely customizable.
Couples who aren’t planning their weddings during a pandemic need date nights to diffuse some of their stress, so those who are certainly need them to preserve their sanity. Light some candles, pour some champagne into respective bride and groom toasting flutes, and either cook dinner together or order in #supportlocal and enjoy each other’s company fully.
Whether you had an engagement party that had to be cancelled with the arrival of the coronavirus or just got engaged and haven’t even had the chance to plan a party in your honor, we love the idea of throwing an intimate engagement party on your own behalf. Either keep it small, with just yourselves in the picture, or invite some of your best friends and family to join in on the special evening via FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom – and remember to make it festive with hangup signs, lots of love-focused decor, and ALL the bubbly to commemorate such a banner time in your life – not today, COVID!
Stress is a hard thing to escape when you’re getting ready to tie the knot, but if you can do things to flatten that worrisome [wedding] curve, then do it with your whole heart! Shop the Style Me Pretty Collection exclusively on site now for everything you need to keep your nuptials nerves nice and on an even keel.
Danielle Halibey is a writer, editor, and publicist living in New Jersey. She has been immersed in the world of weddings since planning her own whimsical, romantic affair in 2014. And isn’t that what they always say, “those who can’t do, teach?” Well, once her nuptials were over, she still had stuff in the ‘I Do’ industry to do. She writes regularly for top wedding blogs including Style Me Pretty and Wedding Chicks, and has garnered millions of press impressions for brands in the wedding space: fashion, beauty, wedding talent+tastemakers and more.
