The smart bride guide

Getting married is an essential part of one’s life. In our part of the world, boys and girls are met with intense pressure to find a partner and ‘settle down’ as soon as they graduate from university. Girls, in particular, set great store by the idea of marriage and being a bride, although many of them develop anxiety as their big day draws closer.

Of course, feeling apprehensive about starting a new life before hundreds of people is completely natural but some of us take it a little too seriously. With all the stress of bridal joras, hair, makeup and organising the entire event, many brides begin to lose their composure, revealing the tension on their faces. Fortunately for you, MsT has some valuable advice to offer! Read on for some simple and easy tricks that can spare you the pre-wedding jitters and help you look your best self on the day. Have a happy wedding!

Get organised, save time: To get started, prepare a checklist of all the things you need to get done and get started on them as soon as possible. We say this because the more time you waste, the more your chores will pile up, especially considering the advance booking local designers and wedding planners are running on. Know what you have to do, when you have to do it and in what order to get the major tasks like booking a venue out of the way at least.

Alleviate your anxiety: As we said earlier, feeling nervous is perfectly fine. In fact, it is probably healthy. But that does not mean you should try and calm yourself. In the day leading up to your wedding, why not take out some much needed me-time and attend relaxation and meditation classes? In fact, routine spa sessions with your friends and family can be of great help too. Surrounding yourself with positive people will not only help keep your emotions at bay but develop your understanding of your inner self as well.

Your wedding, your rules: In our experience, we have seen that many brides get upset as their wedding is not going as they had always imagined it would. Too many of us have had to cut down on the guest-list or settle for a certain dress just to please our in-laws. While that is somewhat inevitable, seeing as how weddings are family affairs, you should not give up on all of your ideas too easily. Fight for what you want, provided that it is feasible and make your opinion count. Trust your instincts and go ahead.



Avoid experimenting: Never, ever, try out a new hair style, colour, makeup product or even new type of food for at least two weeks before your events begin. You never know what might go wrong – what if you end up with a bad colouring job or an unprecedented skin allergy? It is best to stick to whatever you have been using so far as you know it is safe and suits you.

Keep to yourself: Having to entertain too many people will only aggravate you more. So surround yourself with a small but positive group of people only, i.e. your family and closest friends as they will understand you and never steer you wrong. Your wedding is your wedding – not a big party for acquaintances to enjoy.

Natasha Khalid is a doctor by profession. She likes to write about fashion, people and social affairs. She tweets @natashakhalidxs

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, September 27^th, 2015.