Feeling a bit flat after your Big Day? You might be experiencing the post-wedding blues, and honestly, it's more common than you'd think.
In the lead-up to a wedding, there's so much excitement, planning and general buzz that it's easy to let it take over your life. Then the wedding comes and goes, and suddenly there's a gap where all that planning used to be. What do you do with your free time now? What on earth is Pinterest for anymore?
It's completely normal to feel a little lost once the big project you've spent months on is finally finished. If you're in the thick of the post-wedding blues, keep reading for some simple, practical ways to feel like yourself again. And if you're still planning, there are habits you can build in now to help prevent them altogether.
Featured image credit: Eva Priego, Hygge Weddings
Keep your end goal in mind
Hosting a brilliant wedding was never really the end goal. The actual goal was marrying the love of your life, and if that happened, your day was a success no matter what else went on. The next chapter is about building a marriage that outshines even the best wedding day.
Related: 4 Simple Ways to Prepare for Marriage and Not Just the Wedding
Keep doing "normal" things
While you're planning, try to protect some space for ordinary life too. Date nights, coffee catch-ups with friends that don't turn into wedding admin, and time for your usual hobbies all help. If your pre-wedding life wasn't completely swallowed by the wedding, the transition afterwards tends to feel a lot smoother.
Top tip: pick one evening a week during your engagement that's a wedding-free zone. Your future self will thank you.
Give yourself something to look forward to
This will look different for every couple, but a few ideas to get you started:
- Your honeymoon. You don't have to jet off straight away. Plan it for a month or two after the wedding and you'll have a lovely trip to look forward to once the dust has settled.
- A new home. If you're moving in together for the first time, save some of the decorating and settling in for after the wedding rather than rushing it all beforehand.
- Time with friends. Book in something for just the two of you and your closest friends, like taking your Maid of Honour or Best Man out for dinner to say thanks for all their help.
- A recipe you've been eyeing up. If cooking's your thing, save a new recipe to try together once you're officially married.
Find ways to relive your Big Day
Once your photos and video come through, set a date with family to look back on everything together. We did exactly this a month or so after our wedding, inviting our parents over to watch the video and flick through photos on the TV with tea and cake. When the wedding video landed a few weeks later, we did the whole thing again. Trust us, your nearest and dearest won't get tired of it.
Top tip: if your supplier offers a highlights reel before the full video, ask for it early. It's a great excuse for a mini celebration while you wait for the rest.
The post-wedding blues are real, but they don't have to last. Keep sight of what actually matters, hold onto your normal routines, and give yourself things to look forward to, and you'll find your feet again in no time.
