Tips for a bride to be on how to relax when planning a wedding??

I think most of us "OM's" can look back and smile at the things that were so important to us before, but looking back are totally insignificant.

Not sure I have any specific 'tips' but one thing that is very common is that weddings can take over every aspect of our lives and free time. Make sure that you and your OH make time for yourselves where all wedding talk is banned - whether it's a meal out, going to see a film, or just a drive in the country with a packed lunch.

Often we think too much about the wedding (day) and forget about the marriage that follows - or the relationship leading up to it.

On the day, there are only a few 'critical' things, like the registrars turning up, or the bride and groom turning up, that are actually critical - if you have to change one of the people doing the readings, or the band doesn't turn up, or the cake falls over, or your precision timetable is running 5 minutes late, you won't notice nor particularly care about it as you'll be too tied up in the excitement and wonder of the day. I remember one bride saying her new husband managed to spill a Kir Royal all over her dress... and it really didn't matter.

Best advice I can give; Dont sweat the small stuff.

The way i go about it is to keep thinking of seeing him when i walk in the room, and saying my vows to him - and i just grin. how can you be stressed when you think about that and remember that that's what teh day is all about. the rest is, in all honesty, just a party to celebrate how much you two love each other.

I was a complete stress head about sorting everything. I was regularly sleep walking over the 14 months i planned the wedding and wore myself out. In retrospect I wish I had disregarded the planning checklists I had found online (that tell you what to do at which point) and just followed a priority list to organise things and work through it. Take it one step at a time, it will all get done.

On the day things didn't all go to plan for us: it rained ALL day, my false nails looked like a hooker's, we had no hot water for showers in the morning and I managed to put my heel through my dress before we made it to the evening do. If anyone had told me this 3 months before the wedding I would've postponed until I could change things but on the day it didn't matter one bit. Seeing my gorgeous OH as i reached the front of the aisle made me the happiest girl in the world!

(Note to self: must finish my report! It was a lovely day honest!)