5 Ways to Fight Your Post Wedding Blues

So your wedding was AWESOME! It was everything you dreamt it would be. All of your hard work planning and coordinating paid off. But, you spent a year preparing for this wonderful occasion – and poof! – just like that, it’s over. You know this sad feeling you have is silly. You love your new life with your new hubby (or wifey), but you still can’t help but feel an incredible void in your life.

Never fear! First, this is absolutely normal. So whatever you do – DO NOT – be hard on yourself for feeling this way. When you have been looking forward to something for (in many cases) over a year, it is completely natural to feel the post-wedding blues. Here are some tips to help you get yourself back on track to creating your new life!

1 – Schedule regular date nights with your new (legal) better half. It is easy to let the routine of your daily lives take over. Between your long work days, going to the gym, desperately trying to keep the house clean, walking the dog, not to mention trying to maintain your relationships with your friends, it is easy to find yourself simply vegging out in front of the TV in silence with your better half after your exhausting day. While this is okay, sometimes, do not let this become your usual routine. To fight these doldrums, make a point to schedule regular “date nights” together. These date nights could be something relaxing like dinner and movie or something exotic like taking salsa lessons together. The point is not what you decide to do, it’s that you plan to do it consistently. Be sure to make time to be together and nurture your relationship from the very beginning. Creating positive, happy routines in your new marriage will only make your relationship stronger in the long run.

2 – Wrap-up any final wedding related business. I know this isn’t a fun item, but it is best to face it head-on and not let these nagging chores hang over your head any longer. Sure, you technically have a year to send your thank you cards and wrap-up your wedding business, by why wait? Do it now!

3 – Make sure you’ve made all your final vendor payments and reconcile your finances. Chances are you might have exceeded your wedding budget. If you did, be sure you have a plan to pay off that credit card debt in the next 6 months to a year. Whatever you do, do not continue to add to this debt. The last thing you need is to start your marriage off with financial stress.

4 – Organize all of your gifts. Create a spreadsheet that lists who the gift was from, their address, and if a thank you note has been sent. To make this process less painful, download my gift registry spreadsheet to help you get started.

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5 – Maintain your pre-wedding diet and exercise routine. If you are like many brides, you probably kicked your regular exercise routine up a notch and cleaned up your diet to look your best for your wedding. Since you already started this healthy lifestyle, why not maintain these healthy habits? Not only will it be better for your health in the long run AND make you look fabulous in your favorite pair of skinny jeans; it will help you feel your best too! When you are emotionally centered, you will naturally be the best version of yourself for everyone in your life. Sounds good to me!

6 – Replace your wedding planning time with learning a new avocation. Now that you don’t have to plan your wedding anymore, chances are you might find yourself with a little extra free time. If this is true – AWESOME! What a great time to learn a new skill or take-on a new project you’ve been putting off. Don’t lose those fantastic time management and multi-tasking skills you perfected while you were planning your wedding. Simply replace the time you would have spent on wedding planning with something new. Some ideas might be learning a new language or instrument. Audition for a play with your local community theatre. Maybe sign-up for that art class you have been longing to take but could never find the time. How about volunteering for your favorite charity? Adding something new to your life will only make you feel more alive and enhance ALL aspects in your life. So go ahead, pick that new thing and dive in!

7 – Create something to look forward to. I always find having something to look forward to, whether it is 3 months away or 2 years away, gives me a little burst of happiness in the present moment. While I am not a proponent of depending on the future for your current happiness, I do think having something to look forward to is healthy. Some ideas might be a vacation, cruise, concert, show you love, a girls-weekend trip, family reunion or starting a new class. Whatever you decide your “something” will be, make sure it’s something that brings you joy every time you anticipate the experience.

Final Thought: Feeling a little down after your wedding (and especially after your honeymoon) is over is very natural. The key is not to let these blues linger and seep into your new life. Therefore, take action and integrate new activities into your life now. I guarantee you will feel better!

NEXT STEPS: What activities have you integrated into your new life to fill your post-wedding void? Did they make you feel better? Leave a comment below so we can help each other start our new marriages off on the right foot!

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