Once vows are exchanged and the wedding day has come and gone, many brides find themselves feeling post-wedding blues without the wedding to plan and look forward to. Follow these suggestions below to help find your new source of excitement.
Most often a year or 18 months in the making, weddings can be all-consuming when it comes to planning, with excitement levels building as the day draws near. You’re the centre of attention with lots of fun evenings with your family and close friends, planning and celebrating. So, what happens once the day has come and gone? Many brides find themselves at a loose end, feeling a little low and suffering from a case of postnuptial depression. It’s surprisingly more common than you’d imagine but the key is to find a new project to focus your attention on.
Delayed Honeymoon
While you may wish to spend a few days of quality time with your new husband or wife, why not consider a mini-moon for immediately after the wedding and plan the honeymoon for three or six months down the line? Not only will this give you something to plan and look forward to, but this time can be useful to set aside a little extra cash for the honeymoon fund. With an abundance of beautiful getaways on offer throughout Ireland, book a weekend away for immediately after the wedding and move into honeymoon planning mode once the big day is over.
Make Your House A Home
Traditionally, couples would only move in together after the wedding which meant setting up a home from scratch. While this is no longer the case with most couples living together before marriage, use this opportunity to give your home a freshen up as you start out married life. It’s all too easy for clutter to mount up over time so clear out any unwanted items which you have been hoarding and make space for any new gifts you have received from your wedding. You can also shop around for some nice frames for when you get your wedding pics back. You just need to find the wall space for them…
Scheduled Date Nights
Fittings, craft nights at home, bachelorette parties, menu tastings… there were lots of organised activities in the build-up to the wedding so plan a few dates with your new hubby to stave off the boredom whilst also starting a healthy routine in your married life to ensure the romance always stays alive and flourishing. Whether it be a gig or a nice restaurant, you could even organise a dinner party for some of your close friends to show off your new china wear! Either way, get into the habit of regular date nights together, it will benefit your marriage in the long run!
Find a New Hobby
Whether it be a book club with your girls (supplemented with lots of wine obviously), a running club or an art class, now is the time to explore other interests. Keep a list of things you want to do while planning your wedding so you have something to look forward to in the aftermath. Whether it’s a film you want to see or a book you’d like to read, a hotel you’d like to visit or a class you want to take, keep a note of it all so you have a to-do list to look forward to.
Focus on Your Work Life
A lot of brides find themselves distracted from their usual responsibilities whilst caught up with wedding planning. After the wedding, why not throw yourself into your job and strategize how you can reach the next step in your career. Make a list of goals and how you plan to achieve them within a given timeline. You may have even acquired some new organisational skills from wedding planning which can be put to use at work!
Look at the Bigger Picture
Take a step back and realise what a special time this is in your life, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the day itself but take some time to reflect on the marriage itself. This is not the end of the wedding, it is the beginning of your marriage. If you haven’t yet had any children, take the time to enjoy each other’s company before your little family begins to grow. Marriage means you and your partner are equals, in it together for the long haul so if you’re experiencing a little slump don’t be afraid to talk it out with them and go through ideas together to lift your spirits!
- Alexandra