Skip to Content

Can Wedding Planning Make You Depressed?

*This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclaimer for additional details..

Getting married to the love of your life comes with one of the best feelings in the world.

But while planning a wedding is typically exciting, it isn’t always so. Preparing for your union with the love of your life can take its toll on you.

Can wedding planning make you depressed?

Wedding planning can make you depressed.

In fact, prewedding depression is not an uncommon phenomenon amongst couples. It happens for various reasons and is often expected. The pressure of making a considerable change in your life coupled with weeks or months of meticulous planning can leave anyone anxious and depressed.

Bride and Groom kissing and showing chalkboard text save the date on the beach

If you’ve been busy with your forthcoming wedding and planning has been overwhelming, this article offers some insight into what you may be going through.

We also discuss what you can do to make your wedding planning less depressing and signs that you are stressing over your wedding.

Can Wedding Planning Make You Depressed?

Wedding planning can make you depressed. While you may not expect it to, your wedding planning process can become unexciting as time passes.

The good news is that prewedding depression is not unusual or abnormal.

Also, you might be able to push through with the proper intervention.

Wedding planning can become depressing for the following reasons:

Things Are More Expensive Than You Hoped

Wedding budget planning. Woman searching prices on laptop through the internet for wedding expenses

If the prices of the things you planned for your wedding are to exceed your budget, you may start stressing over how to or who will pay for them. If that feeling persists long enough, you may feel blue.

Coming Up With the Final Guest List Seems Impossible

Deciding who to invite to the wedding and who to drop is daunting.

While compiling your guest list, you may start worrying about how your family and friends will feel about certain decisions you make regarding the guest list.

You may become unhappy about the wedding plans if you keep worrying for too long.

Family Drama

bride discussing wedding plan to her parents and brother at home

The wedding planning period typically sees many family members come around to assist.

However, then there’s a fair chance of encounters between family members. Such confrontations may lead to uncomfortable and draining moments for you.

The Flurry of Decisions to Make

Having to make decisions about so many things—significant or not—within a limited time is not an everyday thing for most people.

When planning your wedding, you have to consider many things and decide on them. Along the line, you may have to reverse or adjust some of the decisions.

The flurry of decisions can drain you physically and mentally.

As a result, wedding planning can become demoralizing. And the pressure on yourself to get things right can make things worse.

Doubts

Undecisive man doubting on making the proposal

You can become unsure of vital factors while planning your wedding.

For instance, you may start having doubts about whether you want to spend the rest of your life with your partner.

You may also become unsure of whether the marriage will work for you or not. These things happen, and the uncertainty can cripple your mind and leave you unhappy.

Disagreements Between You and Your Partner

Disagreements between you and others about wedding plans can make you unhappy or have no effect on you. But if you and your partner disagree about some of the vital parts of the wedding, you can feel pretty sad.

What You Can Do to Make Your Wedding Planning More Enjoyable

If your wedding planning process is starting to take its toll on you, here are some things you can do to make it all better.

Share Some of the Planning Responsibilities With Family and Friends

a family gathering for a meal discussing about the wedding plan

If you love doing things yourself or being in charge, it is time to let people help you.

Handling all the planning responsibilities alone will leave you trying to figure out so much in so little time.

Consequently, you will barely enjoy the wedding planning process. But if you have family and friends assisting you with some of the planning tasks, there will be less of a burden on you.

Of course, if the wedding planning process becomes less burdensome, it could become less daunting.

When sharing the planning responsibilities with family and friends, be specific. Let them know precisely what you want them to do.

In place of family and friends, you can get a wedding planner to relieve you of the burden of planning.

Do Not Fixate on Making Things Perfect

Undoubtedly, everyone wants their wedding day to be perfect. But do not fixate on making things perfect. You will weigh yourself down if you do so.

Pay more attention to you, your partner, and the love between you two—these are the things that truly matter.

Take Breaks

Couple relaxing at the campsite in the mountains

You may become overwhelmed if your routine becomes clouded with the wedding plans. But you can make things better by taking breaks.

Pick days when you can afford not to think or do anything about the wedding plans.

On those days, spend time relaxing or doing anything that helps you relax.

Such activities can refresh your mind and put you in better shape for the rest of the wedding planning process.

Pay More Attention to the Details That Make You Happy

When planning, focus on the details that you are most excited about. The more excitement you get from focusing on them, the better your mood will be.

Communicate With the People Around You

Couple having discussion using a smart phone while resting on the living room

Do not keep your feelings bottled up – doing so will only make you feel worse.

Try to talk to your partner, trusted family members, or friends; let them know how you feel when things get tough. Express yourself and vent so you can find some relief.

You may even find solutions for some of the things bothering you by communicating with the people around you.

If you want, you can speak with a mental health professional. Mental health professionals are well-equipped to help you handle your feelings better. Speaking with one can help you a lot.

Couple talking to a professional marital counselor

How You Can Avoid Prewedding Depression

You can avoid prewedding depression altogether by doing some of the following:

  • Get married in a courthouse. If you do this, you only have to worry about a few details. So the wedding planning process is unlikely to make you depressed.
  • Stick with your budget no matter what. Instead of stressing over price changes, stick to your financial plan. Do away with the optional items that do not fit in the budget.
  • Elope with your partner. If you elope, it would be just you, your partner, the love between you two, and low chances of depression.
  • Communicate and stand by your partner. A lot may change during the prewedding period. But if you and your partner maintain honest communication and prioritize each other, those changes will not ruin your mood.
  • Do not have a wedding reception. The wedding reception is one of the most trying parts of a wedding to plan. You can choose not to have one and save yourself the stress.
  • Talk to married couples. Speak with some of the married couples you know. Ask them about their wedding planning process—what they faced, what they would have done better, etc. If you can learn from their mistakes, you just might avoid prewedding depression.
  • See a therapist for preventive counseling. You could get preventive counseling if you expect your wedding planning process to affect your mental health. Preventive counseling is basically a way to prevent potential issues before they start. Having a counseling session can prepare you to better handle the challenges that may come with planning your wedding.
  • Get enough sleep. You may be tempted to stay up at night to cover more plans, but don’t do it. Insufficient sleep can harm your body’s ability to process positive emotions. It can make you less effective at handling stress.
Couple arguing at home discussing abCouple arguing at home discussing about wedding planout wedding plan

Signs You Are Stressing Over Your Wedding

The following are signs that you are stressing too much over your wedding:

  • You and your partner often disagree.
  • You are more irritable than ever.
  • You are procrastinating too much.
  • All you think of are the wedding plans.
  • The wedding planning process was fun but now feels like a terrible chore.
  • Your mood is constantly low, and it is starting to affect your physical health.
  • You are trying to do too much.

Conclusion

Wedding planning can become depressing. But when this happens, reducing your responsibilities, taking breaks, speaking with the people close to you, and speaking with a therapist can help.

However, to avoid prewedding depression altogether, you could elope or get preventive counseling. Sticking to your budget, getting married in a courthouse, and open, honest communication can also help.

Resources