Stress-Free Wedding Planning

Getting married is said to be one of the most stressful life events, right up there with moving house and starting a new job.  There's so much to do and usually so little time.  Finding a suitable venue, deciding who to invite, who not to invite, dealing with caterers, finding the perfect wedding accessories.  The list goes on - choosing flowers, dress fittings, picking rings, planning the hen-night, the stag-do, table arrangements, booking a honeymoon. And all the while trying hard to keep an eye on the spend.  I don't need to tell anyone reading this that, with wedding costs, it’s - think of a number and then double it.  Add into this heady mix a powerful social media pressure to create perfect images of the special day, and you’ve got a stressful cocktail served up right there.  

Our Wedding Accessories

But never fear.  Help is at hand.  Read our tips on how to stay sane and happy in the lead up to the big day.

Change the narrative

What if you were to change the narrative?  You’ve agreed to marry and spend the rest of your life with this one-in-a-million person!  Probably the most important decision you’ll ever make.  So the process of planning that day and all the preparations leading up to it should really be a time to enjoy.  What about changing your mindset to one where you commit to enjoying the build-up, not leaving all the fun to the big day itself. 

Perfectly imperfect

Another way to help reduce stress is to simply let go of the idea of perfection.  In the months before my own wedding, I decided that there really is no such thing as the perfect wedding.  Especially when you are trying to organise that many people coming together on one given day. It just doesn’t happen, people. In fact, I honestly don’t think I've ever heard of or been to a wedding where there was TOTAL perfection.  It’s the embarrassing best man’s speech in which he airs his brother’s beauty routine.  Or the father of the bride who has broken his nose and is wearing a rather large bandage in all the wedding photos.  These are the kind of unforeseen events that make you remember that we can't control EVERYTHING.  So just let it go.  Enjoy the perfectly imperfect.

Petal Pink Wedding Pashmina

Lilac Wedding Pashmina

Mid Grey Wedding Pashmina

DELEGATE

Also, learn how to delegate.  There are so many little tasks associated with wedding planning that really can be handed over to someone else you trust. Releasing a little control means that you can breathe easier and actually have more time to focus on controlling the more important big stuff.  For example, once you have chosen a dress for yourself and for your bridesmaids (no easy task), having someone to help you sort out the finishing touches and wedding accessories for each outfit can be a huge relief.  

Wedding Accessories

This is where we come in. A huge part of our work at Scarf Room is helping brides-to-be, mothers-of-the-bride and other wedding guests in choosing the perfect wedding accessories. YOU CAN DELEGATE TO US!  In particular, we offer a unique colour-match service in which the bride can send us a photograph of her wedding day colour palette. With this, we can help her find the perfect finishing touch. 

A beautiful wedding wrap or wedding pashmina can perfectly accent your colour theme.  It can also keep everyone warm throughout the day. Our gorgeous range of wedding pashmina shawl wraps offers a palette of over 40 colours.  These range from the more traditional white and ivory through feminine petal pinks and baby blues which would work beautifully for a spring wedding.  We also offer a brighter palette of hot pink, orange and yellow which can look incredible in the hot summer months. 

And then as we move later on into the year, mulberry, plum purple and mandarin red, even burnt coral, can work beautifully as autumn wedding accessories.  Finally, onto winter where you might want to dip into a slightly more dramatic palette – red,  light grey, mid grey, dark grey, aubergine, blue, or any one of our gorgeous greens.

We also offer a stunning range of Nepalese 100% cashmere scarves which also make the perfect wedding accessories.  We have selected what we think is a beautiful palette of colours - each colour sings and every cashmere scarf looks and feels special.  Each scarf has also been spun to a beautifully dense knit so feels as light as a feather and is deliciously soft agains the skin.  Perfect for a wedding!  Our cashmere pashminas are versatile too. One of our 100% cashmere pashminas would look striking as a beautiful accessory over simple tailored separates during the day or elegant evening wear at night.  Again. Let us help you in your choice!

Silver Grey Wedding Cashmere

Cream Cashmere Wedding Shawl

Pink Wedding Cashmere Shawl

A little thank you makes a big difference

Remember to say thank you.  There are so many people who must be helping you to make your day special so show them your gratitude.  A thoughtfully chosen wedding pashmina it is just a lovely gift to give to your bridesmaids or special guests to complete their wedding guest outfits but also as a memory of your day.   Let us help you make the right choice.  We have a very friendly and knowledgeable team who would be more than happy to help you find the perfect wedding accessories or bridesmaid gifts.  Please call us during office hours on 01253 733870 or via email at info@scarfroom.co.uk.

Don't forget your partner to be

Involve your partner-to-be.  It’s his (or her) wedding too. Get him involved in the planning stage.  Ask for opinions and advice!  

And breathe!  

Finally, if it all gets too much, just stop and breathe.  Relax your abdomen and feel it gently expand as you breathe in and gently deflate as you breathe out.  Do this 8 times.  Feel yourself relax.

If you have a little more time, lie down and practise a little Yoga.  In our last blog, Breathe,  we gave some very simple advice on using your breathing to calm your nerves.   It’s simple. And you just need 10 minutes.

All you need to do is find a comfortable and warm space where you will be undisturbed.  Switch off your phone and lie down – on a Yoga mat if you have one or, if not, on a thick towel or blanket. Stretch out and adjust your legs so that they are comfortably wide apart. Allow your little toes to flop out to the sides.  (If you have a back issue, you may be more comfortable with the knees bent and the feet on the floor).  Feel the hips gently ease open.  Now extend your arms out to the sides a little away from your body and turn over your palms so that your palms are facing the ceiling.  Adjust your chin so that the neck feels very comfortable. Gently close the eyes.  Relax the face, the chin and the jaw and soften that little space between your eyebrows.  

Savasana is the ultimate relaxation pose

Invite your body to be very still and peaceful.

Now (unusual as it sounds) find your breath. Start by becoming aware of the breath in the nostrils. The incoming breath and the outflowing breath.  Notice that the air is cool as it comes into the body and a little warmer as it leaves the body. Become aware of the length of your breath.  The texture of your breath.  Even the soft sound of your breath.  Stay with this for a few moments.

Next take your awareness to the breath in the abdomen.  Observe how the abdomen gently rises and falls with the breath.  Observe the abdomen rising on the in-breath and falling on the out-breath. When the mind begins to move away from the breath, guide it gently back.  Know that with this simple practice, you are allowing your mind to rest.  Research has shown that this mindful breathing helps to alleviate stress and anxiety.  Think of it as giving your mind a little time out. 

Good luck!  It will be an amazing day!

Ciao bellissime.  A presto!