The Big Relief: 9 Hilarious Truths About Post-Wedding Feelings
While weddings can be a whole lot of fun, they’re also a whole lot of work - and, like anything that has a lot of buildup, there’s going to be some mixed emotions once it’s all done.
That’s why we’re taking a second to interview some recent and ‘soon-to-be’ brides & grooms to help pull back the curtain on 9 hilarious truths you didn’t know might come after the wedding.
#1. ‘Wedding withdrawal’ is totally a thing
You’ve dreamt about it… you’ve planned around it… you’ve counted down to it… and then… BAM it’s over.
While the wedding will undoubtedly be fun, there’s often no real release or closure for all that you've put into it. That’s why ‘wedding withdrawal’ is totally a thing.
Lily: “I feel like I’m going through withdrawal. I’m trying to keep myself busy and not think about it all being over.”
Miranda: “Me too!! I actually had a bit of depression afterwards because it was over. I truly enjoyed every minute of the planning.”
Steve: “Is it bad that I kind of want to do it all over again?”
#2. There’s a really good chance you’re going to feel relieved
Of course you’re going to feel relieved once it’s done - Just think of how much energy and effort you put into planning a wedding. Once it’s over you’re definitely going to be breathing a HUGE sigh of relief, and maybe hilariously thanking your lucky stars that it’s all finally over.
Lalita “Ya, after the day was done I think I spent a week reflecting on things that I thought went right or wrong, but after all of the positive support, love, comments from our guests I felt relieved.”
Mel: “It will go by so quickly and the day will be awesome, but OMG I was soooo relieved.”
Sara: “Mine was 3 weeks ago, and I'm so happy to relax! Weddings are a big ball of stress for what felt like all of 3 minutes, lol.”
Joy: “I can't wait for that feeling! Thought I'd love wedding planning but all it has done is stress me out.”
Jen: “Wedding is a month and a half away and I cannot wait for the relief you are describing! I thought wedding planning would be a little stressful but mostly still fun… #notsomuch.”
Isabel: “I'm almost ready for that sigh of relief!”
#3. You’re going to have a heck of a lot more free time on your hands
While wedding planning can be a full time job, what they don’t tell you is that post-wedding planning is kind of like getting used to retirement. Yes, you might still be working, raising a family, and taking over the world - but now that you don’t have to use all those extra hours that you carved out for vender calls and strategizing, you’re going to feel a heck of a lot freer.
Colleen: “I now don’t know what to do with all my extra time.”
Olivia: “Is it bad that I kind of miss checking in with all my venders all the time?”
Tom: “My wife and I pick up a new hobby because after our wedding we definitely felt a bit of a void.”
#4. You’ll appreciate how you didn’t sweat the small things
While it’s great to plan out every detail of your day, inevitably something is going to go wrong - and that’s totally ok! The key is to make sure that you don’t let one little hiccup ruin something great. So sit back, enjoy the day, and just take in all the wonderful little moments.
Shelley: “ I’m glad I didn’t let the little things get to me.”
Maeve: “There were a lot of things that definitely didn’t go right - but I’m super glad I chose to ignore all of that on the day of and focus a lot on everything that actually did.”
Claudia “This is going to be my second time. The first time I was like you ladies. This time around I'm actually enjoying it. I guess it’s similar to when you have children: with the first one you are so stressed out due to lack of experience and wanting perfection that you end up stressing yourself out. With the second, you have more experience and don’t sweat the small things. Therefore a more pleasant experience. “
Tim: “My whole day was just about making him smile. No matter what was going on, all I had to do was look over and see him smiling and everything was right again. It’s one of my all time favourite memories.”
#5. You’ll realize the most important thing was each other
While the day may be filled with loved ones, gorgeous decor, delicious bites, and fabulous group memories, don’t forget that the key ingredient is always going to be each other.
Catherine: “We were sooo nervous, what saved us was that we did a first look - it made us feel so much more at ease/comfortable and actually enjoy the ceremony.”
Brad: “At the end of the day I was just so thrilled that I got to spend the day celebrating us and this beautiful love we had found.”
Leigh: “I’m so happy we took the time to schedule in ‘breather breaks’ and special moments. Whether it was reading out hand written cards or taking a minute just to laugh with each other in the corner. The moments when it was just us two having a moment together amongst all our nearest and dearest- those were my favourite highlights and definitely made the day that much more special.”
#6. No matter what you do, it’s definitely going to feel a bit overwhelming
There’s really no way to get around it - with so much going on things are definitely bound to get a bit overwhelming.
Jen: “Trying to focus on the important things but I think it would take some sort of supernatural ninja mental strength not to feel overwhelmed.”
Dillon: “I’m literally the most organized person on the planet and even I felt a bit overwhelmed at times.”
Page: “Even though everything went smoothly, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at times at the sheer love that was in the room.”
#7. Wedding Planners make everything better
Whether it’s finding someone to help you organize the whole thing or just find a coordinator to help you execute everything the day of - there is literally nothing better than having another human there to help make sure everything goes smoothly.
Candice: “If you want to be able to relax more leading up to, and the day of your wedding, I highly recommend having a wedding planner or a coordinator for your wedding. I thought hiring a wedding planner would be a waste of money, but we didn't have a choice because we got married in Spain. Having a wedding planner was worth way more than what we paid! We were both so relaxed and enjoyed everything. I honestly would have paid triple what we paid for everything that they did.”
Mel: “100% this. I still had all the nightmares and stress (even with my planner) but if nothing else it was a little less.”
#8. People will forget what you said, what they saw, and what you served, but they’ll never forget the way you made them feel.
While a great wedding is definitely a compilation of a million thought out details, the truth of the matter is that (for the most part) guests wont really notice too many of them. Sure they’ll appreciate the stunning arrangement on the head table or the delicious chocolate fountain you had set up, but at the end of the day all they’ll really remember is if they had a good time and if they felt included in your celebration.
Mary: “I wish I hadn’t worried so much about what everyone else was going to think. I’m pretty sure they were all just happy to be there.”
Taylor: “Three years later and people are still talking about our wedding - although it’s not in all the ways I thought they would. I thought they’d remember how beautiful everything was or how great everything tasted, instead all they seem to remember was how they danced the night away and laughed all evening long.”
Grace: “The best feeling in the world was when people hugged you good night and told you they had a wonderful time. That’s all that really matters.”
#9. It’s going to be great, but you’ll be happy once it’s over
Kaety: “It was actually the best feeling the first morning after the wedding to wake up and know there was absolutely no planning that needed to be done anymore.”
Melanie: “I hate to say it but we were both happy when it was done lol
Catherine: “We got married 2 weeks ago and now we can finally relax.”
Jess: “Thank goodness you only have to do it once!”
Ray: “I’ll never forget it as long as I live, and now I get to live out my days not having to worry about another. Hurray!”
