I had an anxiety attack right before my wedding: What it meant, what it didn’t, and how to cope
In an attempt to stave off further anxiety, I decided to do what any good writer would do and research. I searched “I’m anxious before my wedding,” “How do get through the wedding when you’re anxious,” “How to not be anxious for your wedding when you’re an anxious person in general.” Similar to how googling an illness automatically tells you you have cancer, every search I made indicated that my marriage was doomed. That awful little voice in my head was telling me They are right, even though I knew they weren’t. Wasn’t there someone out there who suffered from anxiety and could relate to what I was going through?
Things you might not expect from an engagement photo session (and the importance of bug spray)
I talked my fiancé into doing engagement pictures basically because I believed the posts on Offbeat Bride that suggested engagement pics are a great way to get comfortable being photographed… and they are a nice memento. My guy felt completely un-photogenic and had no interest in paying someone to follow us around a forest taking pictures of us making out. I actually struggle with low self-esteem, and am currently in therapy about it. So the idea of spending money on a photo shoot made me uncomfortable. But here’s what happened, and what I learned from the experience…
Why you should embrace your wedding jealousy
About one-and-a-half years into what is shaping up to be a four-year engagement, my future brother-in law proposed to his then-girlfriend. I love these people very, very much, so naturally, I was filled with excitement, happiness, love, and… jealousy? I was filled with guilt about my reactions. It ate into me, and fighting them caused me hours of anxiety. It got to a point where the positive emotions I did feel were getting blotted out. So, I just gave in to my jealousy. I embraced the emotion and allowed myself to fully experience it…
What will people tell their friends about your wedding?
Like many Offbeat Brides, I’m pretty insecure. I’m insecure to the point where I sit on the subway making up things for people around me to say behind my back. Of course, in my mind, they’re never flattering. So now, less than two weeks from my own wedding, I decided to STOP thinking about the horrible things people MIGHT say about my wedding.