Pre-wedding Jitters

"Almost every premarital couple I've seen have experienced some degree of 'pre-wedding jitters' and questioned if it was a supernatural sign from God not to marry that person. Listen, it's not God telling you to run away, it's just your own insecurities and doubts."

"Being center stage in front of your family and friends while wanting everything to go perfectly is a recipe for major anxiety because something is bound to go wrong. The more you worry about things being perfect, the more miserable you will be. Remember, in four hours you and your husband are headed out of town together as the runaway bride AND groom!"

"It's normal to experience anxiety in an abnormal life event, like a wedding, which puts you center stage in front your closest friends and family. This type of fear is temporary and becomes more manageable when you openly identify and talk about the pressures you feel with your fiance, Mom or the wedding planner."

"Anxiety basically comes from feeling out of control, so take action now to deal with the wedding issues pressuring you most. Resolving issues ahead of time allows you to enjoy this special time with your future husband making memories, instead of enduring it like an exhausted runner collapsing at the end of a marathon."

"I love the advice of the oldies song, 'it's my party and I'll cry if I want to' since a bride has the right to be emotional or to request that the wedding party wears pink. It's her special day and everyone wants it to be beautiful to honor her. However when the emotional pressure becomes overwhelming or unbearable, it stops being about a ceremony because it may feel like survival."

"Dysfunctional relationships come unraveled under pressure. If a bride sees the warning signs of rage, substance abuse, infidelity, abusive talk or behavior, then she should run away from the ceremony and run toward a counselor. Better to feel the short term stress of changing the wedding date than to move forward against her better judgment and end up with long term marital problems."

"I've talked to hundreds of women who told me that they knew in their hearts it was wrong to move forward and marry that man, but they felt pressured into going ahead with the wedding to please their parents or because of the money spent. Running away from a bad decision is always a good idea, but consider the timing of when to do it and the lives of others involved."

"Bottom line advice to brides is to deal with your fears as soon as they come up because the longer you wait, the more pressures and problems it causes."