"The big day is so soon! Really excited to celebrate!"
This past week I've received some variation of that text. A part of me is like, "Yay! I'm so happy that people are eager to attend our wedding!"
The other part of me is silently gagging, worried that the day will be an utter disaster and no one will have a good time. Really, truth me told, I should just be concerned whether Peter and I are enjoying ourselves. It's our day, right? Well, try telling that to the part of my brain riddled with anxiety. I hate disappointing people, and the thought that even one of our wedding guests will consider the day a 'meh' on the fun scale rips me up inside.
To help calm my nerves, I turned to what we use in TV to help keep us organized and calm - a production call sheet. What is this mysterious thing? It's a list of who needs to be where and when, how to contact crew members, and other important details for the production. A wedding is essentially a big production, so I copied an old call sheet for the big day.
I also made a multiple contact lists. The first contact list has the name and numbers of the bridal party, and, our immediate family. The second contact list has all of our vendors/MC/anyone else who is part of the ceremony. Both lists include everyone's 'call time' aka the time they are needed, and the location. The plan is to email everyone the contact list & call sheet a few days before the wedding and have physical copies at the venue.
I've also asked my MC to be the designated 'go to' person the day of the wedding. Vendors will check in with him, and he'll help coordinate where they need to go to get set up etc. This was advice multiple 'marrieds' gave to us. It makes sense; the bride and groom really don't want to be putting out fires the day of their wedding.
What else have I done to help calm my nerves? Well, I've cut out my second coffee of the day and have started eating kimchi on the reg. Apparently the spicy Korean dish is one of the top 10 foods that help with anxiety. Has it worked? I think it's too early to tell, but my what it has done is forced me to take out our green bin more frequently. Kimchi has a very distinct smell that, unlike a fine wine, does not get better with age.