On your wedding day, you might have covered your something old, something new, and something borrowed, but are you now just figuring out your something blue? If your wedding has come and gone and you’re still with us (Hi! Thanks for sticking around!), you might be feeling a little blue… a little disappointed, let down, or nostalgic. It’s not because your wedding day was a negative experience. Actually, it was probably the opposite. It was probably so magical that you miss it and wish you could do it all over again, but can’t. Don’t worry. You are totally normal so don’t give yourself tsuris about it.
I know this feeling. I had such a great wedding planning experience and the actual day was absolute bliss. Everything flowed perfectly, I never felt more beautiful, and I thought I’d reached the ultimate amount of warm fuzzies I could feel for my husband (this has since been trumped since the birth of our daughter three months ago). We fled to Hawaii for our honeymoon the morning after we tied the knot, and we constantly reminisced and replayed our favorite wedding day moments in our heads. Ten days later, we arrived home to a pile of presents and when they were finally all unwrapped and our life was no longer weddingified, the absence of the wedding hype was loud and clear. Cue the post-wedding blues!
So how can you recover from the happiest day of your life? What can you do to bridge the gap between hardcore wedding planning and modern day marriage? Let’s face it, you’ve spent the better chunk of a year living the life of a wedding addict and like most addictions, it’s nearly impossible to quit cold turkey. So here’s how you can soothe your withdrawals:
Write Your Darn Thank You Notes
What most people consider a chore can also become your happy time. Writing thank you notes allows you to revisit all your gifts and play with all your shiny new things. Get personal in your notes and include a favorite memory about the wedding day with the addressee. “Thank you so much for the waffle maker! Can’t wait to enjoy weekend breakfasts thanks to your gift. We had so much fun on the dance floor with you! ‘Sweet Caroline’ will never be the same after those dance moves.” Plus, your guests will be glad to receive such a personal and thoughtful note from you. Bride of the year, baby!
Pick Out Your Photos
I can’t tell you how many friends have stalled on selecting their photos for their wedding album and are celebrating their third wedding anniversary with an empty coffee table. It may seem daunting to go through your thousands of photos, but it’s best to purchase prints and design an album with your photographer when the wedding is still fresh in your head. Plus, it’s really fun to sift through your proofs and see the wedding day through your photographer’s eyes. So don’t procrastinate! Extend your wedding memories with the real images.
Host A Party
I know, I know, you’re soooo partied out from the wedding, you can’t possibly think of partying some more, right? Well, if you’re up for the challenge, invite your besties over for a night of debauchery using all your new wedding gifts! No more red cups. Here’s your chance to use real champagne flutes or martini glasses from Pottery Barn! Bake fancy desserts with your pristine KitchenAid mixer! Go to the farmer’s market and fill your new crystal Tiffany & Co. vase with pretty flowers! So. Many. Party. Options. And none of it would be possible without your wedding coming and going.
Date! Date! And More Date!
Start dating. Yes, just because you are married, it doesn’t mean you can’t date your new partner! Make a date night once a week or even once a month, but go out and do something together. This “honeymoon phase” can only last as long as you nurture it. Think of fun things to do together and fall in love all over again. You’ll probably find yourselves talking about your wedding day and sharing new memories:
“Ohmygosh, did you see Uncle Irv at the bar?”
“No! What happened?”
“Oh, that’s when you went to the bathroom and all your bridesmaids had to help you. Uncle Irv started to do his old Catskills shtick at the bar and Aunt Roz was so embarrassed, she tossed her vodka tonic in his face and told him to take his own flight back to Boca all alone! But then he did her favorite Mel Brooks bit and they went back to the hotel.”
“Ew.”
Write About It!
If you’re really yearning for your wedding day and want to recover from the blues, your best therapy is to write about it. And where should it be published? TheWeddingYentas.com of course! If you have a funny story, want to share your experience, need to rant about something, or think you have advice to pass on to other brides, you are always more than welcome to compose something and send it to The Wedding Yentas for a Tales From The Veil submission. Real brides love reading about other real brides. No doubt, you had your own unique wedding experience, but others can learn about your special day and be inspired by your story so the best way to extend your wedding day is to share it with others! If you’d like to submit a story, you can email it to alison@theweddingyentas.com and you’ll hear back quickly!
Yes, the post-wedding blues are no fun, but you can have lots of fun by still doing weddingish things after the hoopla is over. Enjoy your marriage, take care of your partner, and think back to your wedding day with pride and love. And before you know it, you’ll be onto the next phase of your life and you’ll be singing a different tune (“Hush Little Baby” anyone?).
