Why Holidays Are So Stressful For Wedding Pros

December is a slow month for weddings…Why are you so stressed?

  • Professional Expectations – Corporate clients with Mona Lisa tastes, but Charlie Brown budgets (peanuts).
  • Personal Expectations – If you are a caterer, you can’t bring store-bought cookies to the neighborhood cookie exchange.  Even friends judge you at a different level because this is what you do for a living.
    • Photographers – Are your Christmas card photos ever good enough?
    • Florists – Your multiple Christmas trees and flower arrangements have become an expectation by all.
  • No Childcare – You work so hard during heavy wedding season that you decide to keep the kids home with you over winter break.  However, you still have holiday parties and bridal show booths to plan.  For you, there is no such thing as PTO and (almost) every day is a work day.  Your kindergartner asks you to play dolls while you are on a sales call and your teenager just went through another gallon of milk.  You need your own personal assistant even though it isn’t in the budget.
  • Family Obligations – Behind door number one is Aunt Joan and her six sons who want to stay at your house for Thanksgiving.  Door number two is your December flight with weather delays and  coughing passengers.   Finally, behind door number, three is the flu.
  • Cash Flow – Unless you are a relentless saver, your bank account is low and your wants for the holidays are high.  Most new business deposits start in January but the big bills start appearing weeks before.

To reduce stress this holiday season:

  • Buy one type of gift – Try Molly and Me Pecans – these are amazing. The apple pie moonshine gift box is also very good.
  • Lower your expectations – Does it really matter if you have the best Christmas party? Instead, meet your friends at a restaurant for happy hour and don’t worry about having your house holiday-perfect.
  • Reach out to other wedding pros – Social interactions release the feel-good hormones serotonin and oxytocin. Online interactions are great to make plans, but shouldn’t replace face-to-face relationships.
  • Keep a gratitude journal – Remember the small things that make your day more enjoyable. Write a line or two every week about the positives in your day-to-day life.  You will actively search for the good things and ignore the bad.
  • Serve your community – Serve a meal at your local charity.  It really does make you feel better to give than to receive.  Charities like ManaHouse are always looking for holiday volunteers!