Holistic Bridal Bootcamp: Prep Your Mind, Body, and Soul for the Big Day

Getting ready for your wedding isn't about losing 10 pounds to fit into your dress...it's about feeling relaxed, happy, confident, and comfortable in your own skin. So we turned to three experts who get paid to make clients over from the inside. Jiva-Apoha's Angela Shore, creative life coach Lauren D. Russo, and SW Basics creator Adina Grigore gave us their best mind-body-soul hacks for prepping for the big day.

“Take advantage of all those good feelings: sit down and really immerse yourself in them,” said Russo, a certified coach who specializes in helping creative, busy women make the most of their time, and who loves helping brides get the wedding and marriage they dream of. "Imagine your ideal wedding, in as much detail as you want. In the midst of madly looking at inspiration for dresses and color schemes, you can also save some images that help you remember what your feeling guideposts are, so you'll see them throughout your planning process,” she added. (Think: photos of cuddly puppies, relaxing beach scenes, or adventures you want to have.) 

Save them to an album in your phone or just write out a list of the feelings you want to capture in your planning notebook. Make them easily accessible so you can tap into them throughout the planning process.

“Think about how you want to look on your big day now," said Grigore, who puts her expertise in holistic nutrition, fitness, and minimalist beauty to use when making her Brooklyn-based skincare line. "This way, you can avoid freaking out right before and do some very difficult cleanse right when you're the most stressed."

 “Look for a simple workout plan to add to your daily routine,” she also said. “It'll get you in shape, help calm down your nerves, and brighten your complexion. Sweating removes toxins and flushes dirt from your pores.” 

“Communication is key, every day,” said Shore, whose all-natural, organic oils are custom-blended to restore energy and well-being. “The delivery in communication is just as important. Talk and listen with calm, collective compassion.”  

“Take an afternoon, day, or whole weekend off and do something fun for yourself and your partner,” Russo suggested. “Take a trip, play hooky, have an extra-special date. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you're dealing with the several thousand little things that getting married can entail." The only rule for this mini-break is that you don't talk about the wedding. The point is to connect to yourself and your partner and give yourself a break to re-energize. Want to earn bonus points? Plan something that invokes the same feelings as the guideposts that you determined right after you were engaged. 

 “Now is also a good time to start thinking about your skin and the products in your daily routine,” said Grigore. “Use soothing products, eat clean, and pamper yourself once in a while. It'll all make the big day way more effortless.” 

“Create and cook a meal together using beautiful fresh ingredients once a week,” Shore recommended. “Light candles every evening. One person can light and the other can blow out before bed. Say a prayer or a simple mantra while doing the action. It’s a great practice for the home—sure to bless you and make way for good health and happiness, too.”

“So, in every wedding I've ever been involved in, some major wrench gets thrown into the system about now,” Russo told us. “Maybe it's that your dress alterations aren't coming along. Or the reception place you reserved turns out to be unavailable. Or someone gets into a major fight in your family, or in your bridal party. Whatever it is, it feels like a disaster. It's tempting to look at this turn of events as a sign that your wedding is doomed and it will never be as wonderful as you dreamed of in the beginning." “Please don't look at it that way," she said. “Instead, look at this as your opportunity to practice some of those feelings of connection and love and faith that you probably felt way back when you started. And call on your people for help. Keep in mind that sometimes this means letting go of a little control over your wedding. When you have to go with a backup plan, or rely on someone else to do something you were going to do yourself, chances are, it's not going to turn out the way that you initially pictured. Just remember: the point is not to get exactly what you pictured, but to feel the way you wanted to feel. So, who and what can help you feel that way?

“Stop experimenting with your health,” Grigore advised. “No new personal care products, no new diet, nothing. You want no surprises on your wedding day. If you deal with any bodily flare-ups or issues, it’s best to take a break from everything, take a deep breath, and try your very best to just relax.”

“Find at least one or two healthy interests to share,” Shore said. “Yoga, walking, hiking, biking, paddle boarding, swimming, anything! Just one exercise as a couple can lead to such great relaxation. It’s also a great time to build a connection and strong path together, which is important to make soulful [and mindful] decisions together for life.”How will you take care of your mind, body, and soul leading up to your wedding, Loverlies?