Lifestyle

7 Tips to Prevent Wedding Day Stress

Published

4 years ago

January 18, 2022

Planning a wedding can be incredibly stressful. There are many different things to think about, such as choosing your venue or picking out your bridal party. But when the day finally comes, the last thing you want to feel is the weight of anxiety.

Here are 7 tips to help prevent wedding day stress.

Choosing the Wedding Ring

Picking an engagement ring doesn’t have to be on the shoulders of one person. Frank Darling has try-at-home kits to compare various styles, stones, and settings. That way, your partner can help pick exactly what they want, so you can get it just right.

Be Realistic with Your Budget

Finances are one of the biggest stressors for couples. It can very well lead to added stress which can cause arguments.

It’s important to be realistic with your budget from the very beginning. Set up a spreadsheet and allocate funds before signing contracts with any vendors.

Most couples will have someone who wants to overspend while the other person will want to be more conservative. This is where you have to work on communication throughout the planning process.

Read Your Vows

You might want to make your wedding day special by reciting your own vows. Instead of saying them from memory, read them from a written or typed letter.

Having to memorize your vows and recite them in front of a crowd might not seem intimidating. But once the day arrives, you may be more anxious than you expected, causing you to forget lines or stumble over yourself. Avoid any unnecessary stress by reading them to your partner.

Know Things Will Go Wrong

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. As much as you want to plan the perfect day, there will inevitably be something that goes wrong.

While you may have even had a plan B in case it rained or certain people didn’t show up, allowing yourself to go with the flow will play to your benefit on your wedding day.

Keep It Simple

It may be easy to want to be overly elaborate with things like your first dance or the dinner menu. But unless you’ve hired someone to take care of every little detail, it might be better to keep things simple.

You won’t be able to please everyone when it comes to catering, for instance. People will have dietary restrictions or preferences. To make it easier, it’s a good rule of thumb to have a meat, fish, and vegan option.

To avoid a stressful wedding day, don’t create a crazy menu. Not only will it become more expensive, but it’ll also be too complicated when serving the meals.

Stop Comparing on Social Media

Most brides turn to Pinterest for inspiration. While it’s a great start, it should be taken with a grain of salt.

Social media showcases these idealistic and sometimes unrealistic portrayals of weddings. If our weddings don’t live up to those photographic standards, we become disappointed.

Expect Your Family to Be Your Family

Just because it’s your wedding day doesn’t mean your family will suddenly behave differently.

Expecting that they won’t be snarky or beg for attention will only leave you more frustrated on your wedding day. People are going to be exactly who they are, regardless of the setting.

Those who have been married before will want to push their opinions onto you. Take it with stride and remember, this day is all about what you and your partner want, not everyone else.

Conclusion

Weddings will more than likely come with their fair share of stress. It’s up to you to decide how you’ll respond to it.

Lifestyle

The Future of Social Dancing: How Latin Dance is Adapting to a New Generation

Published

4 hours ago

August 21, 2025

Michelle Langton

Latin dance thrives on connection. The music, the partner, and the crowd all feed one another.

Today, that connection is shaped by a younger, digitally fluent generation, and few understand the shift better than Damian Guzman, founder of Bachata Sensual America (BSA). From prize-winning festivals to late-night socials, Guzman and BSA show how the scene is evolving without losing its roots.

Streaming steps, viral beats

A decade ago, beginners to Latin dance hunted for grainy DVD tutorials; now they unlock entire combinations on their phones. TikTok loops, YouTube shorts, and Instagram reels have compressed learning into snack-sized bursts.

Many of the artists signed on with Bachata Sensual America meet dancers where they scroll, posting slow-motion breakdowns and “follow-along” drills that rack up thousands of views. This approach addresses two key Gen Z demands: instant access and a clear path from screen to floor.

By allowing newcomers to practice at home before facing a packed room, the online channel lowers the fear barrier while seeding a desire for in-person connection.

Festivals as entry points, not finish lines

Digital discovery is only the first act. For many people, their real baptism happens at multi-day events where practice hours blur into sunrise socials.

BSA’s flagship Houston Bachata Sensual Festival returned on May 2^nd, 2025, with a follow-up week slated for Bachata Sensual Festival Chicago, September 4^th-9^th, 2025. Both weekends pair technique labs with mental-wellness talks and DJs specializing in bachata, mirroring the playlists in dancers’ earbuds.

That balance of skills and community is why independent reviewers named BSA one of the “Top Latin Dance Festivals in the United States” for 2025. Yet, for Damian, awards matter less than the message: a festival can feel world-class without pricing out college students. He keeps passes tiered, encourages volunteer shifts that offset costs, and prepares bootcamps for absolute beginners, ensuring the dance floor reflects the same diversity he sees online.

Teaching culture, not just choreography

Bachata’s recent boom owes much to its European reinvention. Damian experienced that surge firsthand while earning one of the first U.S. instructor certifications in the Bachata Sensual style. He returned determined to give American dancers the same blend of precision and musicality he had experienced abroad.

BSA classes devote equal time to connection cues, body mechanics, and the genre’s Dominican roots. That trifecta resonates with younger students who want authenticity, not just a viral dip.

“In class I tell people, ‘Technique is how you respect your partner; musicality is how you respect the song,’” Guzman said during a recent podcast. The line distills his mission: elevate standards while keeping the dance welcoming.

Building inclusive, mindful spaces

Generation Z brings new expectations around consent, identity, and mental health. BSA’s code of conduct spells out everything from appropriate touch to gender-neutral role selection. Security staff mediate conflicts quickly, and workshop leaders open sessions with grounding exercises to calm nerves. These actions might sound small, yet they remove friction that once pushed many newcomers away.

Damian argues that such policies go beyond ethics; they future-proof the scene. Normalizing role fluidity in Latin dance widens its talent pool and invites richer musical interpretations. By acknowledging anxiety and overstimulation — common concerns for digital natives — events can retain dancers who might otherwise retreat after their first crowded social.

Latin dance has never stood still, and its next evolution is already spinning under disco lights from Houston to Helsinki. With a phone in every pocket and a festival on every calendar, the gap between discovery and mastery keeps shrinking.

Damian Guzman and Bachata Sensual America illustrate what happens when tradition listens, adapts, and leads with purpose. The result is a scene ready for whatever beat the next generation drops — and a future where social dancing feels more connected, inclusive, and alive than ever.