10 Practical Tips for the Shy Bride (and Groom)

Isn't the bride in this photo absolutely beautiful? I wonder if she is shy or just in a time of quiet reflection, needing a moment to herself to process all that is going on around her. If she is introverted, she simply needs a moment. If she is shy, she is probably feeling afraid of the pending social interactions and expectations of her wedding day.

I am mostly an introvert~ I love, love my alone time. My extrovert friends mostly dislike spending time alone; they are usually found in the company of others~ ugh, just thinking about that exhausts me. We are all different and that is a very good thing; we should be celebrating our God-given temperaments. (Btw, author Sara, of the blog On Simplicity (great ideas on simple,abundant living) delineates introversion, shyness and extroversion. It's a good read, I hope you'll check it out.)

Shyness. I refuse to believe it is God-given yet, this insidious beast sometimes creeps into my life, and probably yours too. Shyness has its roots in fear~ fear of social situations and the like. Maybe you find yourself (like me) in both the introverted and extroverted camps while sometimes dipping your toes into the "shy" camp... At the end of the day, fear limits our potential in every area of our lives and no good comes from that.

Don't let shyness overshadow your big day. Even if you've just stumbled upon this blog today and your wedding is tomorrow, you can immediately start using these:

Easy, Practical Tips to Managing Shyness on and before Your Wedding Day

Smile! It's amazing how infectious a smile is and how quickly it helps to bridge the gap between people. This is one of the most wonderful days of your life, let it show.
Give Hugs! The people at your wedding love and care about you. Love on them back!
Stop thinking so much about yourself and your feelings.
Seek to make others feel comfortable.
1. Ask them questions. How was your flight in? How is great Uncle John? What are you growing in your garden this year? Anticipate questions to ask of your guests.
2. Give genuine complements. I love your hair...(of course, only if you really do love their hair).
Envision your wedding day. Imagine yourself relaxed, comfortable and absolutely joyful.
Use only positive self-talk. This is a big one! Start right now and do away with negative (good for nothing) self-talk. YOU CAN DO IT!
Feel the fear and do it anyway. Do something today that you would have been afraid to do yesterday. Do it again tomorrow. YOU CAN DO IT!
Use relaxtion techniques: take deep breaths, exercise, etc.
Talk about your fears with a good friend.
Practice 1-9.

Enjoy this video of Martina McBride. This song is one of my all-time favorite songs because I couldn't agree more that... "the sweetest thing that you'll ever see, in the whole-wide world, is a happy girl!"

Happy Friday (go ahead~ crank it up!)