JUNE-JULY 2012 maven   47  46   maven JUNE-JULY 2012

1Yourcoordinatorisrunninglateforyour

coffeemeetingandyou’realreadyonyoursecondicedlatté.You...A callhereverytwominutessoshe’llseethemissedcallsandknowyoumeanbusiness.

B texttoletherknowthat you’llgoaroundthemallfirst—youneedtowindow-shopforbridesmaidgiftsanyway—andtojustgive

 youacallwhenshe’snearby.C ordermorecoffee(and

dessert!)andbrowseFacebookandTwitterupdates.

2It’sFridaynightandyourfiancéishangingoutwith

theguystoprepFantasyNBAlineups—andhestillowesyouthelistofrelativesflyinginfromabroad.You…A givehimthesilenttreatmentallweekend(ande-mailyourfuturesister-in-lawASAPtofollowup).

B gentlyremindhimtoe-mail youovertheweekendso

 youcanfinalizetheinvitesonMonday.

C forgetaboutit—he’llsendthelistwhenhe’sready.Inthemeantime,yourfavoriteshowison.

3Yourmatronofhonorispregnantandhasa

doctor’sappointmentonthedayofafitting.You...A throwafitandmakeherreschedule(what’sonemoredayofsuspenseoffindingoutifit’saboyorgirl?).

B askyourdesignerifshecan

accommodateyourfriendanotherday,andcoordinateatimethatworksforbothofthem.

C textyourfriendthedesigner’sassistant’snumbersoshecancomeinforafittingwhenever.

4YourdesignerishavingissuessourcingtheItalian

laceyoupickedfromherswatches.You…A lashoutonthemessageboardssayinghowinconsistentand

Mostly B’s

Calm-and-ComposedBride-chillaYou’re the Duchess of Keeping It

Real. You can balance the demands of

wedding planning and find compromise

in any issue, from the major (parents’

wishes, expanding guest list, feuding

relatives) to the mundane (missing

garter, giveaways, baby’s breath in your

bouquet). “The pretty parts of wedding

planning are fun, but it all comes down

to having the people you love in the

same place, sharing the same moment,”

says Keene, and you totally get her

point. Come wedding day, you’ve done

the best you could and everything will

play out as it should—with fun, love,

solemnity, and excitement. Whatever

mishaps or missteps happen, it’s okay—

all the more things to talk about with

your new hubby when you reminisce

about the big day!

Mostly A’s

Fried-and-FrazzledBridezillaCall your doctor ASAP because

you’re in dire need of a chill pill.

“The great thing about weddings

is you can’t ruin them,” says

Meg Keene, author of A Practical

Wedding: Creative Ideas for Planning a

Beautiful, Affordable, and Meaningful

Celebration. “Fundamentally,

you’re there to get married…little

things may go wrong, but you can

choose to not let it matter. It’s the

imperfections that make the day

yours.” So, relax! Let the little things

slide, and delegate some of the tasks

on your already-brimming to-do

list—even if it means easing up on

the micro-specific timeline. “If you’re

marrying a partner who makes you

deeply happy, the wedding just

becomes the party to kick off the rest

of your life,” says Keene.

 Are you a Bridezilla?  …or a Bride-chilla? Daydream scenario: he proposed! You’ve snagged the kindest, most adorableman, scored one gorgeous two-carat ring, and preparations are in full swingfor the Best. Wedding. Ever. Take our quiz to find out where you fall underthe Bridezilla–Bride-chilla spectrum.  BYMARIEL JIMENEZ

unprofessionalthisdesignerisandmeetwithsomeonenewtomorrow.

B letherknowthatyou’reabitdisappointed,butwouldbehappytobrowseotheravailableoptionsthatwouldstillmatchyourpeg.

C dealwithitlater;there’sstilltime.Andifpushcomestoshove,you’refinewithanotherdesign.

5YoursisterlooksastonishingandOscar-

 worthyinherone-shoulderdress.You...A tellhertowearapashminathroughouttheceremony,orgetfittedwithanewdress.Yousimplywon’tbeupstagedonyourbigday!

B feelaslighttwingeofenvy(howyou’dlovetohavethat

metabolismofhers!)anddecidetogowiththepricierhairandmakeupguyswho

 workinmagazines.C snapherpicwithInstagram,ponderwhowouldbeaperfectmatchforher,andmakeamentalnotetoseatthemtogetheratthereception.

6Yourfuturein-lawsrequestedtoadd10of

theirchurchfriendstoyouralready-packedguestlistandofferedtoshouldertheextracostatthereception.You…A firmlysay“No”—you’vealreadyhadtoeditoutmostofyourhigher-upsatworkandcollegesororitysisters.

B discussthebudgetwithyourfiancéandseeifyoucanmakeroomforthem.

C textyourfuturemother-in-lawan“OK!”withasmileyface(yourfiancécandeal

 withthecashthinglater).

7Youarerunninglowoncashandtheweddingis

alreadyover-budget.You…A borrowmoneyfromarichrelative.Thisisavery,veryspecialoccasionandyousimplymust pulloutallthestopsforthePERFECTday!

B considergettingashort-termloanonyourcar…andquicklyrealizetheinterestratewouldbetoohighto

 justifythecashflowboost.Youdecidetoskipthepre-dinnerwineandcocktails.

C applyforanewcreditcardandchargeeverythingfornow.You’llfigureitout

 whenyougetbackfromthehoneymoon.

8 Yourfloristsuggestsredrosesafteryou’veindicatedinapreviouse-mailthatthey’renotexactlyyourthing.You…A fireheronthespot.(Goodthingyouhaveback-upmeetingswithtwootherflorists!)

B calmlyremindheryou’renottookeenonred,andbeopentoothersuggestions(maybefuchsia?).

C gowiththeroses,yourfloristcangetthemata

 greatprice.

You Maven, You!

 

Mostly C’s

Smooth-and-steady Spectator

News flash: you’re getting married!

While it’s okay to be laid back,

putting things off at the last minute

or not being proactive enough can

put a dent in your budget…and even

in friendships. It’s also possible that

you’re going through “Wedding-

planning Paralysis,” wherein stress

and other issues are distracting

you from urgent wedding-planning

needs. According to Allison Moir-

Smith, M.A., psychotherapist and

author of Emotionally Engaged: A

Bride’s Guide to Surviving the Happiest

Time of Her Life, this isn’t to be

mistaken for cold feet. “‘Cold feet’ is

a catchall term for the normal fears

about getting married that many

brides and grooms experience,” she

explains. “The key is determining

which fears can be worked through

and which fears are signs you

should call off the wedding.” Talk

things through with a priest, pastor,

counselor, or trusted relative to help

put your anxiety/apathy

into perspective.

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