Why a hire a bridal coach?
Brides who hire a wedding coach report less stress, greater control and actually enjoy their weddings a lot more
What is a Bridal Coach?
Think of a Wedding Coach as an advisor, behavioral specialist, conflict resolution expert, and relationship manager with a strong understanding of goal setting and wedding planning, all wrapped up in a life coach. Additionally, a Wedding Coach is hired for the duration of your wedding plans, until the day you marry. Your Wedding Coach will collaborate with you so that you can stay on track with all wedding-related tasks
However, your Wedding Coach is not a wedding planner. He or she will not partake in planning your wedding, or attend gown fittings, cake tasting, review DJs or bands, or select your reception menu.
However, your coach can definitely help you achieve the outcomes you want so that you will be less stressed and actually enjoy planning your wedding.
The role of the Bridal Coach
When coaching brides, my focus is helping to keep them organised, on schedule, and to minimise the stress of planning a wedding. My role is to develop strategies and goals for brides to achieve the ideal outcomes for their wedding day. Likewise, I help brides and, or grooms develop various social and psychological resiliency skills to meet challenges and setbacks that happen during wedding planning stages
For instance, if my bride is having issues with her mother controlling the wedding plans, I help her learn effective communication strategies and emotional intelligence to handle her controlling mother better and take back the power. We also work on creating to-do lists and work towards achieving mini-accomplishments to reduce feeling overwhelmed during the wedding planning process.
Advantages of having a Bridal Coach
Brides who take advantage of having a Wedding Coach (e.g., Life Coach) usually report less stress, greater control and actually enjoy their wedding much more. Coaches, such as myself, serve as an objective support person, sounding board, and an individual that is there solely for the bride (or groom) through the entire wedding planning journey. The amazing thing is that what clients learn through coaching in this area of their experience can be used throughout the rest of their lives.
The Bridal Coaching Process
I help my brides by using a co-active coaching approach, and through setting SMART goals. The co-active approach was developed by Kimsey-House et al (2011) and is a model that incorporates collaborative efforts between the coach and coachee.
SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable/Achievable, Realistic and Timely. As such, solution-focused goals are SMART goals
Using these concepts, my client / bride decides what she wants to work on and how she wants to approach her goals. I am there to support her. Therefore, I work with my clients, through brainstorming, active listening and helping them identify the results they want to achieve, and I encourage them throughout the course of our relationship and the wedding planning process to use their strengths to accomplish what the desire.
Celebrating Progress
Additionally, I believe that every milestone, strength, or newly developed skill and outcome should be celebrated. So we take time to review what was accomplished and celebrate victories, as well as failures.
We do this because it reminds the client how hard she has worked and it is a tangible or physical way to show how coaching is working in the client’s life.
Bev's calming energy and presence during the wedding process was priceless, even when she just sent me a quick breathing exercise or 1 min meditation. It all was so valuable! If you are feeling the least bit frazzled by the wedding planning process, I can't recommend Wedded Bliss enough.
- Kirstie, Bride from Autumn 2019 -
Reasons to hire a Bridal Coach
Reduce stress, build confidence, and maintain your sanity while you plan your wedding
Get organised/keep organised throughout the wedding planning process
Brainstorm and collaborate on ideas and strategies to help your wedding run smoothly
Objectively and clearly talk things through without being judgemental, and help you see things from a different but healthy perspectives
Achieve wedding goals on time and according to plan
Maintain control of your wedding plans while allowing you the ability to enjoy the process of planning your wedding
Develop new organisational, communicative, emotional and behavioural skills that you can use in other areas of your life
I guess a better question is why wouldn’t you hire a coach to work with you during your wedding?
Being such a perfectionist, I was so stressed with everything about the wedding and I think my anxiety was higher than it's ever been, but every time I talked to Bev she helped me to feel more calm. She even helped me to see how much fun wedding planning could be! As long as I focused on what was aligned with me and my wedding dreams because this was MY wedding!
- Jenn, Bride from Spring 2019 -
Bridal Coaching Options
I've got a number of options, both group and on a 1 to 1 basis you're going to be really interested in!