Three Powerful Words: I don't know

No one can make your feel inferior without your consent. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Saying that planning a wedding is an enormous, almost overwhelming task is an obvious understatement. You know that. What you might not realize is that you are the boss of you.

It’s easy to forget that small fact when faced with the myriad of decisions that come from planning your big day. There’s always someone- your mom, mother in law, friends, even dad- who knows better. And, after a while you might be tempted to throw up your hands in frustration and let you loved ones take over. Because you just don’t know what to do.

That’s where my old friend, Eleanor Roosevelt, can be of help. Her words are inspiring to me, and remind us that the most important opinion is, most often, our own.

Eleanor is right. No one can make you feel inferior unless you allow them to do it. That’s especially true when planning a wedding. You’ve got to remember you don’t do this everyday and it’s wrong for anyone to think you’d know how to make every decision. Don’t give your consent to be treated like a child or imbecile.

Instead, rally and show your strength. Utter three very powerful words: I don’t know

Yeah, I said I don’t know. Saying I don’t know opens your mind, heart and quite possibly your whole world to new opportunities. It takes confidence, trust, and faith to admit you don’t know something and ask for that knowledge. It’s definitely not a cry-baby move. It takes courage.

And, what does our plucky bride get, Johnny, for saying the magic words?

* confident decision-making- you won’t be stumped because you’re prepared to say I don’t know then ask the questions- all the questions- you need to understand, analyze choices and make a good decision. An informed mind sees possibilities where none existed before.
* better relationships- you’ll enjoy a deeper connection with vendors, family and friends because by saying IDK and asking for help you’re saying you trust them not to hurt or belittle you and you have faith that this person can help you find a solution. That’s meaningful. Most wedding planners I know would consider it a very special gift for you to rely on their expertise. (Of course, you shouldn’t over do it! You gotta make decisions when asked.)
* more knowledge and experience- you get an answer which is just what you wanted. You’ll know more about say, why place cards are essential or how to select the best bridal gown silhouette for your figure. Any wedding professional worth his or her salt will be thrilled to have such an engaged, interested bride as a planning partner and be happy to ’show off’ a bit.

Pretty sweet. You can transform potentially awkward, stressful situations into fun learning opportunities. OK, that might be just me since I’m geeky and love to learn new stuff. However, I don’t think so. I think that when you let go of the anxiety of ‘not knowing’ you gain a new superpower that makes you invincible.

You don’t feel inferior and no one can make you because you know the magic words. That’s Bride Power.

If you liked this, you’ll love our next Bride Summit. Register now- it’s Thursday!