When the Wedding's Over: The Untold Secrets

​Nervous. Happy. Overwhelmed. Exhausted. They’re all common feelings in the months, weeks and days leading up to the day you will promise to love and honor the same person... for better or worse… for the rest of your life. But rarely do we hear about what happens after the wedding – you know, once you’re home from the honeymoon, all of your wedding gifts are un-wrapped and put away and you’re actually married!

Wedding Day staff writer Kelli Stopczynski recently had the very good fortune of attending an amazing media event at the Wyndham Nassau Resort in the Bahamas to announce Party City’s new relationship with wedding planner Samantha Goldberg (see opposite page). If you’ve seen her on Whose Wedding is it Anyway on the Style Network, you know Samantha has fashion, flair and finesse when it comes to pulling together a fabulous wedding.

Throughout more than 1,000 weddings and nearly 20 years of experience, she’s gained a lot of insight into what makes relationships work and why they break down. We were lucky enough to get some one-on-one time with her to talk about the topic no one else will – what happens when the wedding’s over.
 

Q: WHAT'S THE TOUGHEST PART OF BEING MARRIED?

A: Planning and pulling off the wedding are a piece of cake. It’s that time after the wedding that puts huge amounts of strain on most relationships. A very large percentage of brides have a difficult first year of marriage because of the post-wedding blues. For many of them it actually results in a depression, which can be very tough on a brand new marriage.  
It happens for a number of reasons. For example, after months of planning, the wedding is suddenly over and brides are quickly jolted from the high of everyone saying how beautiful they are to the reality of attention being off them. It’s not about them anymore and that’s not easy to deal with.
 

Q: WHAT ABOUT THE "HONEYMOON PHASE"?

A: Well there used to be a honeymoon phase, but now it’s a joke. Back in the 1950s and 60s, couples didn’t live together before they got married. So after they tied the knot and moved in together, it was something exciting and new and different they could do after the wedding. Now, more couples are moving in even before they become engaged. Being engaged and living together is good because it helps you get to know your fiancé, but there’s really not a big event to look forward to when you get back from your honeymoon… hence the post wedding blues.
 

Q: HOW CAN A BRIDE COMBAT POST-WEDDING BLUES?

A: Well first of all, keep in mind grooms can suffer from post wedding depression too. While his bride is trying to deal with the letdown factors that the wedding and honeymoon are over, she might distance herself from him. When this happens, grooms tend to feel like they’ve lost the woman they fell in love with and married. The good news is there are things you can do – and avoid – to help prevent let downs after the wedding.
1. Don’t take three years to plan your wedding. It’s not healthy to be engaged for a really long time. Your life can’t revolve around one day for such a long period of time.
2. Don’t focus on your wedding 24/7. Give yourself weekly tasks and at some point, walk away for a few weeks or a month. You will feel so refreshed when you come back it. Remember: bridal timelines aren’t a lifeline. Pace yourself!
3. If you’re a Do-It-Yourself bride, you must allow others to help. Ask your bridesmaids, fiancé, mom and mother-in-law to pitch in – they’ll likely be more than happy to help! Also, stay away from  intricate DIY details. They will drive you crazy.
4. Set no expectations. There’s no such thing as a perfect wedding.Expect to have a beautiful day and marry the man you love.

PARTY CITY

As part of her new partnership with Party City (some of you may know it as Factory Card Outlet), Samantha Goldberg used the media event in the Bahamas to demonstrate how brides can use Party City to pull off all facets of their wedding festivities.

Journalists on the trip were “guests” at a fabulous faux wedding weekend at the Wyndham Nassau Resort – from a tropical-themed welcome on the property’s boardwalk, to an elegant bridal shower breakfast, a luau rehearsal dinner, a bachelorette party at the on-site 22 Above Lounge and a stunning reception inside one of the Wyndham’s ballrooms, it was an incredible experience!

Goldberg’s best advice on making the most of the Party City or Factory Card Outlet near you?  

“Don’t just look in the wedding section of the store, always look at all the products the store has to offer and you’ll be surprised at what you find!” she suggested.

WYNDHAM NASSAU RESORT & CRYSTAL PALACE CASINO

The Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino has everything you need to pull off the destination wedding or honeymoon of your dreams.  The Wyndham’s experienced staff will help you plan, organize and facilitate any event, from start to finish.  

“Some couples feel like it’s too expensive to have a nice destination wedding, but that’s just not the case,” explained Wyndham Nassau Event Planner Denise Bastian. “We know all couples are on a budget and our price point is flexible.”

Bastian is one of two dedicated consultants that will handle everything… from coordinating your rehearsal dinner and reception entertainment to helping with gourmet food selections, floral decorations and spa appointments. One thing’s for sure – whether your wedding is just the two of you or a lavish affair for 500, the Wyndham Nassau Resort will make sure your wedding day in paradise is truly magnificent.