Rules of engagement: 5 tips to help you avoid Bridezilla-dom

I’m not kidding. If this part of your life was being filmed for the world to see, do you wanna be that lady who went kookoonuts on her best friend for not removing the yellow M&M’s from her bride-to-be candy dish? No, you do not. This is an extremely exciting time, and yeah it is kinda all about you and your Prince Awesome, but is that a reason to completely lose your marbles on the regular around those who love you most? No, it is not.

If you follow Engagement Tip No. 1, then I’m guessing you’ve got lots of people around you who want to get in on all the wedding-planning fun. I’m no mathematician, but I’m pretty sure that More Help = Less Stress. So get vendor referrals from friends who have already tied the knot. Have pals keep a lookout for the hottest trends in favors and décor. Let your artsy third-cousin design the invites. (Psst… he could really use the extra cash.) And if you have a few super-special people who really go out of their way to assist you? A sweet little thank-you note is always appreciated. (BTW, I happen to know of a great company who makes some.)

No matter how laid-back you are, the Wedding-Planning-Stress Monster will probably rear its hideous head at some point. “Laughter to the rescue!” I say too enthusiastically. A fun engagement photo shoot might be just the thing to help put you and your sweet patootie back into a lovey-dovey, giddy groove. Ask a friend to take some shots of you two at your favorite park or landmark. Or hire a professional photographer to do the job. Just go easy on the PDA, ’kay? OMG for reals, you guys… get a room.

In case you didn’t know, that’s a quote from the Disney movie, Finding Nemo. If you have never seen this movie, then DROP EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING AND WATCH IT RIGHT NOW. Aren’t you glad I just made you do that? It was so good, right??? Anyway, my point here is just to say that if you keep plugging along, nice and steady, things will get done. The cake will get ordered. The flowers will get arranged. And those cute monogramed napkins you picked out will be delivered on time and in perfect condition. And if for whatever reason they aren’t? Well, read on…

If your engagement is anything like absolutely everything else in life, things will not always go according to plan. But even if something REALLY HORRIBLE happens—like your Aunt Sally drops a greasy short rib on your yet-to-be-sent invitations (Calm down! That is a purely fictional scenario!)—all is not lost. This is when you do No. 1 on this list and then remember what this whole thing is really all about. It’s about you and Mr. Hot Stuff being super, wildly, undeniably in love and agreeing to be each other’s bestie forever and ever until you’re both old, wrinkly and smell faintly of mothballs. And one little greasy short rib (or pretty much anything else) can’t do a dang thing to change that.