Indian couple in orange and pink posing together at their wedding

On Weddings & Wellness with Drishti

This girl has gone through it all! Finished school? Check. Survived cancer? Check. Planned a wedding? Check! After going through a crazy 2 years, Drishti sat down with us to tell us about her wedding, her wellness journey and how to stay sane while doing 10 million things.

Indian bride and husband posing under peach drapery

Bride Drishti on her wedding day. Photography by Rob Jinks

How do you feel that your mental health was affected by wedding planning and the stress? I was BEYOND stressed the entire planning process, was literally going crazy and had the worst mental health. When the mind is so wrapped up around one thing it all becomes a blur. I felt like I was constantly worrying and feeling stressed every second of every day. I relaxed by sleeping and even then still felt restless. Now that I’m reliving this I’m so glad I’m done! To all the brides out there- what advice would you give so that they can fully enjoy their wedding planning process?

I wish there was a secret potion! Definitely hiring a wedding planner would be my biggest advice. I wish I had someone else who I could bounce ideas off of and who knew the ins and outs of the wedding weekend. The reason I was so stressed was due to me trying *extra* hard to be budget conscious. Everything kept adding up, it’s crazy how expensive wedding planning is! Also my decorator who spoke limited English and had horrible communication skills. I’d have to call her multiple times before hearing back and that just added to my stress. But she was our cheapest option and we made it work in the end.

[Because of the stress of wedding planning] I wasn’t taking care of my self. When the mind is so wrapped up around one thing it all becomes a blur. I relaxed by sleeping and even then still felt restless some nights. I did however try to focus on important things like learning how to cook my favorite dishes by visiting close relatives and spending time with family / friends and learning about the wedding rituals from our Pandit. I always tell people, I’m so glad getting married is a once in a lifetime event! Now, I just get to relive our fairy tale weekend.

What are some of the most important takeaways from your Beach Body Guide program that a bride can immediately start incorporating into her routine? I went to the gym occasionally before my wedding. I tried doing BBG but didn’t find enough motivation to stay consistent. I was unmotivated and felt that my body was not going to change drastically before the big day. I actually lost 5 pounds due to being stressed out. Re-structure that way of thinking by taking 20 minutes a day or 3 days a week to look your best, rather than spending it staring at Pinterest and worrying. It all boils down to self care. I wish I had a fit team to push me and hold me accountable, I wish I had programs I could do from any where any time. What are some things you have learned from your journey that has been the most helpful to stay and keep a happy/positive outlook on life? [The] main thing is self care, if you’re not taking care of yourself then it’s really hard to be positive. Another big thing is not comparing yourself to others, which I struggled with as a 22 year old. Look at life as an opportunity and not a comparison.

Photography by Rob Jinks

What do you do when you’re struggling to stay motivated? Everyone goes through ups and downs but how do you overcome it? Surprisingly social media helps me stay accountable! I post my workouts on my stories and my followers help me stick to my workout regimen. However the real motivator is my husband, he’s incredibly dedicated to working out and living a healthy lifestyle that I look up to him to not slack off on my own workouts. Being healthy is hard enough but trying to do it while wedding planning is even harder, do you have any tips on how to manage that? Accountability and prioritizing your health is key! Don’t be overwhelmed by everything at once, doing it in baby steps and making small changes is the recipe for long term success and maintenance. What does your ideal day of relaxation and “me time” look like? A LOT of TV and massages! Family time is really important to me and overall keeping it low-key would be my ideal day of relaxing. Lastly, any words of wisdom or daily affirmations you would like to share? Love yourself and love the journey, it is not easy for anyone.

Have a beauty, health or wellness topic you want us to explore? Drop me a line at [email protected].