Sadness frequently sets in when the twinkling lights are taken down, the leftover cake is consumed, and the honeymoon is ended. The unexpected awareness that the wedding is finished might cause a wave of emotions that were previously suppressed to suddenly fall into newlyweds who had assumed they would be in paradise.
It is understandable to experience these emotions, according to Colin Cowie, a wedding planner based in New York City. “After months and sometimes years of planning, it all suddenly stops before you know it, it’s over,” he says. “There are no daily calls with the planner, tastings, final fittings, etc.” Some newlyweds and grooms may also show grief after reflecting on the event and realizing their hopes and expectations were not realized.
According to Kimberly Fu Skubic, principal event consultant at Envision Weddings and Events, “In some circumstances, I’ve had women express a desire to organize the wedding from scratch, either to feel ‘the rush’ or to adjust items from the day that didn’t go as the newlyweds desired.”
After a couple says “I do,” the pressure to create the ideal day can cause further stress and unhappiness.
Dr. Yusra Ahmad, a psychiatrist, warns that suppressing negative feelings might have consequences that don’t become apparent until after the wedding.
It leaves very little room for any sorrow, tension, or hardship, she tells Vogue, and weddings “exemplify our cultural fixation with immaculate standards when it comes to comportment, behavior, romance, and beauty.”
