Planning your wedding usually tends to come with its own share of stress: worrying about whether or not the caterers are going to be on time, or if the weather’s going to cooperate, or if your great Aunt Marge is going to be okay sitting next to your great Aunt Sally. What a lot of brides and grooms don’t tend to realize is how much that stress affects them. It can often lead to the weakening of your immune system resulting in one or sometimes both of you getting sick. This obviously isn’t ideal, especially on your wedding day! Not to worry though, we’ve put together a perfect survival guide full of tips and tricks for avoiding the sniffles and what to do if you’ve got them.

First, Be Proactive

Now I’m sure you’ve always rolled your eyes when your parents told you to eat your veggies or your doctor told you to take your vitamins, but I hate to break it to you: they were right! Start making healthy habits a few months or weeks before the wedding. Now, we’re not talking going full-on cleanse or completely changing your lifestyle, but make sure you’re getting your daily dose of fruits and veggies (vitamin C and antioxidants will come to be your immune system’s best friends)! Start going on walks and drinking plenty of water to keep your cells plump and hydrated. We’re really hoping you already do this next one, but for the love of god, please please please be super diligent about washing your hands. You definitely don’t need to be catching any cooties! Also, make sure you’re getting plenty of Zs so you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed the day of.

But what if you get sick on wedding day despite your best efforts?

Now let’s say that you’re one of the very unlucky ones like I was. You start to get that little sniffle accompanied by that little tickle in the back of your throat that very quickly turns into a full-blown shake-your-body cough. You’re feverish and delirious. Your body aches, you can’t get your damn ears to pop without feeling like a bomb went off. And you can’t for the life of you get out of bed. Of course, while you’re laying there cursing the universe, there’s only one thing going through your mind: Tomorrow. Is. Your. Wedding. Day. What the hell are you supposed to do?

Recuperate

Rest as much as possible the days leading up to your wedding. Take all the cat naps and go to bed when grandma does at 7pm. If you have time to head the doc, you can find out if there are any meds that can at least get you started on or any OTC remedies. I’ve gotta say, taking Nyquil at midnight the night before your wedding might not always be the best of ideas, but you gotta do what you gotta do to survive. Stay as hydrated as you possibly can! I’d recommend drinking some hot tea or broth, juice, or water (stay with clear liquids—and no that doesn’t mean vodka, although my mom swears by a little Irish Mist to clear out your sinuses!).

Get it Together

No, but seriously girl, GET IT TOGETHER! Brides and grooms should already have a little “in case of emergency” kit that’s usually comprised of simple things like deodorant, a sewing kit, hair spray, feminine products, Q-tips, toothbrushes, and paste etc. I would either add to this or create a second little kit that has some tissues, eye drops, nasal spray or Vicks, cold meds, chapstick and maybe a little bottle of water or juice! This way you have all your little remedies on the go and ready to be used at any time. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it, right?

Be Flexible and Relax

Keep in mind that this day kinda revolves around you, meaning that nothing’s going to happen until the two of you walk down that aisle and say “I do”. The plan of the day can always be flexible, which means when you feel your energy level dropping go ahead and delegate your tasks to other people so you can take a quick cat nap. Even just taking a few minutes to lie down, hydrate, and breathe will really make all the difference in how your body feels. Just make sure you’ve got someone timing you so you don’t oversleep!

Attitude

If you take anything away from this article, please let it be this: your attitude will make or break your wedding day. This can be true regardless if you’re sick and feeling like the world is ending or not. Guess what? Without the right attitude, chances are you’re not going to enjoy your wedding or have any fond memories when you look back at it. You’ll only see what went wrong.

So instead of being doom and gloom, try your hardest to roll with the punches! If something goes wrong on your wedding day don’t let it ruin your day -these are the memories you’ll remember when you look back at your wedding. The only thing that matters on your wedding day is that you and your partner say “I do”, after that you’ll be able to relax and enjoy yourself!