S4E7: Gracefully Navigating Stress and Drama | Married Human, Entrepreneur

Your friends and family are wildly invested in your wedding day, but they may not know the best way to support you. 

Kara O'Brien Ghassabeh, the woman behind Kara Maureen Bridal Coaching, joins us to dish about how to handle stress and anxiety during the wedding planning process without burning bridges. 

Weddings are amazing celebrations of love and happiness. But, that doesn't mean there isn't a whole bunch of drama or even just minor anxieties that can happen during the wedding planning journey.

Taylor de la Fuente, CEO of Lemon Tree Editorial, joins The Wedding Dish as a guest co-host once again!

Don't forget to follow, rate, and review The Wedding Dish on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on Instagram @theweddingdishpodcast.


How long have you been in business?

Relationship Coaching for 8 years, bridal focus for 2

Why did you decide to start your own business?

Good question. I never really intended to. It feels more like it happened to me! But I have always loved the idea of not going to an office for a 9-5. Essentially for me, the business part isn't as exciting as doing the actual work. Being in complete control to craft and create a service that brings out the best in me and helps people is a dream come true.

What's the coolest thing about owning your own business?

I think creativity is required. And how much it makes you confront your own insecurities and how much it forces you to keep growing and learning.

Why is wedding coaching so important to you?

I feel like I have a unique perspective on Wedding Drama. People tend to think it’s all about the stress of planning a big event. So many fights and fallouts happen around weddings. But it's never really about weddings. I love that weddings do make people a little crazy bc wedding drama is the best marriage prep around in that whatever issues come up during that process are going to come up in your marriage- whether we are talking money stuff, body stuff, communication issues, in-law issues, friendship issues. So many :) I also feel strongly that as a culture we don't support brides properly. There is all this focus on the bridezilla and watching people freak out but what about helping women navigate this huge transition. While it is certainly a big change for men, women experience it in a fundamentally more intense way- hello name change, and baby questions!

What insight would you like to offer about this topic?

I believe that wedding drama is the best marriage prep. Why weddings are so important and also not. Brides should absolutely seek out help in the form of a coach, therapist, or other supportive community during their engagement. It seems counterintuitive but the timing is perfect for some deeper work to be best prepared for this new chapter.

What challenges have you had to overcome?

The pandemic has been a bit of a struggle balancing childcare and breaking into an industry that is currently devastated......

What advice could you offer to someone starting a business like yours?

Patience, block out the noise, fortify yourself in your vision and mission.

Are there any challenges or obstacles that you've had to overcome?

I had a really challenging time balancing two super-strong mothers during my wedding planning. I had my Irish catholic mother and my Persian mother in law who both had strong desires for a wedding that was being planned in 3 months and happening 5 days before Christmas. It was INSANE!!!!

What advice would you offer to other couples in a similar situation?

Don't avoid conflict. Go towards the important people who are stressing you out. Most times, people want to been and heard- especially around weddings. People want to help and be a part of it. While you won't be able to please everyone, you can get a sense of what is going on with them, what they are really asking for, and find a way to honor that works with your vision.

What, if anything, would you change about your wedding?

OMG. My wedding was so crazy and not at all how I ever envisioned it. And at this point, I don't think I would have changed it at all.

How did you choose your wedding vendors?

Hmmm. It was all sorta rushed given the timeline. So the vendor things really became a ping pong bw the moms. This one got the florist so then the other had to pick the Dj It was a battle of influence and money and culture. It was crazy.

What advice could you offer to engaged couples planning their wedding - as both a wedding professional and a married human?

Figure out what really matters to you guys as a couple. Then let your parents have their input and influence (especially if they are paying)

What was the most important decision you made about your wedding?

To not get caught up in my previous images and dreams and Pinterest boards. To stay with the reality of life. I NEVER wanted to be a Christmas bride. BUT our priority was and is family. So with siblings coming from Singapore & Florida with school-age kids, Christmas made sense. And I didn't want to wait until summer bc I wanted to start a family sooner than later- we had our daughter five days before our first anniversary! And that was wonderful bc my father-in-law passed away later that same year so we are so so grateful that he was able to meet his granddaughter and spend precious time with her. So yeah- stay with the present moment and what really matters- not what's happening on Instagram.

Follow Kara on Instagram @karaghassabeh

As always, transcript and show notes are available at The Wedding Dish.

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