When the wedding plans pick up speed, and you're in full-out details mode, you're bound to be a little overwhelmed. It happens to every bride. What happens to many brides -- and I hope to prevent this happening to you -- is an overreaction to parents or friends calling you with reminders to check with the florist about your order, or to call a relative to find out their guest's name for the place cards. Many brides flip out over this, interpreting these calls while in their frazzled state as 'pushing me' or 'insulting my intelligence.' Not so.

In the vast majority of cases, these moms and friends are just trying to help. They know you have a lot on your plate, so their intention is to say it and 'be safe,' trying to rescue you from a forgotten little detail. They're not trying to run your wedding. They just have a wish to help out, and this is their way of doing it.

I've found myself getting tense when my own loved ones call with a reminder to check on something or call someone. But then I remove the drama from it, and realize that they're just trying to help. I do the same thing myself, when I remind my fiance of something he's already taken care of, and I just laugh and say, "I'm just trying to keep on top of everything." I meant no harm or insult, of course. The same applies to your loved ones.

So if you feel your shoulders bunching up when your mom or mom-in-law-to-be calls with a reminder, just exhale and drop the insult you read into it. Several moms have told me that they KNOW the brides are on top of the planning, but they'd rather just say something than risk a disaster on the wedding day because they DIDN'T say something earlier. It would hurt to know they could have been a help earlier on.

What are your stories about people who are calling often to help out? How did you change your mindset about them? How WILL you change your mindset about them now that you've read this?