The other day I was talking to a friend of mine about aging and plastic surgery. I said I'd rather age gracefully than to get a bunch of surgery and look foolish. Even the best, most subtle surgery can delay the inevitable for just so long.

Eventually - we all will look wrinkly and grey. It's far smarter to spend your time figuring out ways to be an elegant, happy wrinkly grey person, than it is to try to stop it from happening. 'Cause you can't. (Yes, even you can't, Goldie Hawn. In fact, especially you.)

Stressing out about your wedding is a lot like aging in that way. You honestly can't stop it from happening. Even a relatively stress-resistant person like myself experienced spikes of severe anxiety while I was planning my wedding. Unless you are eloping, or unless you're on lots of medication, I predict you will find yourself a little freaked from time to time. Even if you normally never, ever get freaked.

So wedding stress isn't something to be avoided. It's something to be managed. To be endured. How, though? What are the best ways you can think of to deal with your wedding planning stress?

I'll go first. Really hear me on this one. There is nothing cliche about the relaxing effect of a hot bubble bath. They work. What else...keep good mellow music on you at all times. I keep a Trash Can Sinatras CD in my car at all times, for just this purpose. Chill music can make even dashing late to an appointment a little less stomach-knotting. Then there's my favorite way to deal with your wedding planning stress - offload it. If you picked the right people in your wedding party, they can help you more than you know, but you have to ask them. Don't be afraid to get help with anything and everything.

What else can you recommend to other brides? What's worked for you so far?