Weddings: A Veil of Sadness

The honeymoon was over for Stephanie Olson as soon as the wedding planning ended. After eight months of preparations, looking back on the big day can bring the 23-year-old close to tears. "You go back to work after your wedding and all you have left to look forward to are the thank-you notes," she says.

Olson's one of a growing number of brides suffering from postwedding blues, says Carley Roney, editor in chief of TheNest.com, an online community for newlyweds, where the topic has become one of the most popular on the site's blogs and message boards. "People feel like they're on top of the world, then the wedding happens and they don't feel so hot anymore," she says. The problem usually comes when out-of-control bridezillas wrap themselves up with planning for the big day--and don't plan for the day after. Lee Madden, a psychologist from Oak Park, Ill., says the issue frequently comes up during couples counseling six to 12 months after the wedding. "Getting married is a party," she says. "Being married isn't as glamorous. You don't get to be a star all the time." Just wait until you have kids.