If you were anything like me as a child, I’m sure that you spent countless hours planning certain details of your big day before you had even met the perfect man. However, there is a risk that your wedding won’t necessarily go quite how you had planned. After all, there are lots of mistakes that can be made and ways the special day can take a few turns for the worse. And you won’t want that to happen on your big day at all! The best way to avoid the most common mistakes is to figure out what they are. That way, you are equipped with the knowledge of what could go wrong and can do everything in your power to prevent it from happening. So, to help you out, I’ve thought about some of the mistakes that brides to be regularly make when they are trying to plan their wedding.
photo by Darrell McDavid Photography
Sending Out Invitations Too Late
One of the first mistakes that any couple could make is waiting too long to send out the wedding invitations. If you do wait a while before you send them, then you risk your guests already being booked up on the day with other occasions and engagements. There is one way around this, though – send out save the date cards as soon as you have booked the venue. That way, everyone knows to save the day of your wedding. You can then wait until a few months before your big day to send out the finalized invites to everyone.
Blowing The Cash On The Dress
Hopefully, you already have a wedding budget in place. This should help you allocated all of your money and ensure that you have plenty of cash to spend on the various things you will need to buy and rent out. There are lots of brides out there who get a bit too excited when they go shopping for their wedding dress. Sure, it is a very important purchase for them, and something that they want to make sure is 100% right for them so that they look and feel good. However, that is no reason to blow all the money on the dress! After all, you will also need to have some money left over for a heritage wedding venue, the catering company, flowers, and the groom’s suit. So, make sure you don’t overspend on your dress otherwise the other areas of the wedding might end up suffering as a result.
Forgetting To Say Hello To Everyone
On the actual day of your wedding, it is only right that you make sure you say hello to each of your guests. Not only is this a polite courtesy but it also shows that you are very thankful for their attendance. If you don’t say hello to someone then they might think that you are ignoring them. Don’t worry, you don’t have to have a proper chat with everyone – you probably won’t have time to talk to everyone who is there, and they will certainly understand about this! Just a friendly hello and thank you for coming should do the job. It’s also a good idea to send all your guests a quick thank-you card a week or so after the wedding too so that you can properly thank them for coming.
Trying To Micromanage Vendors
You will have a lot of vendors helping you out on your wedding day including a florist, caterers, wedding band, and cake maker. It can be very tempting to try to micromanage them to ensure that their work is of the quality that you expect and that everything goes as planned. However, this isn’t a good strategy and it could annoy all the vendors. They are experts in what they do and will have lots of experience of working at weddings. So, it’s best to leave them to get on with everything. If you trust them to do their job, then they will be able to help you create a magical day that you and your guests will never forget! (Besides- that’s what Tabitha was for!)
Not Giving Hair And Makeup Enough Time
Did you know that some brides often forget about booking someone to do their hair and makeup? It’s just one of those common oversights that often occurs. But it’s not always plain sailing for those brides to be who do remember to book a hairstylist as some often book them too close to the actual ceremony. Ideally, you need to give them at least a couple of hours to do your hair and makeup, and then it’s a good idea to leave an hour so before the ceremony takes place. After all, you don’t want to be rushing to the church with freshly sprayed hair!
Using Friends Instead Of Experts
Sure, your friend may be a fantastic baker in her spare time, but are you sure that you trust her with your wedding cake? Similarly, your auntie might love putting together floral designs as a hobby, but are you sure you wouldn’t rather use a professional florist? When it comes to finding someone to carry out a skilled job on the day of your wedding, like a photographer, it is always best to stick with the professionals. That way, your friend or relative can relax on the day and enjoy the wedding with you. Plus, there is no chance of you ending up in a dispute in the event of them fudging the job that you gave them.
Not Giving Your Partner Any Responsibility
Don’t forget that you’re not the only one getting married! Your partner will be stood by your side throughout the whole day, and it is their special day as well. So, it’s not really fair if you make all the big decisions about the wedding yourself. You should make these decisions together so that you both have a say in how the day plays out. I’m sure that your partner will enjoy the responsibility of giving a few different jobs to do himself before the big day. Admittedly, this one was hard for me. I’m a control freak and love to make decisions. But Kendall had a vision too! And even though the guys weren’t dressed how I originally imagined, he did a great job of styling himself and his groomsmen!
Forgetting About The Guests
It’s important that you think about how your guests will feel on your wedding day. Sure, it is a day that will be focused on your and your partner, but putting in some little touches can help to show your guests that you really appreciate them spending this special day with the two of you. For this reason, many couples decide to put wedding favours onto the reception tables. These are small gifts for each guest. Don’t forget to provide some entertainment for children too. If they get bored, they could end up making a huge fuss, which could spoil the day for some people! Some couples decide to have an outdoor space where children can play with some outdoor games.
Trying A Crash Diet
It’s understandable that brides to be want to look their best on their wedding day, but that is no excuse to try a crash diet. These types of diets are very unhealthy and could leave you feeling quite ill. But it’s especially important not to diet if you have already had your final adjustments made to your wedding dress. You might end up losing too much weight, and it might no longer fit you anymore. So, if you are already at your goal weight, it’s best to stick to a healthy diet so that you can maintain your weight.
The other thing I heard time and time again is that you will lose a lot of weight whether or not you want to right before the wedding. I lost 15 pounds not even trying because I had jitters about everything going right!
Not Feeding The Vendors
You may not think about it, but be sure offer a plate of food to all the vendors who will be working all day at your wedding. Many vendors have this written up in their contract- either that food will be provided or that they will have ample time to go get something themselves. Our venue had a “vendor meal” price, so be sure to check with them! You don’t want them going hungry as it could leave them feeling very tired and weak – no one wants a tired DJ playing at their wedding party; it could be a very lackluster event indeed.
Neglecting Single Friends
Sure, weddings are a great place to meet new people, but your single friends who attend on their own might feel slightly awkward if you put them on a table of people who they don’t know. Similarly, having a singles table could be quite embarrassing for everyone on it. So, it’s best to put them on a table with their friends, even if all their friends are in couples. I had a few tables with single friends- they were paired up with people they’d known for years and everyone was happy.
Hopefully, you don’t make any of the mistakes I’ve outlined above. More importantly, though, is to put you and your partner first. It’s your big day and you both need to have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of!
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