While you’re preparing for your big day, you’ll be striving for perfection, so there will be several wedding planning mistakes you’ll need to look out for. There will always be some things that you can’t completely control, such as your photographer’s car breaking down or a bridesmaid becoming unwell. But there are common mistakes that couples make that can be easily avoided. Amidst all of the overwhelming logistics, there are ways to ensure that your nuptials go as smoothly as possible.
Any bride knows that there’s so much to do when you’re organizing your special day. But remember, no one really knows what they’re doing! So we’ve compiled this handy guide to help you forecast potential pitfalls. Read below the most common wedding planing mistakes to avoid.
1. Running Out of Time
This first one is one of the biggest wedding planning mistakes. If you plan a year or two in advance, you might think you have lots of time ahead of you, but your wedding day creeps around very quickly. So make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make decisions. Now isn’t the time for procrastination! You could miss out on your favorite venue, that stunning dress you’ve been dreaming about, or not having the right photographer to capture your special moments. The best thing you can do to avoid this mistake is to create a wedding plan, prioritize tasks and set deadlines for each.
2. Going Over Your Budget
Keeping track of your spending while you’re planning will be crucial. Many couples start to splash the cash before creating a plan and end up blowing their budget early. You don’t want to be left with no budget for essentials. You’ll have to get a gauge for what budgets to allocate for each part of the wedding. So before anything, research vendors to have an idea of prices, and compare this with your savings. Then you can decide what are must-have items, and where you can cut costs to not go overboard. A professional wedding planner will have the experience to advise you on how much things cost and can review the budget you’ve set.
3. Letting Other People Make Decisions
Your wedding is about you and your partner, so don’t let others make decisions for you. It’s great to ask for recommendations, but make sure not to feel pressured. Our tip is to set boundaries, especially with your family, so that they know what you want and don’t want. This can become an issue with choosing your bridal party and guest list. There might be family ties that make you feel that a certain cousin has to be your bridesmaid, or that your parent’s business partner has to be invited. Always do what you feel happy with!
4. Announcing Your Engagement Straight Away
Enjoy the newly engaged bliss! There’s no need to call your whole contact list as soon as you put your new ring on. Make sure you spend time with your fiance and your closest loved ones. Sometimes friends and family would prefer to find out personally rather than through an Instagram post. So make the most of this period, and set aside some time to announce your engagement. Similarly, avoid impulsively sending save the dates. Make sure you’ve properly thought through your plan, and when you want to get married.
5. Taking Too Long to Order Your Dress
It’s important to order your dress early, and not leave it till the last minute. You might need to have it customized or altered. Also, the dress might need to be sent internationally, so you’ll need to make sure that there’s a margin for any problems during the shipping process. This is the same for your bridesmaid’s dresses. Make sure you’ve settled on your choices and ordered your dressed sooner rather than later. These are two of the biggest parts of your wedding, so get them out of the way as early as possible!
6. Not Having Accommodation Ready
A lot of couples admit that one of their biggest wedding planning mistakes is not leaving enough time to book accommodation for their guests. A lot of hotels will be able to give you a block of rooms, and perhaps with a discount! But if you wait too long, it’s likely they’ll be booked up before you get to them. Especially if you’re getting married in a popular location like Italy at a busy time of year. So as soon as you have your location and venue set, research nearby accommodation so that you can reserve rooms for your guests.
7. Trying to DIY for the First Time
Most people assume that going down the DIY route will be cheaper than hiring professionals, but you might be surprised when you realize how much longer it takes to plan a wedding on your own. You’ll also have to consider how much time and effort will be needed. If there’s something that’s a genuine hobby, and you’ve had lots of practice in, then give it a go. But consider the time it takes and the time you need to spend focusing on other parts of the wedding. Sometimes the investment of getting a pro will save you a lot of stress!
8. Not Hiring Professional Vendors
If you want a perfect wedding then you’ll need a professional team of vendors to make those dreams come true! An important part of this will be making sure that you research carefully and ask for recommendations. You’ll need to evaluate each one and check their previous work and testimonials to ensure that they’re a good fit for you. Although you might want to save money and cut corners, professional vendors will be the most reliable and secure option. You might want to get a friend to take photos for you, but working with friends and family can add more unforeseen problems.
9. Adding in Traditions
The rule is there are no rules! You have the final say in what goes into your wedding. If you want to wear a bright pink dress and walk yourself down the aisle, then go for it! Although traditions are a lovely way to make things sentimental, if something doesn’t suit you then don’t feel pressured to do it.
10. Inviting Too Many People
One of the wedding planning mistakes you’ll need to watch out for is inviting too many guests to your wedding. The worst thing would be to not let people into your wedding because there’s no space. Think carefully about the size of your venue and the realistic amount of people you can invite. Don’t assume that a certain percentage will say no, or that your venue will squeeze a few more people in.
11. Not Having a Weather Plan
One of the most common wedding planning mistakes is not having a plan B. Mother nature is beautiful yet unpredictable, so don’t get caught worrying about last-minute logistics if there’s a sudden downpour. Plan in advance what you can do if the weather doesn’t go according to plan. Consider venues that have both outdoor and indoor spaces, and check that they can switch this around last minute. Also, if you’re opting for a garden wedding then consider having a tent on standby with umbrellas, blankets and plastic covering.
12. Forgetting to Inform Guests
Sometimes you can get so caught up with wedding planning, that you forget about your actual guests. Make sure that you keep them informed about any updates. A wedding website is a very useful way of keeping your guests informed at the same time on one easy platform. Make sure that they have venue details as early as possible so that they can plan their travel in advance. And don’t forget about any important questions too, such as dietary requirements.
13. Not Asking For Help
A key problem that affects a lot of brides is taking on too much. You want to enjoy the process and make it as stress-free as possible. So make sure that you’re asking for help and delegating to your bridal party. Your bridal party and closest friends will want to help as much as possible. It’s also important to ask questions and stay informed with your vendors. You’ll need to make sure that you’re both on the same page! This will avoid any problems in the long run.
14. Forgetting the Hidden Costs
As you start paying your vendors, you might discover that final prices are slightly higher, so don’t get caught by this wedding planning mistake. You might think that your dress costs $1,200 but add on shipping and alterations and that will change quickly. On the other hand, your venue might suddenly inform you of cleaning charges which you hadn’t anticipated so make sure you always ask about these extras from the onset and have everything in writing. It’s also useful to have an extra part of your budget set for unexpected costs.
15. Not Hiring a Videographer
Everyone knows the importance of hiring a photographer to capture those beautiful and intimate moments, but don’t forget about a videographer. If a photo speaks a thousand words, a video speaks a million! There’s nothing quite like reliving your wedding, watching your guests enjoy themselves, and hearing special conversations with loved ones.
16. Being Strict With What Your Guests Can Share
Remember that your guests are there to celebrate and enjoy your wedding too, so don’t be super strict on what they should and shouldn’t do. If you’ve chosen an unplugged wedding, your guests will understand but try not to limit social activity. They’re probably feeling and looking their best and want to share your beautiful day. It’s also a great idea to create a wedding hashtag so that all of the posts can be found easily if you later want to check through anything. The best thing is to have a balance between living in the moment and capturing memories.
17. Micro-Managing Suppliers
Every bride will be excited about their big day and will want to make sure that everything is in order. But it’s essential to trust in your vendors. If you’ve researched them well, read through testimonials and made sure that they fully understand your vision, then you should be completely fine. It’s okay to have a couple of meetings throughout the process but let them do their jobs.
18. Skipping the Hair and Makeup Trial
One of the wedding planning mistakes you definitely want to avoid is leaving anything to chance. Even if you know the hair and makeup team, or you’re using hairstyles and makeup looks you regularly go for, it’s always important to have a trial. Just to triple-check that everything is as perfect as can be! Remember that there will be lots of pictures on your Big Day, so you don’t want to regret not liking your hair and make up when you look back at pictures.
19. Feeling Scared
You’re bound to feel overwhelmed at some point! It’s a big task you’re undertaking as well as starting a new life with your partner. But don’t lose control of those feelings. Make sure you allocate time during the planning process to relax. Go to a spa with your best friend, don’t skip on your pilates class and talk to your relatives when you feel anxious. It’s totally normal to feel those butterflies in your belly, but it’s just excitement in the build up to your special day!
20. Overdecorating
Every wedding has its own style, whether that’s minimalist or maximalist. But hold off on going completely overboard with decoration. You don’t need every single beautiful piece of decoration you find on Pinterest. Create a wedding vision board, and talk to your vendors to get their professional opinion on what you really need and don’t need. Think about the space in your venue, and whether too much decoration is going to make it look messy.
21. Sweating the Small Stuff
As you’re going through the planning process, you might get caught up in the whirlwind of tiny details. This can make you become more stressed and too much of a perfectionist. Think about what is important and what isn’t. There may be some minor problems but they’re probably trivial in comparison to the bigger things you’ve achieved. Have faith that everything will be okay!
22. Forgetting the Legal Bits
Don’t get caught up in the excitement of the fun tasks like choosing your dress, your cake or your flowers and forget about the boring legal parts. These can become the most stressful wedding planning mistakes if you aren’t organized. One of the main issues will be your marriage license. Make sure you’ve read through all of the details, and you that you know exactly what you have to do to obtain your license, and how far in advance.
23. Forgetting to Eat
Many brides will admit that one of their biggest wedding planning mistakes was forgetting to eat, especially on their Big Day. It’s normal to feel nervous and not hungry, but you need to keep your strength up. It can be a long process and an emotional day, and not eating will make you feel much worse than you think.
24. Not Going With a Wedding Planner
A wedding planner is your best way to make sure that things don’t get overwhelming for you, and that all of the right questions are asked. Many couples worry about the cost and pressure of having a planner, but when you find the right planner for you, you’ll see that it takes a huge load off of you! They’ve probably worked on hundreds of weddings, and they might even know what you need before you do! You’ll be able to get professional recommendations and help with any decisions.
25. Forgetting What Is Important
Many newlyweds say that their biggest wedding mistake was not spending enough time as a couple during the wedding planning process and on their actual wedding day. You can get so caught up in the logistics and making sure that everything is perfect, that you forget about the real reason this is all happening. You’re about to start a new chapter with your husband or wife to be so don’t forget to let yourself get excited!
Of course, you’ll want your wedding to go off without any problems or hiccups, and if you plan ahead, it most likely will! Especially if you avoid these wedding planning mistakes. If you know what to look out for, then everything should run smoothly! If you need more guidance and tips for the planning process, such as setting a wedding budget or how to plan a honeymoon, then head over to WedBoard to get all the tips you need for a smooth wedding planning experience.
Featured image: Infraordinario Wedding
