There are a lot of things that are out of your control when it comes to your big day. It may be that there is an unexpected thunderstorm or even that your DJ somehow comes down with the flu the day before. It’s true that you cannot predict things like this, but you can do everything you can to try and stop a lot of the common mistakes that a lot of people make.
Blowing your Entire Wedding Budget
Money might not be fun to talk about when you are trying to plan a wedding, but at the end of the day it’s super important. You have to make sure that you are establishing a firm budget and that you are also mindful when booking your vendors. If you aren’t, then you may find that things come to more than you realize, and this is the last thing that you need. Planning a wedding is a very serious business and for this reason, it’s important that you create a budget and that you also keep track of all of your expenditures as well. This will help you to keep all of your ducks in a row and it will also help you to avoid making too many mistakes later down the line.
Making a Mistake with the Marriage License
There really are a lot of rules when it comes to marriage licenses and you might not be familiar with them all. For example, if you live in Pennsylvania then you need to have your license 61 days before your wedding day. If you don’t then you won’t be able to get married when you want. If you want to make everything easier on yourself then you have to make sure that you obtain the license you need a few days before your wedding. If you are getting married for a second time, then you will of course need your divorce papers as well.
Getting Too Attached to a Certain Type of Flower
When you book your florist, which will probably be around a year before your actual wedding, they will need to guess which flowers are in bloom as well as finding out if they are going to be within your ideal price bracket. If you know that you have your heart set on orchids for example, then you might end up being disappointed on the day. If you want to try and prevent all of this from happening, then you need to try and choose backups for your main blooms so that you can add them at the time. Think about colors or shapes rather than specific flowers as this will make things much easier for you if you happen to find that the ones you want are not available.
Letting Other People make Big Decisions
Your wedding party is yours, which means that you are ultimately the one who has to narrow it down. You will have to choose who you want there and this can be difficult. After all, you know that you’ll want your family members, closest friends and other special people in your life. If you let someone else have too much of an input on the list then they may end up leaving people off just because they don’t like them, and this may end up ruining your day.
Not Watching your Dress Budget
Another mistake that people make is spending far too much money on their dress. Sure, you might have $1500 put to one side for your bridal look and this is great. This doesn’t however mean that you can spend $1500 on your dress alone. You will need to think about VAT and even possible alterations too. As if that wasn’t enough, you also need to think about your undergarments, your shoes, hair accessories, veil and more.
Sending out Date Notices too Soon
It can be tempting to tell absolutely everyone you know about your wedding date sooner rather than later and this is understandable, but you have to make sure that you save the date cards until you have absolutely finalized your guest list. You only want the people who are 100% coming to have a date card because if you don’t end up wanting them then this can leave you in an awkward situation. If you want something to do, why not focus on wedding programs instead?
Ordering your Dress too Late
If you are buying a wedding dress that will need some altering or even some customization then you will need to do this 6 months before your wedding. After all, you may need to have it custom-made, shipped from overseas or even additional fittings. A lot of off-the-rack dresses will require some level of alteration so you have to make sure that you keep this in mind as much as possible.
Booking the Hotel Room Too Late
This is a very easy mistake to make for couples who are newly engaged. If you want to have the best wedding ever then you have to make sure that there is enough room at your local hotel to fit everyone. You might want to begin your research up to a year in advance while also including hotel information in your save the date cards. You can even set a certain amount of rooms for them to book as well, so when they ring up, they will be allocated one of the rooms you have organised already.
Skipping the Videographer
Photos are a must-have, and that’s understandable. They will however only take you so far. The best thing about videos is that you can hear yourself speak your vows, watch your friends tear up and even see people on the dance floor. A videographer will be able to document all of these moments and more so you can easily see things that you might otherwise have missed.
Underpaying Postage
You would be surprised at how many people underestimate how much it is going to cost to post all of their invitations. They think that they can just drop them in a mailbox and let them be delivered but this isn’t usually the case. In fact, a lot of wedding invitations often require additional postage because of the shape. You have to be aware of this or you might end up having most of the invitations returned right back to you.
Too Many Guests
Your guest list and the maximum amount of people who you can have at your reception really do need to match up. You cannot invite 500 people and hope that only 300 accept your invitation. A lot of vendors would be more than happy to accommodate you, but most wedding venues have a strict policy which means that you cannot add 10 more tables. This is all down to fire laws and the maximum amount of people who are allowed in a venue at any one time. If you want to help yourself here then you need to analyse your guest list and you also need to work from the basis that 80% of people who are invited, will come.
Micromanaging
You will, at the end of the day, be booking very talented professionals who understand your vision more than anyone. For this reason, you have to let them do their jobs properly. Sure, it can be tempting to look at every detail but at the same time, you need to know when it’s time to step back because if you don’t, then you may end up hindering your progress. Being kind will go a long way as well, so when you find yourself getting stressed out, give yourself some time to gather yourself and confront whatever situation you have going on.
Not Asking Questions
At the end of the day, you have to be polite to your vendors. You also have to make sure that you get all of the information you need as well. Never be afraid to ask specific questions, and make sure that you get answers. Sure, it can be uncomfortable to ask a professional so many questions, but this is your big day and you need to make sure that it goes right. Your vendor should be more than happy to give you the time and attention you need, and if they aren’t then this could mean that they are not the right choice for you anyway.
Hiring a Friend
Sure, your friend from university may be able to make a sweet playlist to workout to, but that doesn’t mean that they are going to make a good DJ for your wedding. The same applies to your friend who takes good photos for social media. Even if you have a tight budget, you have to make sure that you hire a professional photographer and that you also work with vendors who have a good amount of experience. If you don’t then you may find that you end up losing out and this is the last thing that you want for your big day. Remember that even professionals can be affordable if you know where to look.
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