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Listen up folks, wedding planning doesn’t need to be fraught with problems. Some wedding planning mistakes are not going to bother you one jot but some can cause serious undue stress, loss of money and heartache.
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How to avoid Wedding Planning mistakes…
As soon as you got engaged you probably found yourself catapulted headlong into wedding planning. With everyone wishing you well and asking about the details of your wedding, it’s really hard not to succumb to pressure to get everything booked straight away. However, plans can quickly escalate, get out of control and before you know it, decisions are set in stone. Make sure you take time out to get some of the basics outlined, so your not taking undue pressure from family and friends.
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Planning your wedding day is not something to be underestimated in terms of the time involved planning the big day and the level of organisation needed to pull the event off. Busy couples working and perhaps with family may need to consider hiring a professional to help co-ordinate. Alternatively, you can enlist a member of the family or a friend to share the load. It’s not really surprising that wedding planning mistakes are made but consider that early decisions are usually the biggest and therefore sometimes the most costly to rectify.
Successful wedding planning doesn’t need to be a difficult process but it really relies on getting these 4 key elements nailed on.
- Committing the time necessary
- Organise yourself
- Clear communication
- Detailed planning
Biggest Wedding Mistakes
In no particular order these common wedding planning mistakes can be completely avoided.
1.No Budget
Having no wedding budget in place is an easy rookie mistake to make, especially if your not on a budget. There may be a tendancy to think that a wedding budget is only for people on a tight budget but you would be mistaken. The wedding budget process is a key organisational tool. A wedding budget serves two purposes one is to manage and monitor costs if your on a specific budget. Secondly, it helps keep everything organised so all of your wedding expenditure commitments are in one place.
Related Post: 17 Wedding budget tips and ideas
2. No Plan B
These are things that can go wrong that keep you up at night. It is really all about detailed planning, make a list of ‘what if questions’ and then answer them. Some of the what if’s will reveal areas of high risk that need a back up plan. As wedding planning mistakes go, problems can be avoided by having more detailed wedding plans in place.
For example: What if…
- the transport does not turn up?
- the hairdresser doesn’t turn up
- The best man is ill
- It rains…
- The dress rips
You get the drift the more questions you ask and answer, the more detailed the planning, the more prepared you will be.
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3. Over inviting guests
This is one area that really needs discussing and deciding early on. It is important to be on the same page, as it is the one area where family will have an opinion – fact! Before you know you have agreed to add an extra 50 people to the guest list, you probably don’t really know.
4. Impulse buys at wedding fairs
Be warned wedding fairs are a wedding shopperholics paradise! It’s super exciting, friends and family can’t help themselves either and will inevitably egg you on. Before you know it you have booked a tattoo glitter bar, a cinderella coach and a 6ft unicorn wedding cake! Perhaps that is just me. Not to mention the juicy discounts designed to get you signed up on the day, even though your wedding is still 3 years away! My advice is to go once the budget is set and the key things are sorted out or alternatively before the wedding date is set.
5. Sending save the dates too soon
Caught up in the whirlwind of hosting the wedding of the century, save the dates are sent out to all and sundry. This tells people to expect an invitation, therefore you are really tied to this number of guests. It therefore doesn’t give you any flexibility to change your plans. A job loss or the venue you want could have you trying to downsize or alter the numbers but it suddenly becomes more difficult.
6. Sharing the same vision
Not totally being on the same page with a plan, location, budget, style of wedding is a significant wedding planning mistake to make. It can have serious repercussions further down the line. In one wedding forum, the bride was seeking advice to get out of her venue booking because they had rushed into something one wanted more than the other.
7. Being too vague with suppliers
Serious wedding planning problems can arise as a result of being vague with suppliers. Not specifying your requirements in detail can leave you open to all kinds of mis-interpretation and possible disappointment. Ultimately it is your responsibility to ensure you get the products and services, so clear communication is essential.
Make sure all arrangements and important conversations are confirmed in writing and don’t assume anything. Don’t assume the florist will dress your cake with flowers. Don’t assume the venue will put things on tables for you. Be very specific when asking questions, remember the devil is always in the details!
8. Being too uptight
This kind of leads on from the last point but is significantly about having the right mindset to sift the serious problems from the minor. A positive attitude will help you get perspective and keep stress levels to a minimum.
9. Buying the dress first…
This is typically where us ladies get slightly carried away! There are lots of reasons to tempt us to this place so early on, from a sale of the century to a one off rare vintage find. It’s a very emotional purchase so often reason is left at the kerb. The wedding dress could have a bearing on the style of wedding your hosting. A big pouffy ballgown just won’t cut it at your hip and trendy festival wedding for example. Our advice is to get the major things in place first. By letting the natural order flow you will get a much more polished and cohesive style which will look amazing.
Related Post: Internet Dresses delight or disaster
10. No hair and makeup trial
Eek, it happens though as these things cost money and it can be tempting to save a few quid. The only time I would suggest this is if you have already used the services of these professionals and not just fleetingly. If this was your regular hairdresser there would be some trust there already.
11. Not hiring a videographer
This is a regret often cited by couples after the big day. At one time poor wedding videos were always the butt of jokes and really went out of fashion for a long time. Today, wedding films are a hipp and trendy choice for millennial couples in this fast paced digital age. Perhaps arguably more relevant than photography, certainly of equal importance these days.
12. Check the small print
There are often significant restrictions and or extra costs that you need to be aware of when you start booking suppliers. Always get contracts in, writing, know what your signing up for. Look out for extra venue costs, what happens if the guest list reduces, don’t assume that you won’t be liable for any loss to the venue. Know your suppliers cancellation policy details. Understand the usage rights of images and copyright from your photographer.
13. Not getting wedding insurance
Yes unbelievably people often take the risk of not getting insurance. Be sure to check with the suppliers and venue your working with, as this might be part of their contract terms.
