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Being a bride is SUPER stressful. These gorgeous weddings don’t get planned out and prepared in one night. Nor do they occur super smoothly. Pretend you’re a bride-to-be (and if you don’t have to pretend then congratulations :) ), where would you start? As a bride, how are you gonna organize the venue, catering, decor, invites, transportation, guests, music, beauty, timing, and theme? The answer is, you can’t. No bride can plan a whole wedding on their own, nor can they expect everything to turn out perfectly. In summary, weddings are hard. Things won’t always go the way you want and mistakes will be made. Do you know what the best things are about mistakes? That’s right, you learn from them. So instead of falling into the common pile of mistakes many past brides have made, we’ve made a list of those common mistakes so you can try and avoid them.
1. Forgetting to put yourself first
Many people might come up to you with different ideas and ways to go about your wedding. Your mom’s taste in decor may differ from your soon-to-be mother-in-law's decor taste. None of that matters. What matters is that you put yourself first and choose what you would like. At the end of the day, it’s you getting married, not your mother's. Make it about you and enjoy it.
2. Choosing your wedding dress before the venue
Now I know that wedding dresses are one of the most exciting parts of being a bride, but try not to jump ahead of yourself too quickly. You want to make sure you’re happy with the venue before you choose your dress. This is because if you’ve bought a ballgown wedding dress but then suddenly decided you want a beach wedding, you might find yourself reconsidering your options. Save money and think before you act.
3. Spreading the word of your engagement too quickly
Now I know how exciting this kind of news is, and I know you just want to go post that picture of you and the ring on Instagram so you can share it with all your friends. But it’s good to mention the news to your inner family and friend circle beforehand (preferably via facetime or skype) as this kind of news is most important and exciting to them.
4. Being inconsistent with the guest list
Figure your guest list out before you start budgeting and researching. And a small piece of advice, stick to that number! Whether it’s 20 guests or 250 guests, remain consistent with the amount because if you invite more than you first intended, you’re gonna have to cut back guests and no one likes that.
5. Buying more than one dress
This isn’t a must. It’s more of a trend and/or a personal preference. So don’t think you need to go around buying a dress for the wedding, another dress for the reception and a final dress for the after-party. Do you know how much money you’d save if you even just stuck to two dresses?
6. Overdecorating
I know you might think that we need the candles over there and the flowers over here and the fairy lights on these tables and the centerpieces on those tables. And I know that as a bride you have so many wishes to make the day extra special. But make sure not to over decorate. You want the decor to look pleasing to the eye, not distracting. Cut down on a few flowers or candles if needed and make the place look a bit more natural.
7. Having no Plan B
This is crucial especially in times like Covid. Covid has interfered with so many events and plans that you want to make sure it doesn’t interfere with yours. It’s not only Covid that could change your plans, what happens if it rains? Do you have a plan for that? Don’t forget if Plan “A” doesn’t work, there’s still plenty of letters in the alphabet ;)
8. Registries and Invitations don’t go together
Invitations are meant to inform your loved ones about your special day, not about what gifts you’d like (although that does make things clear and simple). There are other polite ways to inform your guests about the registry, whether it's by word of mouth or by presenting it on your wedding website.
9. Creating a “single’s table”
This is a day to celebrate love not being single. Make sure all your guests get to mingle and don’t label them as “loved up” and “not”. You’d be surprised how many couples have met at weddings. After all, it is quite a romantic place to meet.
10. Having your guests pay for their drinks.
Yes, the drink bill will have a large toll on your budget but that doesn’t mean you have to keep the bar open for hours. Drinks are something guests least expect when they are invited to a wedding, so play around with cheaper ways to serve drinks. You could either have a signature cocktail or just skip the hard liquor altogether.
11. Forgetting to feed your vendors
These people look after a huge part of your wedding day so don’t forget to look after them. Make sure you have enough food to keep them going along with any other photographers, wedding planners, or assistants.
12. Not having a wedding planner
You have no idea how chaotic planning a wedding is until it’s too late. While you might be planning your first ever wedding, wedding planners have done multiple. Their professional opinions and suggestions will help put together your dream wedding within your budget. An extra hand would go a long way.
These are just a few mistakes we’ve thought of. Trust us there are plenty of other mistakes a bride could stumble across but with a great team of supporters and even a wedding planner, these mistakes can be avoided. At the same time, fear not if you have made any of these mistakes. We’re only brides and can only balance a certain amount of things at once. Don’t be afraid to ask for help :)
