Let’s face it: We’re human. We make mistakes. But a mistake in wedding planning can lead to disasters that ruin the day that is supposed to be PERFECT! And then, you have a “Bridezilla” on your hands. NO ONE wants that.
Mistake number ONE: Details. If we don’t take enough time to think and process the details of the wedding, such as date, time, place, and guests, and make sure all of this is set in stone, you won’t get the wedding you dream about and see when you close your eyes. Every detail, right down to the minute the doors open for you to walk down the aisle, is crucial. This process involves more than just the bride and the mothers. Professional wedding planners, catering companies, etc. all need to be involved with the details.
Mistake number TWO: Doing everything yourself. As a bride, it has to be perfect to you, right? So doing it all by yourself without anyone helping with phone calls, decorations, ideas and input sounds great doesn’t it? WRONG! If you try to do all the planning alone, you will become overwhelmed and stressed. You might even go gray before the big day arrives and forget about the hair dye you will need. Once you set the date and time, split up the tasks. Have the bridesmaids and mothers help out with picking things out. Just make sure to go over all the checklists together. That way, you get what you want, exactly how you want it!
Mistake number THREE: Neglecting the budget. Before going out and buying anything, including the dress, set your budget. Decide where the money is going to come from and how much you want spend on the wedding, reception, catering, dresses, décor, and rental fees. Make sure you do not put yourself in a financial bind with your planning. Be exact with how much you intend to spend on individual things. Call around and get general prices on big things like catering to get an idea about how much you will be spending.
Mistake number FOUR: Waiting too late to pick out the dress. Make sure you pick out and order your dress about a year before the wedding date. Picking the color scheme and then waiting to get the dress can cause an issue with not being able to find a dress to match, and the whole wedding goes caput. Arrange your color scheme around the dress.
Mistake number FIVE: Forgetting how many people the venue can accommodate. Make sure before you book a place that you have all the RSVP guests names. This way, no one is left without a seat and the place you book is not overcrowded or against fire codes.
Mistake number SIX: Don’t plan your husband-to-be’s bachelor party. By now, most of us have seen The Hangover and might think that this is a good idea to try to keep the guys out of trouble. However, when it comes to his having one last good night out with their friends before being tied down forever, you want him to get it all out of his system before making the ultimate commitment to you.
Mistake number SEVEN: Poor time management. If you find yourself overwhelmed with getting everything together, you haven’t spent enough time managing your time. Sounds silly, yes, but planning your time properly is crucial to avoid becoming over worked and stressed out. Set aside at least one day to decide what days you are going to work on what. Such as, 2pm-5pm you are going to call around to different flower shops on Monday, and 10am-1pm on Saturday you are going to call around and get booking prices for the reception. Write it down. Fit it in between work, kids, pets, errands, whatever it is you do during the day, but make sure you are not stressing about the time. Set the date for the wedding ten months to a year or even two years away
Mistake number EIGHT: Not taking your bridesmaids opinion of their dresses. We know the wedding day is about the bride. She has to look better than everyone in the room, according to her. But why pick out ugly dresses for the bridesmaids that they hate? Doing this makes them feel horrible. They stand up there behind the bride looking grumpy and make the room feel uncomfortable. More importantly, they might cause the bride to become angry and call off the wedding. Or the groom may feel like his wife’s friends do not approve of him. Take into consideration that everyone needs to feel beautiful, but the bride can still be the most beautiful woman in the room.
Mistake number NINE: Not doing proper research. With today’s technology, everything you need to search and find is at your fingertips. Ask your friends that have gotten married what companies they used. Calling around to find the best price may not always be the best option. Asking for past customers opinions however, can greatly impact which companies you choose. Make sure the company isn’t on the verge of going out of business as well. The day of the wedding the photographer is a no show. So you call and find out the number is disconnected and his company went bankrupt and closed. Now what? Camera phones? No. Having a backup plan is also a good idea if you do take the chance with a new or failing business.
Mistake number TEN: Not taking time to relax. RELAXATION! Like we said earlier, we don’t want to show up at your wedding looking frazzled, gray hairs, dark circles under your eyes, and have the guest whispering “I hope she goes to a spa for the honeymoon!” Take a girls’ day once a month, or just a “you day”. Go shopping for something that is not wedding related. Eat a donut with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. Veg out on a beach and tan, or splash in the waves. Have a girls’ night in with movies and chick flicks. Enjoy yourself!