8 Common Wedding Blunders To Avoid

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Everyone wants their wedding to run smoothly. Here are some of the most common wedding blunders and how to prevent them so that nothing puts a downer on your special day!

 

Timing your wedding wrong

 

The first on the list of wedding blunders to avoid is the timing. The timing of your wedding can have a lot of impact on the cost and how successful it is. It’s generally cheaper to get married on a weekday out of season. Morning weddings are also more affordable. However, there are reasons for all this. The weather is less likely to be good out of season and guests are less likely to be able to make it during the week. A morning wedding meanwhile could result in everyone getting more tired before the evening has even got started. A happy medium approach could be the way forward. Both May and September are out of season, but generally still hot (especially September). An afternoon mid-week wedding may allow some people coming to the reception to only have to take half a day off, increasing the number of guests that attend.

 

 

Sending out invites too late (or too early)

 

There’s a lot that can go wrong with wedding invitations. The best approach is to do it in two stages. First, decide on your ceremony guests – the important ones that will watch you take your vows and attend your meal. This usually involves close friends and family. You want these people at your wedding so invite them early (if possible a year to six months beforehand) so that you can guarantee they’ll come. You should have these people’s addresses and so can send them physical wedding invitations. If not, try to meet them in person to give them their invites to avoid wedding blunders.

 

You can invite all your reception guests closer to the time, ideally three months before. Because not all of these people are close, you don’t want to invite them a year before in case you’re still not friends with them by the time the wedding comes along. It’s okay to invite these people with electronic wedding invitations – it will save money and may be better suited if you don’t have addresses for all of them. Use emails and private messaging on Facebook to send these invites.  

 

Blowing your budget on a dress

 

In the list of wedding blunders brides make, getting a wedding dress you can’t afford is right there at the top. A budget needs to be strictly abided by otherwise you’ll find yourself entering married life in a pit of debt. There are lots of things that can blow the budget from overpriced photography to having to feed too many guests but by far the most common way people blow their budget is with an expensive dress. Yes, you want to look beautiful on that special day – but consider the fact you’ll never wear it again. Hiring a dress can be a sensible option to pursue. You don’t need to keep on to the dress after – those that do usually keep it in their attic or the back of a wardrobe gathering dust. Photographs can provide the memories you need.

 

 

Getting married in the rain

 

There’s nothing worse than rain on your wedding day. However, even if your whole wedding is outdoors, there are ways that you can plan for this eventuality. Marquees are a great option that will allow you to remain outside whilst sheltering from the rain. If it’s a windy location, you may also benefit from setting up a few wind breaks to stop your hair and veil being messed up. Also, think twice before hiring an open-top wedding car or carriage.

 

Letting speeches drag on

 

Some people may have family members that like to talk a lot or may come from a culture where everyone feels obliged to do a speech. Don’t be afraid to put a time limit on this section of your wedding – you don’t want your guests getting bored and it may delay other parts of your wedding such as getting served food and getting to the reception where the DJ may already be set up. Tell the best man to incorporate it in his speech if you have to.

 

 

Drinking too much too early

 

There can be lots of opportunities to have a bevvy early on before the reception has even started. You may decide to have a drink for some dutch courage before the ceremony only to get given a glass of champagne leaving the ceremony. You then have the meal to get through with a hundred toasts and bounteous alcohol throughout the meal. You don’t want to be plastered by the time you reach the reception and then not remember a thing afterwards. Pace yourself throughout the day so that you can enjoy the day without passing out before the first dance (or indeed not getting to enjoy your wedding night!).

 

 

Organising it all yourself

 

Some people may have a perfect vision of what they want their wedding to look like. However, organising every little detail yourself could be stressful, time-consuming and even more costly. Know when to call in the professionals to handle the small details. Get someone to put up decorations and arrange the flowers. Let a catering company weigh in on tableware and food ideas. You could even hire a wedding planner to handle your budget and see what ideas they can come up with. You certainly shouldn’t be micromanaging everyone on the day. A good catering company will know when best to take breaks and bring food out and top up people’s glasses.

 

Not negotiating pricing

 

Most professionals in the wedding industry aren’t bound by rigid prices. Bartering a bit may allow you to get more done within your budget. Professionals love unique weddings as they can look good in their portfolio. If you’re having a medieval-themed wedding or a cowboy themed wedding or a sci-fi themed wedding, you may be able to negotiate costs a little more with photographers and cake bakers who will want the prestige of working with you. This could help counter the costs of elaborate décor, catering and clothing.

 

All these wedding blunders can be avoided with careful planning.