No matter how meticulously you plan your wedding, something somewhere might just go wrong. The trick is to keep a smile on your face and enjoy the moment rather than obsessing over details. We don’t want you to make any common wedding planning mistakes. That is why, we have compiled a list of things that you should and should not do when you are planning for your wedding day.
- Not having a budget: Planning a wedding without a budget is the first disaster you can begin with. How can you order things or plan it out when you don’t know how much you are willing to spend? So, before you jump out and say, “we want this” or “we want that”, both the families should have a proper discussion on the budgets.
- Not taking your partner’s ideas into consideration: This one is for the brides-to-be. Many women, to get their dream wedding, completely ignore their better halves requests. These can at times lead to small fights and discords that might escalate to something bigger in the future. So, ladies, allow your husbands-to-be to have a say in everything. After all, your man is getting married too.
- Not handling your guest list well: Depending on your budget, you should come up with a realistic number of guests you can have at your wedding. There is no point planning for 100 guests and then inviting 150. There will be shortage of space, seating arrangements and food, and would end up causing a strain on your pockets.
- Learn to prioritise and invite the people who matter to you the most. You can also invite a certain number of your distant acquaintances to different wedding functions, not all. So, instead of cutting the guest list short, you just smartly divide the list in this way.
- Booking an inaccessible venue: A venue may look stunning, but if it is inaccessible or difficult to locate, your guests will get lost. At times, most guests decide whether they can attend the wedding or not, based on the venue location. So, either do not go for a remote, inaccessible location or have cars to pick up your guests from a certain point or provide them with a proper map to locate the place.
- Not checking the venue for basic amenities: Check whether the venue has basic amenities like washrooms for guests, first aid kit and other things. You will be surprised; how many don’t have many basic amenities. This is especially for those who might be booking parks and community halls, instead of five-star hotels, lavish banquets, or farmhouses. If you feel any location is missing basic security and convenience amenities, either look for back up options or try to arrange for these from your end.
- Juggling too many things: This one is for all the brides-to-be out there. You are not a superwoman! Learn to delegate tasks to your family or your close friends, or a wedding planner (if you have one). Handover some responsibilities to your sweet sisters and best friends.
- Being over reliant on others: While it is essential that you delegate some tasks to people, you cannot expect them to do everything for you while you are getting your spa treatment. Strike a balance between the two.
- Booking professionals based on their charges: Do not make the mistake of booking photographers or videographers based solely on how much they charge. If you are going for someone who is charging too less, they might end up compromising on the quality. While assuming that someone who is expensive will deliver the best, is also not the right way to go. Carefully look at their portfolio, discuss things with them and book them based on their professional expertise.
- Not booking professionals at all: Your cousin might be a great amateur photographer and your brother might have just completed a crash course in DJing, but that does not mean you do not hire professionals. Professionals know how to do their job well and are capable enough to handle all sort of on-the-job hassles too. So, just let your loved ones enjoy the wedding and you too stay stress-free by hiring professionals to take care of things.
- Trying to please everyone: You must take into consideration the ideas of your loved ones, but the final decision should be yours. It is your day, and you should enjoy every moment.
- Not inviting cautiously: Ex’s, friends turned foes, problem relatives and anybody who can mess up your wedding should ideally not be invited. Unless you have someone to look after them, avoid having them around your special day as far as possible.
- Assuming that your parents will pay for everything: Your parents will obviously want the best for you and will definitely spend on your wedding, but you cannot expect them to fulfil all your whims and fancies. You and your partner are expected to shoulder at least half the expenses, too. Or at least don’t overburden them with too many demands.
Enjoyed the read? Watch out for Part 2!
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Written by Victoria Iwuoha