Planning a wedding is like pulling together any other party, right? Except there’s probably one major difference: the size and scale of your affair. If you’re like many nearlyweds, it may be your first time arranging a major social event. Keeping a clear head and paying attention to key details can help you avoid making some common planning mistakes.
1. Winging It Without a Budget
Love may conquer all, but you’ve still got to mind your money. As Martha Stewart Weddings contributor Eleni N. Gage reveals, planning before you know your numbers is a surefire way to court disaster. You could end up dropping some major cash on your dream attire, only to discover that you now cannot afford a venue or catering. What details should you nail down first? Gage echoes the common wisdom of setting a budget before drafting your guest list. After that, you should be safe to shop for venues, food, drink, and all the other little details that follow.
2. Packing In Too Many People
Determining how many people will attend your wedding can turn into a guessing game. Most experts explain that between 10 and 20 percent of your guest list will probably turn down your invite, but an April 2018 Huffington Post article warns against fixating on specific numbers until you’ve received your RSVPs. If you send out 100 invites, for example, continue making your plans as if all 100 will show up. Don’t count on only 85 attending, or you could up with extra people and no seats or food for them.
3. Booking Vendors Without Shopping Around
You may fall in love with the gorgeous pics in a photographer’s portfolio or decide that a baker’s hazelnut-almond cake with the chocolate ganache filling is to die for. Nevertheless, you need equal parts heart and head when you and your sweetie determine which vendors make the cut. Whether you’re shopping for florists, bakers, venues, photographers, or anything else, you should investigate and compare two or three businesses for each category. Read each company’s online reviews and ask to speak to its references. Finally, do not choose your vendors based on price alone, and don’t sign any contracts until you fully understand and agree to their terms.
4. Assuming You’ll Lose Weight Before the Wedding
Whether you’ve found a fabulous dress that happens to be two sizes too small or you’ve struggled with body image issues for most of your life, the idea of trying to drop some weight before the big day can seem tempting. However, The Knot strongly advises against embarking on an aggressive weight loss regimen, especially considering the stress that can come with wedding planning. Instead, sensible nutrition and exercise will benefit you in the long run and avoid the fatigue, irritability, mood swings, insomnia, and drastic shifts in body weight that can occur with crash dieting and excessive exercise.
5. Failing to Plan for Bad Weather
You absolutely need a “plan B” if your wedding’s outside, says Brides writer Jen Glantz. Your rainy or snow day backup should include an alternative location, weather-appropriate gear and footwear, communication with your vendors, extra travel time, and storage methods to keep food fresh. Keep in mind that sudden changes in weather may call for adjustments even if you’re saying “I do” indoors, so keep an eye on the forecast just in case.
A wedding can involve a lot of moving parts, so it can be easy to forget a detail or two. At the same time, you shouldn’t overlook major factors that can impact your event. Setting a budget, shopping carefully for vendors, creating contingency plans, and thinking realistically are critical as you pull together your own nuptial celebration.
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