8 mistakes brides make when planning their own wedding
Congratulations on your engagement!
What a great journey you are about to embark on! I’m sure you’re feeling an array of emotions however can I just take you back to that showstopper moment when your fiance asked you to marry him!! How good was that feeling and days after telling all of your friends and family. But the moment that never leaves me personally was seeing your fiances reaction moments afterwards, and that my friends is TRUE LOVE! You’re about to marry the man of your dreams and that is special!
Now the title of this blog is somewhat negative and really I want to move the attention away from mistakes and call this more of a guidance blog. Planning weddings is a big project so please do not try to tackle it all on your own! Utilise your resources i.e. friends, family, wedding suppliers and even strangers (this will make sense later on, i promise)!
Understandably, the ideal scenario would be to just hire someone for the job, but many of us do not have a budget for this and actually, planning your own wedding, although challenging, doesn’t have to be such a slog, and you can even enjoy it. We have collated some common obstacles that brides experience during their wedding planning and how by taking small steps, you can avoid falling at these hurdles and keep you on track to organising the wedding of your dreams!
Not understanding your budget
And why would you? If you’ve never ridden a bike before, how can you expect to pick it up and start riding without falling off at least once (or many many times)! So how do you get to know? Just ask google! It really does know all and there are plenty of blogs out there offering advice. Even this can be too much sometimes. If you’re looking for a way to budget then there are tools out there to help with this.
The Dress
Be sure to give plenty of time when ordering your gown because what many brides do not realise is that shops will order your dress in from the supplier, which often takes around 6 months. If you order your dress later than this time frame, then they often out this through as a ‘rushed order’ and can charge you extra! This experience should be fun and memorable, so book plenty off appointments at dress shops and maybe mix it up with your friends and family to get the most out of them. This should also be the best part of your wedding planning, as it’s always nice to feel fabulous and try on an array of beautiful designer gowns!
Staying organised
It sounds like such a straightforward task but personally I can struggle with this like many of us. I have come to realise the importance of consistency and keeping all of my documents in the same space really helps! I have a desk in my living room that has my diary on it open on the week, and I have a chalkboard painted on my wall above (with chalk paint) which I write my to do lists on. An aspect you may wish to consider during the planning stages and preferably at the beginning, is downloading a comprehensive and time-lined wedding checklist.
Bridesmaids
Whether you are having 1 or 10 bridesmaids, my strong suggestive advice would be to always make sure YOU choose the gown. There are an array of stories to be heard regarding unhappy bridesmaids, and it is always down to them not being happy with their dress. Just remember this is your wedding and even though they are our nearest and dearest, they must respect your decisions. What I am not recommending and endorsing is for you to be bridezilla! As we do not want any fallouts. Honesty is the best policy always and if you are clear from the beginning then it will avoid any hiccups later on. Allowing your bridesmaids to choose their own dress is a big no no as well, because we all have different tastes, shapes and sizes therefore, the risk is high for opinions to fly!
Guest List & Table Plans
It is impossible and unrealistic to keep everyone happy all the time but it is very possible and realistic to keep yourself happy, so go in with conviction and feel confident with your choices. If you’re looking for an easy option for table plans, then search for examples of traditional wedding table plans If you think it wouldn’t be right for this person to be at your wedding day then the chances are that they feel the same way anyway. At the same time, if you are more of a laidback individual then go ahead and invite who you feel would be a good crack for the day, even if you aren’t in their favourites on their phone. Whatever your method, be confident with it and once it’s done, move on!!
Overthinking
Spending too much time on the same projects and tasks can hold you back and increase your stress levels. Be bold and confident with your choices and once you have completed a task MOVE ON! If you insist on going back to it, give it at least a few weeks so you can go in with a fresh set of eyes. Wedding Checklists can help you to stay focused on your projects and tasks. They are a valuable asset during the wedding planning process because they identify all the elements associated with weddings and ensure that you do not miss anything. Putting things into a time lined order helps planning immensely because now you can plan ahead and you weeks.
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Working on too many projects
Planning a wedding is a big project filled with mini projects and small tasks to get the job done. A mini project associated with planning would be catering. In order to complete this project you must carry out a list of tasks such as phoning a catering company. If you identify the list of tasks associated with a project then you can make life much easier for yourself by working your way through these and ultimately you will complete a project. This way is much less stressful and actually very satisfying as we all like to feel productive and organised. The trick is to identify them and make sure you follow the rule, to never try to complete multiple projects in a day because this can fog the mind and be quite stressful. Depending on deadlines you could work on catering one day and then put this away for a week and revisit with a fresh mind.
Support
Many of us wouldn’t of even thought about this but it’s a great thing to do. I’m not talking about seeing your GP for some mental support because that is absurd however what I am talking about is joining facebook groups or going to wedding fairs/events to speak to other brides and suppliers. Wedding professionals have thousands of years of experience when combined, so why wouldn’t you want to get advice from them. We can direct you to other suppliers you’re in need or just put your mind at east with certain aspects. There are many existing groups out there specifically there to help you with your wedding planning stages and it’s never to late to jump right in.
And lets not forget to mention that the best entertainment for a wedding is to hire an open air photo booth!
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Written & Edited by Janine Waterfall of Waterfall Wedding Decor
Photography by Em J Photography