10 Common Planning Mistakes to Avoid

I see it all the time. Couples are doing a fantastic job planning their wedding. They’re hiring great vendors, making the tough “big decisions” – like the wedding venue, their photographer, etc. Then somewhere along the way, they suddenly get derailed and start to worry about the wrong details.

But don’t worry – now that you’re about to read this post – this won’t be you! 🙂

Here are 10 planning mistakes to avoid when planning your wedding.

1. Blowing your entire fashion budget on only the dress.

It is so easy to fall in love with a dress – and decide to maybe stretch your fashion budget – just a little bit. But remember, your fashion budget is not just for the dress. You must also remember you to account for alteration costs, sales tax as well as bridal accessories like your veil, shoes and other accessories.

2. Becoming attached to a specific flower for your floral design.

Flowers, like all agricultural products, are seasonal and inconsistent. There are many times when a floral designer may not be able to provide you the exact flower you’re dreaming of for your bouquet or floral design. However, this is often a good thing. Your floral designer knows best. Allowing a little flexibility in your floral design may help you an even more fabulous floral design you didn’t even know was possible. I encourage you to focus more on the colors and shapes you hope to have in your floral design instead of a specific flower type. I promise both you and your florist will be much happier if you approach your flower design from this angle.

3. Sending your “Save the Dates” too early

It is tempting to want to shout from the roop tops you’re getting married. However, it is VERY important you only send a “Save the Date” to guests you’re 100% sure you will ultimately invite to the wedding. Because much of your wedding costs will be determined by the size of your guest list, if you are conservative with who you include in the event, you will afford yourself a little lead way the end of your planning, in case you are running over budget. This also prevents you from having “invite remorse”. Weddings take a long time to plan. Friendships and relationships can evolve a lot during this time. Be sure you are inviting your closest friends and family who you know will be there no matter what. I think a good rule of thumb is to send your “Save the Dates” approximately 6-8 months prior to your wedding date.

4. Skipping the videographer

We are so lucky to live in today’s digital age when we have access to so many different ways to document the special events in our life. Because of this luxury, I think hiring a videographer will always be money well invested in your wedding. As you know, I think your wedding photographs will be some of your most cherished possessions after your wedding. If you are fortunate enough to also budget for a videographer, I think your wedding video may even be something you cherish more than the photographs. Last summer, my aunt found a few short video clips from her wedding to my uncle in 1969. The footage was terrible. There was no sound. All the shots were bumpy and were often going in an out of focus. But we must have watched that video at least 15 times. Mainly because it was like a little time machine back to the 1960’s. I especially found it incredible because I had only ever seen pictures of my mom in her early twenties. Now, seeing her in a video, she really came to life. I felt like I got to see a side of my Mom I never knew existed. It was all through the power of video. Future generations, who may not even be born yet, will also cherish your wedding video. Investing in a quality, experienced videographer is a decision you will not regret.

5. Micro-managing your vendors

I know it is tempting to want to be sure you over communicate your wedding vision to your vendors. However, I encourage you to trust your vendors experience and know you don’t need to be involved in every decision. Trust they will guide you through the process and provide you the incredible experience and end product they have promised to you. I speak from experience (being a wedding vendor – and knowing even more vendors!) , we do what we do because we love it. And nothing makes us happier than bringing your wedding dream to life. We will do everything in our power to make your day special. We want to make your day special. Relax and trust us to help you create your dream wedding.

6. Picking attendants too early

I would wager about 50% of all wedding drama can be traced back to the wedding party. Choosing your wedding party is a very big decision. All wedding party invitations should be carefully thought out before ever mentioning it to any potential attendant. I encourage my couples to only invite their closest friends to be a part of the wedding party. I try to discourage the feeling they need to have an even wedding party – meaning having the same number of attendants on both sides. Uneven wedding parties happen all the time. Be sure to surround yourself with only people who make you happy and provide you peace. Wedding days are emotional. Be picky about who you allow in your inner circle on your special day.

7. Telling everyone about your wedding

Being engaged, planning your wedding and preparing for this next exciting phase in your life is VERY exciting. I know you think about it all the time. However, do your best to not over share every detail of the planning process. Try really hard not to bring it up all the time. Talking about your wedding will ultimately invite judgement about your wedding choices and may make you second guess yourself. Also, sharing too much about your wedding will prevent you from having any fun surprises for your wedding guests because they will already know what to anticipate.

8. Starting your hair and makeup too late

With every wedding I plan, the getting ready component of the wedding day timeline is often the trickiest. Many couples over look this element of their timeline and it becomes and after thought. However, starting your day off on the right foot is critical to make sure the rest of your wedding day runs smoothly. Be sure you start your hair and makeup appointments for your bridal party early. Remember to account for mother’s of the brides and any other special family members who may not be in the bridal party but who also want professional beauty services for the day. If you’re bridal party is large, your beauty appointments may begin pretty early in the morning. If this is the case, I encourage you to schedule a hair and makeup touch up for the bride just prior to the ceremony.

9. Speeding through taking photos

If you opt to not have a “first look”, you will more than likely be trying to take the majority of your wedding photos after your ceremony, during your cocktail hour and before sunset. This often means you will have about 1 hour for all of your non-reception focused wedding photos. This also means you will more than likely completely miss your cocktail hour. I almost always encourage my couples to find additional time in their wedding day timeline to dedicate specifically to taking wedding photos. Because wedding photos are so important, I strongly encourage you do everything in you power to ensure your photographs capture the beauty and happiness of your wedding day – and the experience and the photos are not rushed. After all these photos will be the family heirlooms future generations of your family will cherish for many years to come!

10. Hiring a “friend” instead of a pro

I think I speak for all wedding planners when I say, we cringe when you mention you’ve hired your best friend, who DJ’s or floral designs or whatever “on the side”, to be the DJ for your wedding. The success of your wedding correlates directly with the level of professionalism and experience in your vendors. When you hire an amateur in any field, you are putting yourself at risk for things to go wrong on your wedding day. Because no matter what you do, things will not go exactly as planned on your wedding day, I STRONGLY encourage you to trust your planner and hire ONLY professional vendors for your wedding. Besides, you don’t want your friend working on your wedding day anyway. Don’t hire your friends to work your wedding, invite your guests to attend your wedding.