Planning a wedding? Top 10 mistakes Brides Often Make

Top 10 mistakes Brides Often Make

So you’ve read all the articles that give you a million pieces of advice on what to do, but how about some tips about what not to do, and what you need to make sure you don’t miss out on??

There are 10 mistakes I see brides making in planning their wedding but they’re not necessarily the things you’d think!

1. Self Care. Planning a wedding can very quickly become a part time job. With all of the research, details, purchases and events leading up to the day you say I do, one of the first sacrifices we tend to make as women is to let go of self care a little. Don’t forget to take care of you! If you are feeling stressed, take a walk, a hot bath with your favorite candles or bath bombs. Get a massage, extra rest – whatever you do to de-stress and pamper yourself. 
2. Blowing the Budget. Do you want to know a big secret of anxiety and stress related to wedding planning? Finances! Make a realistic plan with your budget and don’t go over your set number. If needed, play the give and take game. Give more of your budget for the things that are most important to you, and take less from your budget for the things that don’t matter as much to you. As much as you are able, don’t start a marriage with wedding debt.
3. Crash Dieting.  I know you want to look your absolute best on your wedding day, but crash diets are not your friend. If you want to make any changes, start 6 months in advance. Create an exercise routine, practice healthy balanced eating habits, and make sure you are drinking enough water and getting plenty of rest.
4. Skipping the Videographer. Having the most beautiful portrait art on canvas from your wedding on your walls post wedding day is bliss. But what about reliving the moment through video, where you can also hear and see each moment as it happened that day? Some companies have a videographer in their package, while other’s work separately. Keep this in mind as you are forming your creative team.
5. Hiring a friend instead of a pro. This is a sensitive topic, and girl I am not shaming here! But if you can help it, hire professional vendors for your wedding who have the expertise and creative genius to know what to do and where to be for the entire night. This will take the stress off your shoulders – and your friend,
6. Inviting too many guests. Maybe you want to invite absolutely everyone to join in on celebrating one of the happiest days of your life, or maybe you want a small, intimate guest list of the people who are closest and matter most. Whatever your guest list count – remember that it needs to match or be below the max occupancy of your venue. Most wedding venues follow regulations such as fire laws, and you don’t want to run into the issue of inviting 400 guests for a venue that seats 250.
7. You forget to set parental/family boundaries. Some conflict often crops up during the planning process of a wedding, whether it’s preferences or guest list size, it’s important to be upfront and honest. If something bothers you, address it with respect and love for that person.
8. You rush or micromanage your creative team. When you book professional creative for video and photography, you’ll be going through a consultation process of what you love, what you want and what your needs are for your special day. If you love their work for previous brides and grooms, girl trust the process and leave the setups to the team, follow the timeline and communicate changes so they are fully prepared for each moment. They’ve got your back and are there to capture the day in it’s best light.
9. You forget to eat. This is so common with brides that often during the consultation process I’ll talk about their game plan to make sure they have will be eating and hydrating that day pre and post ceremony. Something as simple as sandwich platters or fruit, veggie and cheese plates along with your regular meal(s) can go a long way. You want to hit the reception with energy to celebrate with your guests!

10. You don’t carve out enough time for hair and makeup. The number one reason my brides have ever gotten off track of their timeline is because they didn’t account for the actual time it takes to do hair and makeup. If your artist quotes about 30-45 minutes per bridesmaid, and 60-90 minutes for the bride, plan for the max time quoted. It’s better to be ready early then to be stressed when you’re running late. Being early also gives you more time for photos and video with your girls, and to take time to just breathe and enjoy the moment.