Even the smartest, most on-top-of-things couple can make mistakes during
wedding planning. Here are the 10 things you should keep an eye on before saying
I do.
1. Blowing off your budget
It costs a lot of money to throw a
wedding. Excited brides start booking vendors and making purchases without
having a real budget and then are shocked to discover they've already spent all
of their money (or parents' money) and don't yet have half the things they need.
If you bounce checks or don't have the money to pay your deposits or make your
final payments on the wedding day, your wedding will not happen. Trust us -- the
band is not going to play all night if you don't pay. Planning a wedding is
serious business. Make a budget and keep track of your expenditures so you won't
be walking naked down the aisle.
2. Messing up the marriage license
There are so many rules
surrounding marriage licenses that brides are always botching up this one. For
instance, if you get your license 61 days before your wedding in Pennsylvania,
you won't be able to legally marry on your wedding day because a license is
valid there for only 60 days. Go to obtain your license the day before your
wedding, and you may not get it in time because some states have a three-day
waiting period. A common mess-up for those marrying for a second time is not
bringing official divorce papers when you go to get the certificate.
3. Ordering your wedding gown too late
If your heart is set on a
couture gown, be sure to order by the six-month mark since your dress will be
custom-made and, many times, made overseas. In addition, most off-the-rack
dresses will require alterations, so make certain that you have enough time to
get the gown fitted properly. You'll want to leave plenty of time for shipping
and for your fittings. The same goes for the bridesmaid dresses.
4. Booking hotel rooms too late
Brides often leave blocking out
hotel rooms for out-of-town guests until the last minute. If you're marrying
during a busy time and you don't investigate hotel availability in advance, you
can end up with literally not a single room for your guests to stay. Your
wedding will go on -- but no one will be able attend. Reserve rooms as early as
possible. Begin your research up to year in advance, and make sure your block is
booked at the eight-month mark. Be sure to include hotel information in your
save-the-date cards or invitations. This doesn't mean you will have to pay for
the rooms, you are just setting them aside -- your guests can put down their
credit cards when they call to book their rooms.
5. Inviting too many guests
Make sure your guest list and your
reception site capacity match up numbers-wise. You can't invite 400 people
assuming only 250 will accept, because if you end up with 300 acceptances, you
may have to turn 50 guests away at the door. Most reception sites can't just add
10 more tables -- fire laws limit the maximum number of people allowed in any
room at one time. Analyze your guest list from the get-go, assume 80% will
respond yes, and limit your guest list accordingly.
6. Partaking in last-minute beauty treatments and crash diets
Many
brides think that scheduling a facial the day before the wedding will leave
their skin looking angelic on their big days. Thinking of tanning the day before
your wedding? Think again: you may end up with blisters instead of sun-kissed
skin. Last-minute beauty treatments can lead to breakouts, mistakes or, even
worse, serious infections. Same goes for crash dieting in the weeks leading up
to the wedding -- after all those gown fittings, your dress may not fit! Stick
to a long-term beauty regimen with lots of rest, a good diet, and safe
over-the-counter beauty products like sunless tanners. Save the heavy-duty
beauty treatments for at least two weeks before the big day or you could risk
ruining all the hard work you've done to make your wedding -- and your photos --
perfect (never mind putting your health and happiness at risk for the most
important day of your life)!
7. Underpaying invitation postage
You'd be surprised how many
brides just stick a regular stamp on their invites and drop the whole batch into
a mailbox. All but a few wedding invitations require additional postage --
sometimes up to .55 cents. The postal service will not take pity on you -- your
invites will be returned, rubber-stamped with that ugly "insufficient postage"
sign, and it will take at least three weeks (never mind the additional $$) to
get those invitations back out the door. Get one invitation weighed -- at the
post office -- before purchasing your stamps. Note: square invitations require
additional postage not only because of the weight but the shape -- so don't try
to figure this out by yourself.
8. Ignoring religious restrictions
Inappropriate attire for the
church or temple, or skipping the pre-canae, may keep your officiant from
marrying you when the big day comes around. Take your religious restrictions
seriously. To avoid any day-of disasters, be sure to meet with your officiant
within one month of getting engaged. Your house of worship may perform
ceremonies only on specific days, so settle on a date with your clergyman before
you start to book vendors and put down deposits. Be sure to ask him or her about
religious rules, such as: Do you need to complete a pre-cana course? Can you
write your own vows? Do you need to cover your shoulders? Is secular music
permitted?
9. Trying to go it alone
If you are a bride lucky enough to have
been offered help by friends or family members, by all means take it! Too many
brides try to do it all -- and this isn't a good idea. Delegate and use all the
resources that are available to you. When people offer to assist -- like your
mom, your future mother-in-law, or your best friend -- find something for them
to do, like researching a vendor or addressing invitations. On that note, it's
important to keep in mind that these volunteers are not hired help -- be sure
that you accept their contributions graciously.
10. Forgetting to focus on what's important
Keep in mind that you
are getting married and starting a life together, not just planning a wedding.
Brides, be good to your grooms. And grooms, be good to your brides! Some tension
between the two of you (and among members of your family) is inevitable due to
the sticky topics that weddings stir up, but don't ever let things get out of
control. Remember why you decided to take this leap in the first place!