Planning a wedding is a lot of work, even if you’ve hired a wedding planner and an event coordinator there’s still a lot for the bride and groom to decide. With such a large amount of tasks to complete it’s more than likely that mistakes and ill-informed choices could be made (to err is human, after all). Well, as far as weddings are concerned, we’ve been around the block more than a few times, and we’ve seen it all. Here is a brief, but informative list of the biggest Dos and Don’ts of planning a wedding.
Do be Patient with your Betrothed
This is the very first thing to be aware of when you and your Fiance/Fiancee begin planning your wedding. The sheer size of the task before you will create some disagreements, misunderstandings, tension, and exhaustion. At the outset, it’s important to be extremely aware of this and to frequently remind yourself to be patient with your future spouse when these little tiffs arise.
Don’t Wait to Choose a Venue
Wedding venues are perhaps the most crucial component to decide upon before any other consideration. Whether you’re looking for indoor or outdoor wedding venues, it’s so important to put down a deposit and book it before deciding anything else. So many other aspects of your wedding planning efforts will rely on having the venue chosen. Your wedding invitations, wedding decorations, and all your wedding theme ideas will require you to have the venue picked out.
Do Stick to Your Budget
This is an incredibly important point to remember, and it’s one that will be constantly tested throughout the wedding planningprocess. While the bride and groom most certainly deserve to have a dream wedding, it’s never worth putting yourself in debt to achieve. The pressure to overspend and go above your budget can come from any source, such as the wedding planner, your parents, your friends in the wedding party, and even your betrothed. While the wedding itself is important, it’s still not as important as making sure you can start a life with your future spouse. Be value conscious, and don’t go over your budget.
Don’t Ask a Friend to be the Photographer
Even if your friend is a professional photographer, it’s not a good idea to have someone who is a guest to also be in charge of taking the photos. It’s a great idea to encourage all of your guests to take pictures with their mobile devices, but when it comes to perfectly capturing all of those special moments, you’ll want a dedicated photographer whose only job is to make sure your big day is immortalized in digital form.
Do Break in Your Shoes
On your wedding day, there’s going to be a lot of standing, walking, and dancing. Wearing brand new shoes for the first time is a recipe for sore feet and blisters. To combat this problem you can wear your wedding day shoes around the house a week or so before the big day. It’s also a great idea to bring a second, more comfortable pair of shoes for when the dancing starts.
Don’t Plan your Own Bachelor or Bachelorette Party
With so much already on your plate, it would be a bad idea to also plan your Stag or Doe party. This is exactly the reason for which you have a groom/bridal party! Definitely voice your preferences and absolute bugaboos to your best man or maid of honour, but leave it to your friends to plan this one, you’re already planning a wedding after all.
The Most Important Thing
Is to have fun and enjoy your wedding day to the fullest. Try not to freak out if things don’t go exactly as planned (they rarely do anyway). Just remember that you’re there because you’ve found the one person you want to spend the rest of your life with, and that’s all that really matters.