What to avoid when planning a Wedding
When you’re planning a wedding, there is one particular quote that will seem particularly appropriate to the process: “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. Planning a wedding is incredibly exciting and inherently enjoyable… but it’s also stressful and expensive.
If you want to ensure that your wedding preparations are more the best of times than the worst, here are a few of the most common errors you’re going to want to ensure you avoid…
Avoid… letting your guest list get out of control
It’s only natural that you want your friends and family to share your happiness on your big day, but you have to be somewhat cold and calculated when choosing who to invite. Guests are wonderful and a necessary part of your day, but they are also an expense; the more guests you have, the larger your venue needs to be, and the more place settings you will have to pay for at the reception.
It’s therefore best to be circumspect and trim your guest list to a size that you can afford. A great way to do this is to invite some guests to the post-meal entertainment; this means that the guest can still enjoy the festivities, but your budget doesn’t have to stretch to another meal cost.
Speaking of your guests…
What to avoid when planning a Wedding
Avoid… making assumptions
Planning a wedding involves a huge amount of making decisions on other people’s behalf, but the most important decisions focus on who you are inviting and whether they are able to bring a guest. Unfortunately, this is where many wedding preparations can be disrupted – especially if you are making assumptions on behalf of your guests.
For example, you may assume that your second-cousin-once-removed (who you haven’t seen since you were six) won’t want to attend, but your cousin may feel snubbed by the lack of an invitation. You can assume that your friend, who has only been dating her partner for four weeks, doesn’t expect their new beau to be invited – but, again, your friend may be saddened by this decision.
When planning a wedding, remove all doubt and go direct to the person you are making decisions regarding. With a direct approach, you can outline your thinking and the guest has a chance to help formulate a solution.
What to avoid when planning a Wedding
Avoid… using the “no-show” rule
One of the most commonly-repeated pieces of wedding planning advice is to expect “no-shows”. I.e. people who RSVP that they will attend, but who cancel. Some guides will suggest that these no-shows can account for 10% of the total guest list. There’s no harm in inviting more people than you have space (or have bought meals) for
This, however, is a recipe for disaster. Yes, the average wedding will have 10% of guests no-show – but this is far from guaranteed. If you plan for a 10% no-show rate and 100% of your guests arrive as promised, you will find yourself having to deal with unnecessary stress – and potentially even disgruntled guests – as a result. It is generally best to avoid the no-show rule altogether when calculating numbers; however, if you do wish to use it, then at least ensure you have a sound backup plan for what you will do if everyone arrives as promised.
What to avoid when planning a Wedding
Avoid… going too far with the DIY touches
Sites such as Pinterest and Instagram lead to a huge number of “DIY” elements being included in modern weddings. These elements include items such as the decorations, favors, table settings, and even the cake; rather than being outsourced to vendors, couples are encouraged to follow “how to” guides and make their own. The DIY wedding sector is absolutely huge, and there are hundreds of thousands of different guides available online.
However, it’s important to remain somewhat sceptical about the potential quality of the finished result from a DIY element of a wedding. Many of these guides include photographs of DIY creations that have been professionally created, or have even been cleverly PhotoShopped to cover for any errors. Replicating these results can be extremely difficult, as you can see for yourself here. Due to this issue, it’s important to see the finished photographs as a potential result of the DIY process rather than a guarantee, so don’t commit to a 100% DIY wedding without ensuring you are able to produce the items to your own exacting standards first.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that DIY elements tend to be extremely time-consuming, especially for items – such as favors – that have to be produced multiple times. If you are DIYing these wedding elements, you will need to ensure you have ample time to complete them prior to the big day. It’s worth timing how long a single creation takes and then multiplying that by the required amount, so you know exactly how much time you need to set aside prior to the big day.
What to avoid when planning a Wedding
Avoid… over spending on a Cake no one will eat
The Wedding Cake has been part and parcel of wedding celebrations for many years now, but there’s no denying that they are expensive. This is especially true when considering most of it remains un eaten, ends up going stale and will cost a small fortune for a relatively small amount of use/consumption.
One way to reduce the costs of your dessert arrangements is to opt for Cup Cakes, Doughnuts or Lollies for those with a sweet tooth. While you will likely want to par take in the ceremonial aspect of cutting a cake, a smaller more modest and more edible cake will do the job just fine.
What to avoid when planning a Wedding
Avoid… assuming the weather will be on your side
In a perfect world, every wedding day would provide the exact weather the couple desired. For summer weddings, there would be nothing but sunny, cloudless skies. For winter weddings, gentle snow would drift from the clouds to create a spectacular “winter wonderland” effect.
Sadly, many couples find themselves struggling with weather that is far from appropriate for their choices. This is why you always need to have a backup plan. When planning each element of your day, plot an alternative plan. This can be used if the weather works against you. This is especially important for outdoor weddings.
What to avoid when planning a Wedding
In conclusion
By avoiding the errors above, you can be confident of enjoying nothing but the best of times when planning your wedding – leaving you free to enjoy the process and anticipate your big day with nothing but joy and contentment. Good luck!
