The memory of your wedding day should have only good feelings associated with it. Unfortunately for some brides, they forgot one detail and wedding disaster ensued. Here’s why you need to be prepared, and our tips on how to avoid wedding day disasters:
Sandra wanted her wedding day to be absolutely perfect. Surprise right? It was going to be a beach wedding with a marvelous feast, and a bar serving exotic cocktails. Everything had been planned to a T until without warning and with a no longer promising forecast of a sunny day, it started to rain. The food and cocktails were ruined, Sandra had to take her vows in a soaking wedding dress and runny make-up. She hadn’t planned for this scenario, so there was no canopy, tent or even an umbrella.
Christie had picked the perfect wedding dress. It was figure hugging, showing her lovely curves, and had a long train – the dress she had always dreamed of wearing as a bride. She had tried it on and it fit perfectly. Everything seemed to be under control, until she tried to put it on, just hours before the ceremony – and it didn’t fit. She had apparently gained a few pounds and hadn’t thought to try the dress on closer to the wedding date.
Carla had put her best friend in charge of the flowers , making it clear that she wanted roses, her favorite. On her wedding day, she found lilies instead of roses in her bridal bouquet. It turns out her friend made the executive decision to switch flowers because she liked lilies better. Not only were these not the flowers she wanted, the petals were wilting, the leaves were breaking off and the whole thing looked like it had been hastily assembled in seconds. Fortunately, there was just enough time to go to the local florist who managed to put a decent bouquet together.
At Lynne’s wedding, the DJ arrived late leaving no time to test the sound system. The air conditioning at the venue was not working. Everyone was sweating and complaining about the heat. Lynne’s elaborate hair do was not fastened with enough pins, causing it gradually slide down until it resembled a nest made by a rather clumsy bird. Her aunt was being her usual loud self and one of the groomsmen had knocked back too many, far too early. He was informing all the ladies that he was very available causing a tense discomfort.
Sounds awful, doesn’t it? Overlooking even one small detail can easily turn this important day to a complete disaster. So how can you ensure that you don’t remember your wedding day for all the wrong reasons? Well, here are our top 10 tips:
1. Make a checklist: Failing to plan is planning to fail. A fairytale wedding just doesn’t happen by itself. Behind each beautiful wedding, there is someone who has planned everything to the last detail. So make a checklist and start planning. If you are a good organizer, by all means, take the lead, but don’t try to do everything yourself. Even if you feel a little overwhelmed, enlist the help of family and friends.
2. Reservations and booking: Once you have decided on the date, make all bookings and reservations as early as possible. Do not wait till the last moment, when the venue or band of your choice may not be available. You may end up booking something that you don’t really like, at a much higher price.
3. Look after yourself: If you want to look your best on your wedding day, the time to start is now. Eat healthy and hit the gym to keep yourself fit. This will be good motivation to keep a healthy routine after the wedding too. Obviously, all beauty and exercise regimens take some time to show effect, so, the sooner you start the better.
4. Leave it to a professional: Your aunt is an amateur decorator, and cousin Heather is a self styled hairstylist, and both have volunteered their services for the wedding. Although it may be difficult to turn them down, for something as important as your wedding, hire a professional.
5. The wedding dress and accessories: Try on your wedding dress a few days before to make sure it still fits properly. Break into your new shoes by wearing them around the house a few times. It’ll be hard to enjoy dancing at the reception if your feet are covered in blisters. If possible, try out the complete look once before the big day for any final adjustments.
6. Keep checking: Remember to keep in touch with all the important people – the manager of the venue, the florist, the cake designer, the DJ, the caterers – and make sure things are happening on schedule. That way you will avoid any last-minute surprises.
7. Have a backup plan: What if you have planned an outdoor wedding and it rains on your wedding day? What if a lot of extra guests show up? Remember that Murphy’s law applies to weddings too, so always have a backup plan.
On the Wedding Day
8. Put trusted friends or relatives in charge: Remember that you are the bride and you shouldn’t let the little things get you down. Put trusted and capable friends or relatives in charge of the arrangements. Share all details with them beforehand to avoid miscommunication. If the DJ is not on time or your drunk uncle is acting difficult, someone is there to handle the situation and you won’t be the one running around trying to fix things.
9. Have a ‘survival kit’ ready: Keep a bag handy with all the things you may need during the wedding and the reception. Have a reliable bridesmaid hold it. Here are some handy things to have at a moments notice: lipstick, a compact, deodorant, perfume, a comb, extra hair pins, white chalk to cover any stains on your bridal dress, safety pins, tissues, and any other item you may like to keep handy.
10. Relax and enjoy the day: This is a day to celebrate with your spouse, friends and family, so if something unexpected happens, just laugh it off. Remember the actual reason for the wedding–to celebrate your union with the person you love most before friends and family.
Want more? Check out our tips on How to Avoid Wedding Vendor Scams
Hiring a wedding planner/organizer greatly helps in avoiding wedding day disasters. But I was thinking, what if the wedding planner herself is the cause of wedding disaster? Hmmm…
During the wedding of one of my friends, the bride wore a so magnificient (and heavy) dress that she kept wobbling, stepping on the hem of her dress and endlessly tripping on her numerous petticoats. At some point she even fell down (she also wore very high heels !), and it completely broke the frame of the dress, which was of course as flimsy as sumptuous ! She ended the party wearing a plain dress.