Planning a wedding is a whirlwind experience for both the bride and the groom. There are so many decisions which require their attention, either individually or as a couple. In pursuit of a wonderfully memorable wedding day, the couple often ends up falling prey to some very common mistakes of wedding planning. There are, after all, so many aspects to look after, right from guest lists to choosing the venue to pre-wedding events that it’s easy for both the bride and groom to slip up in some of their decisions How to Avoid the Worst Wedding Mistakes You Could Make There are a number of basic wedding mistakes which occur just because the bride did not pay attention to small details in her wedding day plans. The sad part is that some of the biggest wedding mistakes are so silly that the bride or groom could have easily avoided them. Avoiding these mistakes would not only have reduced the bride’s stress on the big day but would also have assisted the wedding ceremonies in going smoothly. We have put together some of the biggest wedding mistakes that a bride can make but which can be avoided with some basic pre-planning. 1. Exceeding your wedding budget A well-planned wedding needs a fixed budget and a bride that can stick to that budget. You must carefully allocate funds to each aspect of the wedding. This way you won’t have to face a situation when you have spent all your wedding budget but are left with much more shopping to do. 2. Ordering the marriage license incorrectly Do some basic research about the marriage license laws of your state and make sure that you are in possession of a legally valid marriage license on the day of your marriage. 3. Ordering your wedding dress too late Don’t keep the dress shopping for the last minute as you may have to get the dress re-fitted or altered which is bound to take a few weeks to a month at the very least. We recommend that you order your bridal gown about a year before the event! 4. Reserving hotel room blocks too late Hotel rooms for out-of-station guests must be booked well in advance. This will ensure that all the guests have allocated rooms for their stay during the wedding. 5. Having an enormous guest list Keep the guest list reasonable and in accordance with your venue. Inviting 500 guests to a reception hall with a capacity for 200 is one of the worst wedding mistakes as your wedding is sure to turn into a crowded affair where no one is comfortable. 6. Changing your skincare routine last-minute It is advisable not to try out any new products on your skin or change your skincare routine at the last minute. This is because they may react with your skin and give a spotty, blotchy look. 7. Not paying enough for invitation postage Wedding invitations usually require additional postage which can be calculated by weighing the invitation with the postal authorities. One of the silliest and biggest wedding mistakes is when you do not put enough postage and end up having all the invitations returned with not enough time left to ensure that they are delivered again. 8. Turning down help from family members It’s a great comfort to share responsibilities and it also makes others feel more involved and important when you accept help from family members in organizing your wedding. 9. Exceeding your wedding dress budget It is easy to get tempted by the array of beautiful wedding dresses that are available in every store that you visit. However, exceeding your wedding dress budget is one of those avoidable wedding mistakes which you only regret later when you fall short of cash for something else. It is always a best practice to buy wedding dresses which are priced less than $1500. 10. Getting stuck on a specific type of flower If the flower that you had in mind for your bouquet is not available for some reason or is out of your budget, it is best not to be too stubborn about it and have the design changed according to whichever alternative is suggested to you. 11. Not getting a wedding videographer It is the wedding video which truly captures the real moments of a marriage without the formal posing that a photograph requires. Not getting a wedding videographer is a wedding mistake that should be avoided. 12. Micromanaging…everything Don’t let yourself get too stressed out about the arrangements by trying to micromanage everything. Take help from others or just leave some things to fate and enjoy your big day. 13. Not getting up early enough on the day-of to get ready Getting ready for the wedding is not as simple as you would want to believe. The hair and makeup alone can last hours. Not getting up early enough and falling behind schedule is one of the biggest wedding mistakes that the bride can make. 14. Buying your wedding dress before choosing the venue Wedding dresses vary greatly in their look according to whether you are going for an indoor or outdoor wedding and how formal the party is going to be. It is best to choose the venue first before selecting the wedding dress. 15. Doing crash diets Crash diets are never a good option and are the worst wedding mistakes if done right before a wedding. If you lose a lot of weight suddenly, it may not only have you feeling ill and tired on the wedding day but may also mean that your wedding dress becomes too loose for you without any time left for re-fitting. 16. Having too long of a gap between the ceremony and reception Make sure that the main wedding ceremony and reception do not have a long gap as guests may tend to get bored and may start wandering off or leaving the wedding without staying back for the reception party. 17. Scheduling speeches before dinner Everyone prefers to listen to speeches after dinner when they are feeling full and content. Scheduling speeches after dinner will ensure that they are not rushed and that guests will also enjoy them more. 18. Create tall centerpieces Tall centerpieces are the worst kind of wedding mistakes as they get in the way of two people sitting across in talking to each other. Go for short floral arrangements that look classy and do not interfere. 19. Skipping bridal party gifts Make sure that you express your appreciation to your bridesmaids as well as other members of your bridal party with thoughtful gifts that they can cherish and remember your wedding by. 20. Not feeding your vendors Inviting vendors like the band, decorator, servers etc. to partake the party food just proves you to be a good human and helps you avoid any bad feelings on a day when you want everyone to be happy for you. 21. Sending thank you notes too late or not at all Don’t put off sending thank you notes for all the gifts that you receive on your wedding day. The thank you notes will look more genuine and convey your warmth only if you send them immediately or as soon as possible after the wedding. 22. Forgetting to eat on the big day Food, even if you take just a little of it, will keep up your strength so that you do not just collapse at the end of the day. Make sure that in all the excitement of the day you do not forget to eat or drink. 23. Forgetting to consider the venue while planning the dĂ©cor The dĂ©cor has to match the kind of venue that you have chosen for the wedding as otherwise, it will look out of place and awkward. Avoid this wedding mistake by taking due consideration of the venue while finalizing the dĂ©cor. 24. Playing music too loudly during dinner Loud music during dinner is a bad idea as guests would want to chat with each other or just enjoy their food in peace. Loud music is one of the biggest wedding mistakes that must not be made under any circumstance. 25. Not saying hello to every guest Each and every one of your guests is important. They have after all taken the time and effort to come to your wedding. Make sure that you at least say hello to every guest personally to express your appreciation. 26. Not creating a detailed itinerary for the day-of’s events A good planner will always have a detailed itinerary for the day’s events which will help them keep things more organized and on schedule. An itinerary will also help you in conveying your plans to other members of your bridal party who can then help you out. 27. Being inconsiderate of your bridal party’s budget and preferences Being a bridesmaid is an immense honor for most girls and they do want to look beautiful and graceful in their role too. With Kennedy Blue, you can pick out some great bridesmaid dresses in keeping with your bridesmaids’ preferences for less than $150. Conclusion We have listed some of the most common and biggest wedding mistakes so that you can be better prepared for your wedding and can avoid repeating these mistakes. Start planning your wedding today and let us know whether our tips about wedding mistakes helped you in avoiding them at your own wedding. Â