Everyone makes mistakes, but no one wants to make mistakes about the biggest day of our life. We’ve been to a wedding or two (or three or hundreds), and we’ve laid out some of the most common wedding mistakes that we see almost every couple make when wedding planning.
Waiting too long
The old saying, “the early bird gets the worm” applies to a lot of situations, including wedding planning. If you want to get the best vendors at your wedding: the best caterer, DJ, band, venue, etc., you need to book early. Procrastinating too long during wedding planning is only going to get you whoever’s left after all the good vendors are booked, and your guests are going to see that when they’re stuck with your subpar vendors.
What you can do: As soon as you have the date and venue confirmed, get on the horn to your caterer and DJ. Use these tips to choose the best options for your big day. Don’t wait to book the best DJ so you can enjoy the fruits of your non-procrastination as you dance the night away.
Messing up on timing
Many a wedding has run way behind because the couple didn’t plan the timing of the dinner and dance right, leaving the guests bored or feeling rushed at your wedding reception.
What you can do: Lean on experience. Hire experienced vendors who can help you as you plan. Talk to your venue and entertainment staff to make sure that your plan for the evening is just right for your specific evening plans.
Thinking the cheapest is always the best
There are a lot of options out there for wedding venues, caterers, and entertainers. It can be incredibly easy to choose between the vendors based on the numbers.
What you can do: It’s easy to want to save pennies when you’re trying to stick to your wedding budget, but you have to be realistic about your budget. You get what you pay for, so make sure you don’t automatically choose a caterer or DJ solely on who’s the cheapest. Do your homework and choose the best DJ for your big day. Use these tips to save money and stay within your wedding budget.
Spending all your budget in one area
A wedding budget is like a marathon; you don’t want to put out too much energy at the end and not have enough left to cross the finish line. You don’t want to spend all your money on a dress and not have enough for the photographer or a quality DJ.
What you can do: To make sure you stay on track, make a lined budget plan with (realistic) amounts in each column. Stick to your budget as closely as possible, and save money on small areas (i.e. wedding favors, accessories, etc.) Try to select vendors that offers packages, so you can get services at a lower cost overall.
Not making a contingency plan
It’s really easy to plan out the perfect day, and think that everything is going to happen just as planned. In reality, as hard as we all try to get the perfect wedding day where everything goes smoothly, things happen. The weather doesn’t go as planned. Vendors get sick. Equipment breaks down.
What you can do: Choose vendors that have a plan B for those ‘just in case’ situations. For entertainment, contact a DJ that has back-up DJ’s and equipment that is easily available if an emergency comes up.
Too little communication
There are a lot of things to juggle when you are wedding planning, and it can be easy to try to get all your ‘ducks in a row’ without passing on important details. Make sure you communicate openly with your family and friends involved in your big day as well, and that everyone gets scheduling details, addresses, and important info.
What you can do: Make sure you are keeping in touch with your vendors, even beyond the initial consultation. Be clear about what you want and don’t want, and make sure they know about each other so the communication keeps flowing. For example, contact a DJ that communicates with your other vendors so they can coordinate pictures of your first dance and all the special moments of your big day.