Regrets are for Invitations
12 May 2010 Leave a Comment
in Money, Uncategorized, Wedding, wedding advice, wedding planning, wedding tips Tags: Money, Wedding, wedding advice, wedding planning, wedding tips
A wedding is a major occasion in the life of every bride and groom. And, as with any milestone event, expectations are usually quite high for everything to be perfect. Add in family, friends & co-workers, and their expectations and the pressure can become overwhelming. There are 2 important facts to remember: 1) Perfection is rarely realized and 2) Your wedding is the beginning, not everything.
Don’t start that next chapter in your lives together with regrets! With that thought in mind, in doing my usual perusal of the many wonderful wedding websites, I noticed a few of the same regrets listed by brides over and over on the discussion boards. I’ve compiled those top wedding planning regrets below so that I can address how to avoid them.
Top 5 Wedding Planning Regrets
1) Not saving money for the big event sooner
2) Picking the wedding dress too quickly/early
3) Too many people & opinions involved in planning process
4) Too large a guest list – wishing they could un-invite people
5) Too large a bridal party
After 10 years of planning weddings (and having been a bride myself), I’m offering my expert advice that, if heeded, may reduce those wedding planning regrets.
Almost every bride & groom I’ve ever met underestimated the cost of the wedding they wanted. Yes, weddings are expensive! So, as soon as you and Mr. Right discuss getting married, start saving immediately — if you haven’t already. Consider your savings goal and budget when choosing the wedding date.
Don’t let the initial engagement excitement rush you into choices you’ll regret. Don’t run around inviting every person you’ve ever known to your wedding. When it gets down to the nitty gritty of cutting names from the guest list, it’s easier to cross off names if you haven’t already told them they can come.
Shop around. Check out the numerous inspiration boards online, try on a lot of dresses, get samples of the invitations, Once you think you’ve settled on the dress, invite, venue, etc., sleep on it. Make sure that you’ll be happy with your decision. And, after your decision is made, don’t look back. All of those shoulda, woulda, couldas will drive you crazy.
Being barraged by unwanted opinions about how your wedding should go is inevitable. But that doesn’t mean you have to listen to all of them. All parties who are contributing to the cost of the event should have some say in decisions but that doesn’t mean they get to run the show. It’s best to discuss each person’s role BEFORE beginning the planning process. Compromise may be necessary to resolve some differences but the bride and groom should never have to bow to every demand that is made. When trying to decide when to compromise or not, consider: “How important is this aspect to me?” and “Will I regret this choice later?” And for those with opinions who have no stake in the wedding, just smile and say “thank you for sharing.”
The more the merrier does not apply to bridal parties. Yes, you want to include everyone in your special day but that doesn’t mean everyone has to be in the bridal party. A large bridal party has a substantial affect on your budget. You may have to cut money from important aspects because of floral & other bridal party expenses. And, don’t expect everyone in the bridal party to actively participate in the planning process. Some members will be excited to help and others will not have the time or inclination to participate beyond the wedding day.
In order to realize your expectations and limit your regrets, you must keep the wedding plans in perspective. After all, your wedding is just the beginning!
