7 Mistakes NOT To Make When Planning Your Wedding
Knowing What Not To Do Is Just As Important As Knowing What To Do...
I believe I have the greatest career in the world for three simple reasons…
•Each couple is planning the best day of their life •Their family & guests are ready to celebrate •I get to author the soundtrack & lead their celebration
I LOVE everything about the career I chose, some 30 years ago. I wouldn’t change it for the world. What I would do, however, in an effort to have more of an impact in the wedding industry, is help more couples avoid some of the mistakes, that have become all-too-common in wedding planning. For most couples, planning their wedding is a first time venture. While mistakes will occur, my hope is to help you avoid some of the common mistakes. Avoiding them, will make your wedding plans a bit more smooth, your wedding day a lot more fun and ultimately you & your fiancée a lot closer to stress-free!
So what are we waiting for? You’ve got a wedding to plan and mistakes to avoid!
1. Listening To Everyone – It’s your wedding and you should plan it with your vision & ideas in mind. It is completely impossible to follow everyone’s advice, so don’t seek it! Yes, you will want to consult & likely utilize the advice of professionals you hire. Yes, you’ll want the advice a close fried or two… perhaps even mom or dad. But you shouldn’t grant access to too many voices. With many opinions comes many differing opinions. You’ll run the risk of someone feeling “left out” if you do not take their opinion.
2. Stressing The Seating Chart – When I got married in 2007, my wife and I (from start to finish) completed our seating chart, while enjoying a spring day on our deck. It took about 30 minutes. Sure you’ll want to pair certain guests/groups together. But there are only a few rules…
A) Keep immediate family near the sweetheart/head table, B) Do not seat your older guests near the DJ C) Make sure not to seat children near the cake or bar.
Other than those few rules, mix tables, make it social and allow guests to get to know each other at their tables.
4. When Not To Shop – Avoid wedding shopping on a Saturday… you’re likely not to get the attention to detail and/or customer service you could get during a less busy time. You should also stay away from shopping with children or too close to the shop’s closing time. Do as much as you can online, in advance, so that you have a plan (or at least the framework) in mind. IMPORTANT: Scroll up to number 1... do not consult too many opinions whne shopping!
5. Interviewing Vendors – When “interviewing” or meeting with vendors, leave your checkbook at home. No professional vendor should pressure you into “booking now” or else. At least sleep on it, prior to making a decision. Next, if this vendor was referred to you by a friend, leave that friend at home. You won’t want another “salesperson” in on the interview. You already know your friend loves them… the referred you!
6. Booking Vendors – While you want to be thorough in your research, it is important to secure your preferred vendors right away, once you’ve chosen them. Professional & reputable vendors get booked early. You do not want to lose out on a vendor for failing to declare your intent to book with them. If you find a great vendor, book them! How soon in advance should you book? It truly depends on the vendor. While I cannot speak for all wedding professionals, I can say that our performance calendar typically books nine months to one year in advance. I believe that to be a standard booking timeframe throughout the wedding industry.
7. Paying Vendors – You’ll have lots to do & think about on your wedding day. By having one of your attendants handle payments, you’ll relieve yourself of the duty. Also, even in advance of your wedding day, it may be a good idea to settle all payments to your vendors. Key Point: When you say “I Do”, do not owe any of your vendors. I’ve known many couples who have successfully financed their wedding without going into debt.
Speaking Of Vendors – You should never choose your vendors on price alone. Sure, it is very tempting to hire the cheapest florist, DJ or Limo. However, you also must consider the confidence you have in any hired vendor, along with reputation, professionalism, communication responsiveness and value. Remember, no vendor is worth the cost if your wedding day is ruined. A vendor for less, is probably less of a vendor.