Commonly Heard Wedding Planning Regrets

Photo by Renee Nicolo Photography

As a Wedding Planner, I often hear married couples talk about the things they regret doing and not doing for their weddings. What would they have done differently if they could go back and do it all over again. It’s always sad to me to hear the same regrets from so many people because, it’s only one day and we can’t go back and do it over again. So, I wanted to share these 5 common regrets with you so that you can avoid these regrets for your own wedding.

Regret #1 - Not hiring a Videographer. This is such a common regret. I hear this one all the time. Everyone knows that hiring a good Photographer is important for your wedding to capture all those special moments and it absolutely is, 100% true! But, because couples hire a good Photographer, they might not think that they they need a Videographer too or, will often think that a Videographer is a luxury service or unnecessary expense. Videographers are more important than people often realize. They say, a pictures is worth a thousand words and, it is. But, a video allows you hear those words over and over again. Wouldn’t you like to hear you and your future husband or wife say your vows to each other again and again? Don’t you want to watch grandma cut a rug on the dance floor years after the wedding? Or, watch your first dance as a married couple and hear that song that reminds you why you fell in love with them? One day, when our lives change and the people we love aren’t with us anymore, that video will be worth more than words can say. If you have some room in the budget, spring for the Videographer. Your future selves will thank you one day.

Regret #2 - Doing all the decor setup and breakdown yourselves. Couples often try to cut costs on their wedding day by attempting to handle all the setup and breakdown of their decor themselves instead of hiring help. You should not be filling vases, lining up escort cards, hanging lights or organizing favors the morning of your wedding. You should be in a comfy robe getting your hair and makeup done, mimosa in hand, laughing with your girls. At the end of the night, you and your now husband or wife should be blissfully driving away into your life together. Not blowing out candles, throwing out garbage or packing up all your personal decor. You will be exhausted and likely tipsy and you won’t want to do all that work after all the excitement of the day. It’s worth it to hire help to take care of the setup and breakdown for you. Check with your venue or your Day of Coordinator, some of their packages might actually include this assistance in the cost.

Photo by Hannah Marie Film & Photo

Regret #3 - Not hiring a Wedding Planner or at least a Day or Coordinator. I am definitely a little biased here but, I have heard this regret time and time again. “The stress of the wedding was too much.” “It was so hard to stay in budget.” “I didn’t get to enjoy my wedding day because I had to deal with the timeline and directing people all day.” “I should have eloped instead of trying to plan a big wedding.” All things that a Wedding Planner can help take off your plate. Wedding Planners have done this before. We know how to navigate the planning process to help you avoid some of those super stressful situations so you don’t regret all the work. We can create a timeline for your wedding day so you don’t have to worry about when everything should be happening and, can help direct people so that you can actually enjoy your day. We can help you stay on budget too by helping you get the most bang for your buck every step of the way. That way you aren’t left with an overwhelming amount of wedding debt. When you can sit back with a drink in hand and actually relax on your wedding day, you will be so glad you hired a Wedding Planner or at least a Day of Coordinator.

Regret #4 - DIYing everything. With all these fun ideas on Pinterest it can be so easy to get carried away with making all the things. There are so many cute ideas and as a crafty person myself, I totally get it. You start looking at all the things and thinking, “I can make that”. I have pinned so many things that I would love to make one of these days. But, when it comes to your wedding, being responsible for making all the decor can be a very heavy burden and a serious source of stress and overwhelm. Sometimes things don’t turn out the way they look online and that can be super frustrating and devastating when you painstakingly spent days trying to perfect something. Don’t over extend yourself thinking you have to have the perfect Martha Stewart wedding. Don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself. Even if you are crafty. It’s totally fine to a make a few things here and there to add your personal touch to your wedding and I am 100% for all of that but, if you are going to lose sleep or rip your hair out over it, don’t do it. There are fantastic and beautiful decor items you can purchase online on sites like Etsy or even rent from local decor rental companies. They will add that perfect personal touch to your day without the added stress.

Regret #5 - Sweating the small stuff. Honestly, this seems to come with the territory. We want our wedding days to be picture perfect and we plan out every single little detail. Perfectionist here and I won’t lie, I totally stressed myself out about all the little things. It’s hard not to want everything to be perfect. The reality is that something will go wrong on your wedding day. It might not be a big thing, but likely something will not go according to plan. Yikes, I know that sounds scary but, it’s true. The thing to remember is that your wedding day is about you and your future husband or wife. What really matters is that at the end of the day you two are married. Your guests won't notice if the soup came out before the salad, or that the DJ played the wrong song during your Reception Entrance or, that the unity candle was lit before you walked down the aisle (which totally happened at my own wedding, hahaha). Most of the time, your guests won’t realize if anything is out of place or out of order and the only people who will know or remember will be the two of you. If the idea of this totally stresses you out though, hire a Day of Coordinator to help you avoid these kinds of little hiccups and any potential big mishaps too.

So there you have it. The regrets that you can now avoid when planning your own wedding. You are now better informed and better equipped to take on the task of wedding planning. The take away, hire the professionals and don’t sweat the small stuff. Your wedding day is going to be amazing because you get to marry the person you love and that is what this is all about. You can do this!

Happy Planning! <3

Love,

Naticia

Photo by Karen Ann Photography