After all is done, brides and grooms look back at all their wedding plans and evaluate what they may have regretted doing or not doing. Aside from Uncle John dancing too drunk there are consistent wedding planning regrets that I’ve seen and is backed by Ranker.com . In my mind here are the top 5 to avoid in your upcoming wedding.
1- Bad Wedding Photographer.
Today’s technology makes it easy to take pictures. Anyone can take pictures. Anyone can take staged pictures. I have seen too many brides and grooms who say,”Oh, a friend has a good camera and they will take pictures.” Inevitably, I find that during the wedding they:
- Don’t know when to take the candid shots to seize precious moments,
- Don’t capture reactions of people like mum and dad crying at the kiss,
- Don’t know how to compose a shot so it looks the best in the light and environment.
Get a photographer who has at least 20 weddings in experience. Look at their work on-line and see if they meet the above criteria.
2- Bad DJ.
Nothing can kill a party faster than a DJ who is not in-sync with the audience. The availability of accessible technology means anyone can spin tunes. But are they the right tunes for you. If you are country music lovers and they keep playing electronic music then it is a disaster. They need to have enough experience to read the crowd and know what to play when. They also need to be able to handle special request songs from you and your audience. Finally, ensure that they are paying for copyright licensing e.g. SOCAN in Canada.
3- Bad Caterer or Food.
Another hallmark of any wedding. Your guests will remember the food you serve them. Although somewhat stigmatized, I find the buffet meal the best to do. There is a selection for everyone at the amounts they want. It also results in less waste. Because it is less labor intensive than French table service, it will cost you less.
4- Bad Hairstylist.
The number one reason my weddings may start late is because of the hairstylist. Make sure they have enough people to do all your party in the time allotted. Plan to agree on what hair style you want. It is a guaranteed disaster if you decide the day of you don’t like the hairstyle.
5- Painful Shoes.
Oh My God! Please break in your shoes before the wedding. I had one bride who walked down the aisle in 5 inch heels. They were so painful that as she walked out, she yelled, “Get me out of these shoes!” She changed into pumps and then her dress hem was all wrong.
In my opinion, there are two other items that brides and grooms may not realize can make or break their day. I always recommend hiring at least a day-of planner. They know what you want and will ensure all problems are dealt with. In theatre, after the director has passed their vision on to the cast and crew, it is up to the stage manager to make it happen during production. This is what a wedding planner does for you – ensures your dream is realized and you have a stress-free day. And don’t ask one of your wedding party to do it – you want them involved in the festivities, not running around dealing with things.
Finally, hired an experienced wedding officiant that can deliver a wedding that reflects your values and style. Nothing like starting the wedding day with someone who is stumbling with their words, or delivers a service that does not capture who you are as a couple.
Happy wedding planning.