Five Wedding Planning Tips to Avoid Mistakes

With all that goes into planning a wedding, it can be difficult to remember everything. But if you forget the wrong thing or don’t plan sufficiently, things can go awry. Important items could be forgotten, or improper timing could cause you to be late getting out of the reception hall, resulting in overtime charges.

Taking some precautions when planning your wedding could help you avoid missteps. It can also reduce your stress levels leading up to the big day. Here are five things you can do to help avoid wedding mistakes.

1. Limit your guest list. Much of your wedding planning will be based on the number of guests you invite. If you keep adding on guests, you could drive your costs up. It could also result in not having enough room for everyone at the ceremony or reception.

As a general rule, you can expect 80-85% of the people you invite to show up. But it is important to take into consideration the fact that those who do come may bring unexpected guests. So it’s usually best to plan as though everyone will be there.

2. Know all applicable rules and regulations. Laws pertaining to marriage licenses, for example, vary from state to state, and possibly even from county to county.

They are only good for a specified time period, and some localities impose waiting periods before you can get them. Checking up on all of the legalities ahead of time can help eliminate unpleasant surprises on your wedding day.

If you’re having a church wedding, it’s important to make sure you know what types of dress and music are acceptable. There may also be specific requirements regarding the ceremony itself. Your officiant can fill you in on all of these things.

3. Make sure that all vendors know the details of your ceremony. Obviously they’ll need to know the day, time and location, but there may be other things they need to know as well.

It’s not a bad idea to visit each vendor a week or so before the wedding to go over everything, just to make sure you’re on the same page. And it’s also smart to bring along a list of vendor names and phone numbers on your wedding day, just in case problems should arise.

4. Do all beauty treatments a couple of weeks in advance. A dye job or tanning session gone wrong can put a major damper on your wedding day, especially if it’s done a day or two before the ceremony. Doing these things ahead of time gives you time to fix any problems that might arise (or lose the sunburn).

5. Be prepared. While you can’t foresee the future, having backup plans and supplies to use if things go wrong could save the day. If you’re getting married outside, secure an indoor location in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Putting someone in charge of bringing in an emergency kit with sewing supplies, toiletries, first aid supplies, and other things that members of the wedding party might need is also a good idea.