7 Things You Should Definitely Not Do While Wedding Planning
1. Don’t invite people to your wedding just because you feel obligated.
You might be amazed at how many people do this. Spend any amount of time on wedding forums and you’ll see that some regrets come from brides and grooms inviting any old person to their celebration.
It is your wedding day and believe it or not you (or your family) has to pay for this. So why invite something that you don’t even like to your wedding? Just because mom or dad say so? That’s not a great reason. If you feel pressured to invite someone you don’t care for talk to your family about it. I’m sure they will understand.
2. Don’t skip the fine print. Read the contracts.
Boring? Yes. Essential? Absolutely! You’re not only dedicating a large chunk of cash to your wedding, but quite a bit of time, so it would be a shame to get taken advantage of. As a photographer I would say at least 80% of my clients don’t read the whole contract and end up having A LOT of questions down the road. I usually happily answer their questions but I also say “It’s all right there in the contract”. And if it’s something you don’t like then honestly there won’t be a thing you can do about it because you signed on the line. Keep yourself safe by reading through the fine print and/or having someone who may have a better understanding of contracts read them. Have questions about the contract? Ask them! They will be happy to chat with you about anything.
3. Don’t fall down the Pinterest/Instagram rabbit hole.
When you first begin wedding planning, you’ll probably scroll through endless photos of inspiring wedding details on Pinterest, Instagram, or some other social media site. There’s nothing wrong with that, as it can help you get started, but once you’ve made a decision, stick to it. Don’t second guess or overwhelm yourself by continuing to take in all the things (DIY projects, decor ideas, dresses…). Believe me, I had a DIY wedding and I mean we did everything ourselves and I would not recommend this to anyone!
Besides that, a lot of what you’ll see is just plain unrealistic. It won’t turn out exactly like the picture or you won’t have enough in the budget to pull off everything on your Pinterest boards. Figure out what is important to you and what you want the majority of your budget to be spent on and then trust yourself and your decisions and move forward in excitement.
4. Don’t forgo researching marriage license laws.
This is a big one because it’s different in each state, and if you don’t get it right, you won’t be legally married. Do your research and find out what the law is in your state. Do the research!
5. Don’t go on a crash diet.
First of all, they don’t work, and second of all, trying to lose weight so you’ll fit into a smaller size gown or pantsuit or whatever you choose to wear is just asking for trouble (obsession, stress, sleepless nights). When the last thing you need is more stress on top of planning an wedding.
Instead of ordering an outfit that’s two sizes too small and hoping you’ll be able to fit into it come wedding day, order the outfit in your current size and vow to eat healthy and exercise as you wedding plan. Also just love the body you are in! Even if you are not at your goal weight, just rock it! Have fun on your wedding day.
6. Don’t wait until the big day to wear your shoes/outfit.
Chances are you’ll be donning a brand new outfit and shoes on your wedding day, so it’s important to “break” them in before the day actually happens. You’ll be standing, walking around, and dancing for most of the wedding, so knowing how your shoes and dress/suit feel during those activities is important information. Plus, dancing in a pair of unworn shoes is just asking for blisters and cramped feet. Do yourself a favor and take your wedding-day attire for a spin before it’s time to say your I dos.
7. Don’t get down on yourself.
There might come a time during wedding planning when you feel overwhelmed and frustrated that you can’t meet everyone’s expectations, including your own. You may even find yourself telling your partner, “I don’t want to wedding plan anymore. Can’t we just elope?”
Instead of beating yourself up when you’re fed up with wedding planning, slow down, take some time off if you need to, and remember how you felt in the beginning. Take care of yourself during this exciting time and keep in mind that things won’t ever be perfect, you can’t please everyone, you might need some extra help, and damn it, it’s you and your fiancé’s day.
Now go conquer the adventure that is wedding planning and look forward to the end result.
