My clients often feel isolated as they plan their weddings. They can’t talk about the hard parts because people think they’re complaining, ungrateful, or second-guessing their choice to get married. But I know something my clients don’t: They’re not alone. Hear it from people who’ve been there.
Jen L.
Married January 8, 2011
When it comes to your wedding, what was your...
Worst surprise?
When a few of our vendors lost track of time and almost didn’t complete their jobs for us.
We got married in January just after the new year, so it was easy for vendors to lose track of time just after the holidays. The photographers didn't make it to our dress rehearsal. To make up for this, we met with them the night before our wedding, which was a very crazy, hectic time. We also called the florist two nights before the wedding to check on the status of our bouquets, etc. Good thing we called! It wasn’t on our florist’s radar, and he didn’t have the flowers ready for us until our wedding day.
Biggest regret?
This goes along with the worst surprise; the biggest regret would be not checking in with our vendors at least two to three weeks in advance to make sure they remembered their deadlines. Thankfully, it all worked out for us, but that was a very big risk!
Best advice?
When organizing your wedding party or selecting family or friends to help out with planning, etc., it really pays to select people who are organized and ready to take charge. If someone is not the planning type, don’t ask them to manage a big gathering or event. If it’s not a strength of theirs, don’t set yourselves up for a lot of stress!
Since people truly want the best for your big day, a lot of people may have expectations of how everything should be (traditional vs. nontraditional, etc). It may feel like it’s unsolicited advice, but remember they have high hopes as well. You can take it or leave it. Just remember it mostly comes from a good place.
Have a few people on standby in case they need to run any last-minute errands or jobs. We were so lucky to have a few rock stars ready to help us at the eleventh hour.
The day flies by so really try to take in each moment, good or bad. It’s easy to get caught up in perfection. At the end of the day, it’s a special moment between you, your spouse, and your closest loved ones.