Ten Wedding Mistakes (Oopsies) to Avoid

When preparing for a wedding, there is nearly an endless supply of things that must be done. However, there are still several small details that may be neglected that could turn the happiest day in a couple’s life sour. This small list should help any would-be wedding planner to cover their tracks, and ensure that their day is as great as they hope it will be.

Oopsie 1: Appetizers are not a meal

Many weddings plan to have simple finger foods at their wedding, as it is much easier to eat than a large meal, as well as much more cost effective. However, unless guests have been made very clear to eat a meal beforehand, your caterer may not prepare for the amount of food that will be eaten. As such, ensure that you mention on your invitations that appetizers only will be available, and discuss portioning with your catering company (as many caterers assume 2-3 pieces per person max). In terms of invitations, consider luxury wedding invitation boxes or wedding folder from PRESTIGE CREATIONS CO.,LTD.

Oopsie 2: Watch the weather

This tip may not come as much of a surprise, but you would be shocked at the number of indoor weddings that do not consider the weather on their wedding day. Photographs are typically taken outside, and transportation must also be accounted for, so bringing that umbrella even though your ceremony is inside may not be a bad idea. On the other side, nobody wants fresh sunburns for their wedding photos.

Oopsie 3: Cakes are traditional, but not practical

Most couples find themselves spending a fortune on a wedding cake, primarily for the ceremony of cutting into it during the reception. However, one thing that is not considered is how little cake is actually eaten throughout the night. The answer? Not very much, as most wedding cakes are either almost wholly taken home or thrown out. Two viable options here are to go the cupcake route (which are usually almost completely eaten by night’s end) with a small cake tier on the top to cut into; or to purchase an artificial cake that would still allow for a cutting ceremony while slashing wedding costs significantly.

Oopsie 4: Shoes, shoes, shoes!

At ninety percent of receptions there is dancing, this much is a fact. One thing that many wedding planners do not consider is that dancing in high heels becomes very difficult very quickly. The end result is several women dancing bare-foot alongside men in dress shoes, which is a recipe for disaster. A clever solution to this problem is to bring an extra pair of shoes along, such as flats, for when the reception starts- at which point it is simply a matter of a quick shoe change before dancing the night away.

Oopsie 5: The card box

Many guests choose to bring cards to weddings as a token to the beloved couple. As you approach larger numbers of guests, you approach larger numbers of cards. The problem here is when this is not planned for, and you end up with a gift and registry table overflowing with cards. A simple solution is to decorate a box, and put a slit in the top of it for the cards to be deposited into- that way the cards can all be kept safely (and neatly) in one place throughout the night.

Oopsie 6: Learn the location

Wherever you plan to hold your reception, there are going to be rules that must be followed. Some of these will be as simple as no smoking, no entering the kitchen, no jumping in the fountain, etc. Despite the immediate sense of ‘it’s my wedding, they will let it slide’- this may not be the case. Many locations have very strict rules regarding how a wedding reception must behave, and will even go so far as to pull the plug on the event hours before your reception was supposed to end. Avoid this by simply discussing the rules with your location’s contact, and find out if there are any major factors to take into consideration.

Oopsie 7: Don’t forgot your layout

Many wedding planners know to assign seating when it comes to their reception (otherwise chaos will ensue during the meal), but not many take the actual layout of their location into consideration. One common mistake is to place tables too closely together, or too close to the walls of their allotted space- which leads to a complicated process during the meal as servers will have to constantly excuse themselves past the various guests as they try to serve. To solve this simply visit your venue beforehand and get a more visual picture of the space you have to work with. Sometimes a paper diagram simply does not do enough.

Oopsie 8: Speeches shouldn’t be presidential

Almost every reception has speeches at some point, although a few do not. However, some receptions allow any guest who wishes to speak to do so. This can quickly lead to speeches that last several hours, which bores guests (and occasionally the happy couple). Instead, offer a select group of people the opportunity to speak, or simply limit the length of speeches to only a toast if necessary. Your guests will thank you.

Oopsie 9: Cling, clang, and kiss!

A traditional activity during the wedding reception is for guests to clang on their dishes when they want the happy couple to kiss. While cute the first few times, this very quickly becomes a nuisance. Instead, provide some sort of trivia or game that guests must complete in order to make the bride and groom kiss- it will provide entertainment for all, and will reduce the number of mouth-full-of-food kisses the happy couple must make throughout the night.

 

Oopsie 10: Forgetting what the night is all about

Last but not least, please do not forget what the night is about. Preparing for a wedding can cause a lot of stress on a relationship, which should not carry over to the happy day. Ultimately, no matter how many of these mistakes are made the day will go off without a hitch- so be sure to enjoy the day and worry less about all of the little things!

Written By J Waltenbury