Planning your wedding? It’s an exciting time and very stressful. How often do you plan for something like this? Probably not often enough to avoid a few mistakes. So, we wanted to share with you some tips. Here are five common wedding mistakes and how to avoid them from your friends at El Caribe.
1. Moving Ahead Without A Guest List
So, you’re engaged. You’re excited to plan an amazing wedding. There’s so much to do you can’t wait to get started. But wait. Put on the brakes. You need to consider first things first – your guest list. Your guest list is one of the most important elements of your wedding planning. It determines so many other elements like ceremony to catering hall size.
Put your guest list together first. It’s not the most glamorous part of wedding planning, but there a few reasons to get it tightened up. Here’s one. You don’t want to lose a nonrefundable deposit to a catering hall because you learned it’s not big enough with a surprise addition of 150 guests to your list. Openly discuss the matter with your fiancé and families. With a list in hand, now you can determine other things like the atmosphere, location, transportation, etc.
2. Drop Sizes Before The Big Day
You found your dream dress, but you’d like to be picture perfect and a few sizes smaller. So, you order a smaller dress and go to work trimming down to fit the smaller dress size.
Remember, wedding planning is stressful enough with long days and some sleepless nights. Adding to this an additional goal could add unneeded pressures and stress.
Instead, consider this. Find a dress you love and in your own size. Commit to eating right, exercising and toning up. It’s important to make sure your goals are manageable and not overstressing you. Remember too, the person you’re about to marry can’t get enough who you are and how you look, so don’t go crazy if you’re not perfect. You want to enjoy this journey.
3. Boring Your Fiancé With Bridal Talk
While grooms want to be more involved in the wedding planning and style of the event, be careful not to overload them with too much bridal talk and event planning lingo. This could cause unneeded tension when both of you need to be working together. Schedule a time to discuss with your partner the various details of the wedding and how they want to be involved. If decor isn’t their thing, choose to leave them out of that process. Also, listen carefully for things they get excited about and invite them to participate.
Planning the wedding can be stressful so balance time to allow for normal activities so both of you can remember the person you love is still there. These breaks will also help you sharpen the saw, so they say, and make you more creative and focused when you’re at it again.
4. They Have My Dress!
Being unique, with a personalized touch, is so important for your wedding day. Sometimes it’s easy to get upset when someone else has the same dress, flowers, colors, etc. Before you decide to lose it, consider adding some things to set you apart. Add accessories, a broach, a change up on the party favors. Find a way to set yourself a part and add a personal touch. There are endless ways to do that.
5. Day of To-Do List
The day of your wedding is all about you and those closest to you. There are so many details happening that day that are important to making the celebration a success including florists, catering, transportation, etc. Instead of enlisting the help of your mother or bridesmaids, who are really involved in the days affairs, ask a trusted family member or friend who’s there for the wedding. Most wedding-day (and day-before) to-do-lists can be left to any proficient adult. And remember there are many of them who would be happy, and flattered you asked, to assist you in dividing and conquering. Too, it’s a great way to include more people in your big day.
Should your budget permit, you might also consider hiring a wedding coordinator. They’re experts at making sure things like this run smoothly. Surprisingly, their more affordable than you might think. And, can you really put a price tag on being stress free on your big day?
Your wedding is the day you’ve dreamed of. Understanding these five common wedding mistakes will keep you from making mistakes that could cost you most stress, time and headaches. Following these tips will help you to better enjoy the journey.
As you plan for your engagement party, consider creating a theme that celebrates you and encircles your guests with the joy of your celebration. The theme could be anything from a simple, cozy location to the transformed interiors of a magnificent ballroom. Create something that sets the tone for your future together. For this event the interiors of the Emerald Ballroom seemed to literally disappear as guests entered thru a veiled, draped doorway to experience a unique celebration. From rustic canopy interiors and lounge areas to high-shelf bars and a black & white checkered dance floor, it was a stunning and memorable environment for an engagement party. This theme not only set the tone for guests but the unique and gracious couple who were celebrating their engagement.
While signature drinks may seem to be a thing of the past, consider creating variations to for a unique guest experience. You can add a signature drink station at the bar that features particular international drinks not typically found at your standard catering hall bar. These stations might include drink specialties from Ireland, Germany, Russia, or other countries allowing your culture or favorite global location to be featured at the bar. This adds a memorable zest to your celebration.
To thank guests for joining in the celebration, Angela & Konstantinos gave parting guests signature cupcakes in a box. This gift, decorated with a logo and message, was a fine touch to the already over-the-top celebration. Further, guests were greeted by a hot dog and pretzel stand as they waited outside for valet parking. What parting gift, or gifts, could you send with guests helping them remember your event and keep you top of mind? Baked goods in a box? A newspaper with your name on it? Hot coffee to go? Donuts? You’re only limited by your imagination. 
