10 Of The Biggest Wedding Mistakes You Need To Avoid!
Wedding Mistakes To Avoid
I scoured the internet. As I often do around this time of year. Why? Because I’m always interested to see the wedding surveys that come out after each wedding season. Real couples sharing their wedding experiences and what they would have done differently if given a second chance. I’m surprised more couples, in the wedding planning process, don’t seek this information out.
The Stories Are The Same
It always amazes me how the stories are essentially the same. For about 7 years now, I’ve followed these wedding surveys. The regrets couples have from year-to-year really don’t change all that much. But I continue to share the results in hopes couples can pull something from it to avoid making the same mistake or mistakes.
With that being said, let’s jump in and take a look at 10 wedding mistakes couples regret!
1. Not Realizing Some Deals Are Too Good To Be True
It never fails, this is always a big regret. In an effort to keep wedding costs under control, couples search out “good deals.” This is very common when it comes to hiring your wedding professionals (DJ, photographer & videographer), but it’s even more true when it comes to a photographer.
Wedding photography is probably the most expensive out of the three and everyone with a camera these days is for hire. Most couples have no idea how much a wedding photographer costs. On average, most couples underestimate their wedding expenses by nearly 50%!
This often leads couples into dangerous waters. They become tempted by cheap prices. It’s understandable, most of us don’t have an endless flow of money. However, in most situations, when price becomes our focus we introduce more problems. You might pay $1,000 for something that normally costs $2,500. Sounds like a great deal, right? There’s a reason someone is able to sell something much cheaper. They’re cutting corners. When it comes to your wedding photos and wedding memories, which corners are they cutting? Many couples figure this out too late and that $1,000 price is suddenly the worst $1,000 they ever spent!
2. Hiring A Photographer Based On Price
The number one complaint couples had when it came to their wedding photographer, was hiring a cheap photographer. That’s not to say that every cheap photographer is a bad photographer, but as a general rule, there’s a reason for being cheap.
A lot of couples are seduced by these cheap prices or promises to deliver them over 1,000 photos from the day. These promises, at face value, may seem amazing, but they’re nothing more than a gimmick. Most couples agree that 500-600 images from the day is perfect. Having over a 1,000 images is overwhelming. Not to mention, editing is the most time consuming part of being a photographer. I can assure you, corners are most certainly being cut. Would you rather have 1,000 so-so images or 600 stunning images?
3. Not Paying Enough Attention To Photography
Not only did couples regret hiring a photographer based on price, but they also had several other regrets when it came to their wedding photography:
Not having a first-look
Not taking more photos
Rushing their creative couple portraits
If you’re like most couples, it’s very important that you spend as much time as possible with your wedding guests. You’ve paid a lot of money to have this amazing party and you want to enjoy it. This is a wonderful thought, but it has caused many couples to limit their wedding photography.
We need to find that balance! That balance between getting incredible wedding photos and spending time with your guests. This is something my couples and me spend a lot time planning so they can get the best of both worlds.
4. Not Hiring A Videographer
I always ask couples, “are you hiring a videographer?” It’s incredible how many times I hear one of the following responses:
“No, it’s pretty much the same as photography.”
“If we have money available at the end of our planning, we will consider it.”
I understand that hiring a videographer is “another expense,” but I assure you, it’s nothing like photography. Still photographs and video compliment each other perfectly and together they create a comprehensive story of your wedding day.
Videography, like photography, is going to provide you with a very unique way of remembering and experiencing your wedding. I’ve literally seen couples spend fortunes on flowers, favors, table linens, etc and scrimp on their videographer/photographer. For many couples, they want to “wow” their guests with gorgeous blooms or fancy favors, but the truth is, wedding guests don’t care about these details. They want an open bar, great good, wedding vendors that aren’t rude or in their way all day and a short wedding ceremony that is romantic.
One of the biggest regrets couples have is not hiring a videographer. It’s easy to think it’s the same as photography, but when you add the motion aspect of video, it creates a completely different viewing experience compared to your photos. Before you begin planning your wedding, discuss with your partner the importance of having video and photos to remember your big day.
5. Choosing Different Wedding Vendors
Many couples choose their wedding vendors/professionals (DJ, photographer, videographer & officiant) for the wrong reasons. In one of the recent surveys I was reading, one couple shared a story about their DJ. Shortly after their wedding he was arrested for a murder he committed prior to their wedding. That’s pretty disturbing. Other couples become hyperfocused on price and forget to consider the little details. For example, you might think picking out a DJ is as simple as finding someone that plays all the music you want to hear. Let’s not forget your DJ will have a live mic in their hands the entire night. That’s a lot of power! They can say anything they want and some couples have learned this the hard way!
I’ve seen other couples hire nightmare photographers too. One couple hired a photographer and her boyfriend showed up and followed her the entire day. They were arguing all day over personal issues and the photographer got so drunk she was in the bathroom vomiting most of the night. Needless to say, the couple never received any wedding photos. What’s really sad is how common these types of stories have become.
It’s imperative that you really research your wedding vendors. I see it all the time with wedding photography. There are people out there with little to no experience calling themselves a professional because they bought a decent camera and now they think they can photograph a wedding. Many of these same people are stealing photos from real wedding photographers and sites like Pinterest to create fraudulent portfolios. Bad wedding vendors can ruin your entire day.
6. Not Having An Unplugged Wedding
Unplugged weddings have become a big concern over the past 5 years. It’s likely you already know what an unplugged wedding is, but just in case you don’t I’ll explain it quickly. Unplugged weddings don’t allow your guests to take photos or video during your wedding ceremony. Here’s why.
Most wedding ceremonies provide VERY limited areas in which your photographer can capture images. Generally speaking, a photographer can take photos of the ceremony from the center aisle or the left and right aisles on the sides of your guests. Over 90% of your wedding guests will have a cell phone camera and if they are allowed to take photos during the ceremony, they will most certainly ruin your photos. Ceremony pictures never look good when guests are raising their arms in the air or leaning into the aisle or worse yet, standing in the aisle to capture the perfect blurry cell phone photo. Having an unplugged wedding will eliminate these issues for the most part. I say for the most part, because there are always those guests that disregard the “no photo or video” policy.
Unplugged wedding ceremonies are very easy to implement as well. Simply place a sign at the entrance to the ceremony and have your officiant, before the ceremony begins, reiterate this policy to your guests.
7. Wishing They Had A Smaller Wedding
The average number of guests at weddings has been consistently declining for many years. Very rarely do we see weddings with 250-300 people. The average wedding now has 126 guests. Price is partly responsible for this trend. In my area, the average cost for each guest to attend your wedding is $200-$250. Imagine how much money you would save by reducing your guest list from 150 to 125 people.
The other reason for having a smaller wedding is couples want to enjoy their wedding party. They don’t want to spend the entire day walking from table to table. Many couples no longer visit each table during the reception, they give a toast thanking their guests for coming and for being part of their day.
Many couples look back and regret inviting people they really didn’t want to invite. This is one of the most common regrets when it comes to the guest list. If parents are paying for your wedding, you may find they have their own agenda when it comes to the guest list and this can cause you some stress. You may also find you feel obligated to invite others for one reason for another. There are also a lot of challenging situations such as; plus 1’s, children and co-workers.
[Control Your Budget With Wedding Guest List Ideas]
8. Not Having A Wedding Day timeline
It really comes as no surprise, weddings have strict timelines. It doesn’t take much to throw the timing of everything out of whack. When this happens, stress levels usually sky rocket! You enter panic mode and run around like crazy trying to resolve the issue(s). One of the services I provide every couple, is assistance with creating a wedding day timeline. Generally speaking, most couples underestimate how much time they will need for various parts of their wedding day. I help you to understand where the typical pitfalls lie and how to plan accordingly. I also personalize your timeline to your specific needs. This is something that really helps couples to relax because they feel much more in control of the day. It gives them a lot of confidence having a solid plan in place.
9. Not Listening To OWN Needs & Wants When It Comes To The Wedding Dress
Many brides regret the wedding dress they purchased. Their biggest regret about their dress was not listening to their own needs and wants when it came to actually buying their gown. A lot of brides were pressured by their mothers or future mother-in-laws to buy a certain dress. One of the brides in the survey remarked about how she fell in love with a dress, but her future mother-in-law made her feel guilty about buying it because it had a plunging neckline that showed off too much skin. In the end, she purchased another dress that she really didn’t like. Looking back, she wished she had just purchased the dress she really wanted.
These are very common feelings and situations. When it comes to picking out a wedding dress, limit the number of people you bring with you. More people usually results in more opinions, and more confusion. It’s also wise to only bring those people whose opinion is constructive and you trust. How you feel in your dress is vital to your wedding photography. If you feel amazing in your dress, it will show in your photos. You will exude confidence. However, if you don’t feel comfortable in your dress, that’s going to show itself too.
10. Spending Way Too Much On Details
This is very common and we touched on it briefly earlier in the article. Too many say they overspent on details that really didn’t matter. For example, many couples spent a tone of money on their stationary (invitations, reply cards, thank you cards, etc.). In the end, they realized that 99% of their guests read the invitation and then tossed it in the garbage. This doesn’t mean you should DIY your invitations using construction paper and crayons, but it also doesn’t mean you need to spend crazy amounts on paper either. A lot of couples are now sending their invites digitally. It’s a much more economical way of inviting your guests. One of the negatives to using digital invites will be those guests that don’t have a computer or aren’t computer savvy. However, this is usually a limited number of guests and a simple phone call would suffice.
Other couples regret going overboard on favors. Again, this is another detail of your wedding that guests really don’t care about. Many guests will forget to take their favors or throw them out or give them to someone else. There are a ton of different options when it comes to favors, so don’t hesitate to research more affordable ideas.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these 10 wedding mistakes to avoid. Again, these are taken from wedding surveys in which real couples shared their regrets. Wedding planning can be very overwhelming, but hopefully you find it a little easier with articles like this one.