In a split-second you went from girlfriend to wedding planner with the resounding yes! Now what?? Top 5 biggest mistakes for which to be on guard.
1. Breaking The Budget
It’s easy to completely blow your budget on a lot of small details and forget about some of the larger items you’ll need. One of the biggest pre-wedding mistakes you can make is getting stars in your eyes over a lot of small, expensive touches that aren’t necessary and only serve to eat into your budget. Before you even consider the first invitation, make a budget and don’t stray from it.
2. Mangling The Marriage License
Planning location vs. wedding location? One of the biggest pre-wedding mistakes is being unaware of the laws governing marriage licenses in your state. These laws are different from one state to the next, with some states allowing the marriage license to be procured the day of the wedding and others requiring waiting periods of varying lengths. It’s important to know the requirements for your state so that you’re sure to be legal when you walk down the aisle.
3. Wedding Dress Delay
One of the most stressful pre-wedding mistakes for brides is mistakenly ordering the dress too close to the wedding day. If you’re having a couture wedding dress, make sure you know how long the designer needs to complete your dream dress and get your order placed as early as possible. Its best to place your wedding gown order at least six months prior to your wedding day. Even if you’re buying off the rack, you will probably have to have your dress altered to fit you correctly. Make sure there’s enough time for alterations to be completed and any problems to be fixed before your wedding day.
4. In-House In-Laws
Unless you want all of your in-laws crowded into your guest room and sleeping on your couch the night before the wedding, make sure you’ve booked hotel rooms for everyone well before they’ll be needed. This ensures that you’ll have places for everyone to stay, especially in areas where hotel availability might be an issue. Don’t let one of your pre-wedding mistakes result in too few rooms for too many guests.
5. Underestimating Attendance
Don’t invite too many people to your wedding and assume only some will show up. On average, 80% of those invited to weddings end up attending, meaning that you need to have a bit of a buffer and ensure your venue is large enough to accommodate everyone you invite. As surely as you assume that 20% of your guest list won’t attend, your turnout will end up being 90% or more. Making pre-wedding mistakes in estimating the number of guests can result in would-be attendees having to be refused entrance.
