Over the past two days, I have reviewed 6 of the 10 biggest mistakes couples make when planning their wedding (part 1: http://www.marinesweddingtips.co.uk/2011/10/10/10-biggest-mistakes-couples-make-when-planning-their-wedding-part-1/ and part 2: http://www.marinesweddingtips.co.uk/2011/10/11/10-biggest-mistakes-couples-make-when-planning-their-wedding-part-2/).
Today is the final installment of classic mistakes:
Classic Mistake No.7: Having unrealistic expectations
The average UK wedding is now around £20K. However, a key factor in affecting the total budget is the number of guests you intend to invite. £20K if you intend to invite 200 guests and treat them to a firework, great band and DJ and a full open bar is totally unrealistic.
Now, most couples will have had no previous experience in planning a wedding so it can be a little bit difficult to be realistic about what your money will buy you. Now, most UK wedding magazines offer tools on the magazine’s end section showing you roughly how your budget will be divided. It’s a great way to get you started, but tread very carefully. What I find from experience is that each of my clients have different expectations for their wedding day. Some couples put the emphasis on the entertainment, others on the venue, others want a culinary treat, or a spectacular floral display, etc. All of these affect how your budget should be spent.
To get you started, use a ‘standard’ budget as usually shown in magazines such as Wedding. Then, assess what is key to you (unlimited bar, fantastic flowers, etc) and modify the budget accordingly. It will give you an outline in terms of what your budget can realistically buy you, which will help you when looking at venues.
Classic Mistake No.8: Not having a very detailed schedule of the day
And I really mean, a very very detailed one. When I work on a wedding, I develop a very detailed, several-pages long schedule of the day. Everything goes on it. Yes, it’s time consuming and not very exciting to do, but it’s to me one of the most vital ingredient for a smooth running wedding. I then make sure that all key suppliers have got a copy of it and are happy with it. It means that on the day, everyone knows what to do, when and where. Sounds simple but trust me, skip this process and your day won’t be smooth-running!
Classic Mistake No.9: Having too many decision-makers involved
It might sound simple, but the reality is that unless you’re paying for the entire wedding, there will be several decision makers involved, each with their view of what your wedding should be.
So before you ever start planning it, establish right from the start who is the ultimate decision maker for specific parts of the wedding; it will save you time and grief in the long run. Keep to yourself the things that you really want to control, and let others handle things that are less important to you.
By establishing firm rules from the start and making sure everyone involved is aware of them, you should be able to manage the whole wedding planning process with little family disagreements.
Classic Mistake No.10: Signing a contract without reading the T&Cs
Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? And yet, I face this situation every year when couples having found and booked their venue then contact me for help. So … you’ve found the venue of your dream that is perfect for your guest list and you want to sign the deal straight away…… but before you do so, take a deep breath and check the contract’s T&C very carefully indeed.
The vast majority of wedding venues will have some form of restrictions, from the suppliers you can use to sound limit and time restrictions. Others will force you to book a limited amount of bedrooms or to not serve red wine for example. The list of restrictions that can apply to a venue is long and it might sound boring to make sure that you’re happy with it all right from the start. But trust me, it will save you stress and issues further down the line so before you commit and sign a contract, check all the details carefully.
So this is it, I have reviewed over the past 3 days the top 10 biggest mistakes couples make when planning their own wedding. I hope you will have found it inspiring and useful, and most of all, I hope it will help you in the planning of your big day!
