When you’re planning for your big day, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and get swept up with wanting everything to be perfect. In many cases, brides make hasty decisions just to sidestep the stress of planning. Every savvy bride-to-be should plan smart and avoid these top 3 mistakes so they can have the wedding of their dreams, stress-free.
Planning Without a Budget
When it comes to wedding mistakes, this is one that you can be stuck dealing with long after you say “I do.”
Planning without a budget is a recipe for disaster
– you can easily find yourself in debt and can waste a lot of money on things that aren’t important.
Set a budget right from the beginning to make sure you spend wisely and don’t go overboard in one area only to not have enough money left for others. Here are a couple of things you can steer clear of when you have a budget:
- Breaking the bank on the venue – The location of your wedding is one of the most important factors in planning your day, and it’s also one of the first aspects of your wedding that you’ll plan. Since you haven’t spent much else yet, it’s all too easy to hand over a hefty amount of cash for your venue. The problem with overspending on your location is that you’ll quickly realize that you don’t have enough money left over for the other critical things, like photography or your dress.
- Not leaving enough money for key details – A budget will help you carefully plan where you’re going to spend your money and where you’ll try to save. Failure to have a budget in place means that you can easily spend too much on the little things and won’t leave enough for some of the major components, like food or décor. Food is something that all of your guests will remember, especially if you have to skimp on the quality. Décor sets the whole tone for your ceremony and reception and is a vital part of making your day look and feel magical. Décor is also essential if you opt for a more economical venue and need to invest a little bit more to make it look beautiful.
- Overspending on flowers. You may love peonies, but if you have a fall or winter wedding you’ll end up spending a fortune to have them flown in. Speak to your florist and be upfront about your budget so they know what kinds of flowers will be realistic options. Stick to seasonal blooms for gorgeous bouquets that won’t blow your savings.
Not Working with a Wedding Planner
Getting ready for your wedding is stressful, even for the most low- maintenance brides. The task of organizing all of the details is enough to turn anyone into a bundle of nerves. Hiring a wedding planner to help you with your big day is a must so you can sidestep these errors:
- Doing it all yourself – There’s an art to negotiating contracts, discovering which vendors are the best, and getting everyone coordinated all at once. A wedding planner does this for a living, and they’ve got it down to a science. Once they know what your budget and vision are for your big day they’ll be able to expertly navigate the business side of your wedding, getting you the best prices, making sure everything you want is included in contracts so there are no hidden costs, and keeping all of the vendors organized.
- Stressing so much that you miss out on the fun – There are so many fun moments leading up to a wedding, but when you’re feeling frazzled by the details it’s hard to enjoy the special celebrations. Delegating tasks to a wedding planner lets you relax and spend time getting excited about attending pre-wedding events and enjoying prepping the fun stuff. A wedding planner’s expertise will put you at ease and take the stress out of the days and weeks leading up to your walk down the aisle.
- Getting bogged down on your big day – Many brides opt to forgo using a wedding planner to organize the details of their wedding but choose to use one for the actual day. No matter how involved you’ve been in the planning of your wedding, you’ll be tied up on the actual day, primping with your bridesmaids, taking photos, and getting ready to say “I do.” Let a wedding planner take the reins on the day of your wedding by orchestrating all of the events, keeping things moving at the right pace, and handling any last minute crises with an expert hand. Knowing that there’s a pro in charge will calm your jitters and let you enjoy the moment without fretting over the small stuff.
Choosing the Wrong Suppliers
There are an incredible amount of options available when it comes to everything from choosing caterers to DJs to photographers, and trying to narrow them down can be a daunting task. Learn the ropes on how to pick the best suppliers and avoid these mistakes:
- Going for the cheapest option. Sometimes you can luck out with a great deal, but generally speaking, you get what you pay for. Automatically going with the most affordable option can often leave you dissatisfied or disappointed in the result.
- Hiring an amateur. Make sure that your day runs smoothly by ensuring that you’re dealing with experienced, reputable professionals instead of amateurs or first -timers. This is your wedding day, so you want it to just right. Rest assured that your day will go exactly the way you want it to when you stick to hiring the pros.
- Getting bogged down on your big day – Many brides opt to forgo using a wedding planner to organize the details of their wedding but choose to use one for the actual day. No matter how involved you’ve been in the planning of your wedding, you’ll be tied up on the actual day, primping with your bridesmaids, taking photos, and getting ready to say “I do.” Let a wedding planner take the reins on the day of your wedding by orchestrating all of the events, keeping things moving at the right pace, and handling any last minute crises with an expert hand. Knowing that there’s a pro in charge will calm your jitters and let you enjoy the moment without fretting over the small stuff.
Solve all your wedding planning woes and eliminate stress by calling JP Catering Inc. and letting our team of event planning professionals take care of every detail. We’ll make your big day run seamlessly, so you can focus on having the wedding of your dreams without any of the worries. Call us today at 905-482-3225, email jon@jpcatering.ca, or visit our website at www.jpcatering.ca for more information on how we can work together to make your wedding vision a reality.