All brides, attention please! Your wedding is a time of great joy and delight. It is also a time when you can be stressed out. It is perfectly understandable that you want each detail of your wedding to go just as you have planned – and you can work towards achieving that. But be careful – there is a line you may have crossed unawares where people are starting to call you a Bridezilla. (You wouldn’t want that, do you?)
Here are some pitfalls to steer clear of:
– Don’t center everything on your wedding and wedding preparations. Of course, you’re excited about your wedding, but don’t let every conversation with friends and loved ones revolve around your wedding. When someone asks about how the wedding preparations are underway, keep your answers short and sweet. Refrain from launching into the detailed search you have made for that perfect gown or how difficult it is to find that cute cake topper and so on and so forth.
– Don’t try to do everything on your own. With the many details that go into the wedding, there is one mantra you need to constantly remind yourself about: “delegate, delegate, delegate!” This is the secret to keeping your sanity (and poise!) during the wedding planning days and the wedding day itself. You don’t want to look harried and harassed on your wedding day, do you?
Your maid of honor and bridesmaids, as well as loved ones can be a big help during your wedding preparations. But, you can also consider getting professional help – such as hiring a wedding planner. There are also a number of Utah wedding venues that offer not just their facilities but other services you may need for your wedding. For instance, Western Gardens’ Salt Lake City wedding location, The Ivy House makes things easier by providing you the option of getting in-house vendors including photographers, caterers, florists, invitation printers and linens.
– Don’t expect too much from your maid of honor and your bridesmaids. Traditionally, your wedding party is there to help you with the planning. However, be reasonable with your expectations – you can’t expect their world to revolve around your wedding and your wedding planning requirements at all times. Remember, these are loved ones and friends who are there to support you. They are not errand girls who are there to do your every bidding. Also, be considerate about their financial capacity – can they afford the outfit you want them to have? There are horror stories of some brides expecting their bridesmaids to wear hair extensions on the day of the wedding (and you know how much that costs!) on top of paying for their gowns.
– Don’t make your guests waiting for too long between the wedding ceremony and reception. Ideally, the longest waiting time between the two would be two hours, including travel time to the wedding reception location, if this is different from the location of the wedding ceremony. Of course, you may need some time after the wedding ceremony for more photos, as well as to change into your reception dress and freshen up but avoid giving your guests too long a waiting time. If you have to extend the time between the ceremony and reception or if the reception venue is far, provide entertainment as well as transportation.
– Don’t make the wedding too difficult or complicated for your guests. It is natural that some guests will have to take time off to go to your wedding, especially if these guests are from out of town. But also be considerate about how convenient your wedding date is for your guests. If you are planning a destination wedding, think of how guests will cope up with your plans. Are your elderly guests up to a trip to that deserted beach (which involves a good 20-minute walk from the nearest road?) Will it cost your guests an arm and a leg to go to your wedding in Bali?
– Don’t focus on perfection. Work at having the “perfect” wedding but be ready for some things to go awry. Smile, it’s your day so enjoy it rather than focusing on the fact that the flowers are a shade off than your color motif or that one flower girl fell asleep and was not able to walk down the aisle.
– Don’t be a DIY Diva. With today’s tough economic climate, it is good to try to cut corners and save money on your wedding by going the do-it-yourself route on some items for your wedding. But consider your resources – the time and skills you have. If you are new to sewing, it may not be a good idea to sew a quilt as your gift to you and your groom’s parents. Also, making your own favor boxes may sound cute but not if you need 200 of these within a week. You’ll end up sleeping at 4 a.m. and having unsightly dark undereyes on your wedding day. If you can, buy or borrow items that you need. You can still go the DIY route but don’t overdo it.