7 Common Mistakes Couples Make When Planning a Wedding

Woo hoo! You’re engaged and starting the fun process of wedding planning! This post is for those of you who have decided to forgo a wedding planner and are ready to give it a go on your own. Wedding planning is definitely not for the faint of heart, but can it be done without a professional planner? Sure. And knowing what the most common mistakes are will help you avoid them. So here are the 7 most common mistakes that couples make:

1. Choosing and securing vendors

2. Creating and sticking to a budget

3. Guest counts and invites

4. Meal count tallying

5. Not having a weather plan

6. Sending save the dates too early

7. Saving the bulk of your to-do list until the last minute

Choosing and securing vendors

It might be tempting to save some money and hire that family member or friend that can do “xyz” for cheaper. But do you really save money in the long run? I suppose it depends on what you value, but don’t forget that your time is also valuable and not hiring a professional can sometimes mean you have to invest more of your time. Another thought to consider is keeping that buffer between business and pleasure. This is your wedding, so how comfortable will you be communicating your wants and desires to this person. When you hire a professional, you are hiring experience, gear, patience, and a great resource who is there to do whatever they can to ensure your day is truly amazing. I recommend hiring these four vendors first: Your planner, your venue, your photographer (me!) and your florist.

Creating and sticking to your budget

How is a couple supposed to create a budget for something that they have never planned before? So many factors go into making a wedding budget, and when you are truly just making educated (and sometimes not educated) guesses, no wonder so many couples go over budget! This is where a wedding planner can really help! Sure, you will need to budget for their costs…but they can in turn help you make sure that you are setting enough aside to make your dream wedding a reality. There are oodles of tools out there to help you if you are going about this on your own, but the one that I love the most is https://bridalmusings.com/180086/free-wedding-budget-spreadsheet/ . A good rule of thumb is to decide on the maximum you are wanting to spend, take away 5-10% for contingencies and then start spreading out the remainder. Want to know one way to quickly cut costs…lower your guest count!

Guest count and invites

The first thing that will help determine your guest count is your venue. You definitely do not want to pack people in like sardines, a good party needs breathing room. I’m sure you have heard that 10% of people invited do not come. That may happen most of the time…but what if it doesn’t? If your venue has a limit, but you invite more than that amount, are you prepared to turn people away at the door? What about those people that forget to RSVP, but show up anyway? Give yourself some wiggle room and limit those invitations. The bonus is that a lower guest count means less food costs also!

Counting those meal count tallies

It has been said that this item alone causes the most stress. The caterer is asking for the count, you have created a spreadsheet to track the different options, RSVP’s are coming in, some are perfect, some are missing names, and not all of the RSVP’s have come back yet, and you are now on the phone trying to confirm with all of those people who haven’t gotten back to you…sounds like a nightmare, right? Most caterers need a final count no later than 30 days from your wedding. This is definitely a place where having a planner is clutch!

Not having a weather plan

I used to just say not having a plan for rain…until last year I shot a wedding in June in Oregon and it was 115 degrees!!! Oregon is known for our liquid sunshine, so at the minimum it is important to chat about having a plan for rain. But Oregon is increasingly becoming known for hot days and smokey skies in the months of August and September. Does your venue have an indoor option? Do you have a large tent on reserve, just in case? Definitely create a plan B for weather, and then work on your weather dances.

Sending save the dates too early

You’re excited-I get it! But pull those reigns back and finalize that guest list before sending out save the dates. That will help you avoid some uncomfortable scenarios such as sending a save the date to someone who you later decide not to invite. Or realizing your venue caps their guest count and now you have to limit your guest count after sending all of the save the dates. You are right on track if you send out save the dates 4-6 months before your wedding.

Saving your to-do list until the last minute

I am just as much of a procrastinator as the rest of you, but trust me on this one, you do not want to wait on that to-do list! Start checking off those bigger items right away, such as securing vendors! And then make sure that you give yourself deadlines along the way. If you are competitive, then divvy up those items and make a fun competition out of it! Or have a reward system in place for yourself. Another sure fire way to make sure you are staying on task is to have an accountability person, again-a wedding planner is key here!

And one extra tip-don’t sweat the small stuff. I know that you want this day to be perfect, but just remember that you can’t plan for every possible thing, so be prepared to let the little things go and just enjoy yourself! At the end of it all you will be married to your favorite person and that is definitely something to be celebrated!

Ready to mark one thing off your to-do list? Click HERE to inquire with me and check off that “get photographer” box! I share amazing vendor recommendations with my couples, so if you have decided that you do want a wedding planner-I have worked with some amazing ones and would love to send their info your way.