When planning a wedding you most know about what could go wrong. Wedding pitfalls are caused by lack of credible and sound knowledge on the subject matter. I always tell my couples that knowledge is power. Be in the know! There are so many resources out there today to help you and your wedding team overcome any obstacle that arises smoothly. So ask questions and hire the right people to make your dream a reality.
Once you've built a reliable team around you, who align with your vision of the event - this team consists of the bridal party, your wedding planner and family - TRUST your TEAM! Lean on them when things get overwhelming and the pressure starts to build.
- 1. Buying a dress/picking a venue before setting a budget
This may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many couples make this mistake. Yes, it's the biggest day of your life, but you don't want to spend more than you're comfortable spending, and you don't want to limit yourself on your music/flowers/photographer/etc. because you spent too much on the venue or the dress.
- 2. Not having a rain plan for an outdoor wedding
Even if your wedding is in a dry season, you always want to have a plan so that there is no panic on your big day!
- 3. Choosing your guests and wedding party too quickly
This is especially important if you have a very long engagement. There are some people in your life whose invites are a given: your aunt and uncle, your grandma, etc. The friends that you want in your wedding party might not be such a given, and so it's important not to include people who might not end up being that important to you by the time your wedding comes around.
- 4. Being too hands-off
Make sure that if you are having a destination or weekend long event, that your guests get itineraries and that everyone is aware of what is happening when and where. If guests are confused about where they are going or when they are supposed to be somewhere, your weekend can become way more stressful than it has to be.
- 5. Being too hands-on when it comes to the details
While you want to make sure that everyone has all the information that they need, you also don't want to micromanage. You need to trust your vendors, wedding planner, and venue staff to do their jobs.
You shouldn't be worried about every little detail of how they get their jobs done (for example, don't assign specific bathroom break times for your wait staff or DJ. Relax - they know what they're doing.) As they say, don't sweat the small stuff.
Having stress during the planning process is inevitable, you cannot avoid it, but you can minimize it - There is delicate balance when planning a wedding and you must trust the team that you have assembled to execute it flawlessly.
Trust is one critical skill you need to acquire. Let GO and Let your trusted team do their thing. If you trust your planner and wedding party, that is half the battle.
JoAnn Gregoli is considered one of the top wedding planners in the world, and has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Wedding Planners by Modern Bride Magazine. She is both The New Jersey State Coordinator and the New York Metro Coordinator of the Association of Bridal Consultants. After receiving her degree in Public Relations, JoAnn joined a PR firm where she planned events for many major corporations, as well as private events for corporate clients before she moved into the wedding planning space. To learn more about JoAnn Gregoli and her work, visit
www.elegantoccasionsbyjoanngregoli.com.
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