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10 Big Pre-Wedding Mistake.
Even the smartest,
most on-top-of-things couple can make mistakes during
wedding planning. Here are the 10 things you should keep
an eye on before saying I do.
1. Blowing off your budget.
It costs a lot of money to put on a wedding.
Many excited brides start booking vendors and making
purchases without having a real budget, and then they're
shocked to discover they've spent all of their money (or
their parents' money) and still don't have half the
things they need.If you bounce checks, don't have the
money to pay your deposits, or make your final payments
past your vendors' deadlines, your wedding will not
happen as you have planned. |
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The flowers
won't be delivered, your cake will not be decorated,
and the band will not play all night -- unless you
pay up. Planning a wedding is serious business. Make
a budget and keep track of your expenditures.
2. Ordering the wedding
gown and/or bridesmaid dresses late
If going for a traditional bridal gown, brides need
to place their orders six to eight months before
their weddings. Most gowns are made to order; if you
wait too long before your
wedding date to make your selection, the gown simply
may not be ready in time. Bridesmaid dresses should
also be decided upon during the same time period,
but only after the gown has been selected. You want
to make sure your ladies have enough time to get
measured and find accessories.
3. Procrastinating on that
prenuptial...
It is a reality these days that people -- even
brides -- have assets they want to protect. (This is
particularly prevalent now that there are so many
second marriages where a bride or groom may have
children to whom they want their assets to go in
case of death.) Leaving the discussion of a
prenuptial agreement until the week before the
wedding is a sure-fire way to increase the stress
level by ten thousand percent -- and endanger the
impending marriage.
4. Messing up the marriage
license
There are so many rules around marriage licenses
that brides are bound to make mistakes. Be sure to
investigate time restrictions well in advance of
your wedding date. Get your license 31 days before
in some states -- and you won't be able to legally
marry on your wedding day because it may be valid
for only 30 days. Go for your license the day before
your wedding and you may not get it in time, because
some states have a 48-hour waiting period. Another
common mess-up if you're remarrying is not having
official divorce papers in time to get the
certificate.
5. Booking guest hotel
rooms too late
Brides often leave blocking out hotel rooms for
out-of-town guests until the last minute. If you're
marrying in a city (particularly one where
conventions take place) or in a resort town and you
don't investigate hotel availability in advance, you
can literally end up with not a single room for any
of your guests to stay in. Your wedding might go on
-- but no one will be able to attend. Reserve a room
block as early as possible, up to a year in advance.
6. Inviting too many guests
Make sure your guest list and your reception site
match numbers-wise. You can't invite 400 people
assuming only 250 will RSVP with a yes -- because if
300 happen to say yes, you may have to turn 50 away
at the door. Sites can't just add 10 more tables, as
fire laws limit the maximum number of people in any
room at one time. To avoid this, assume eighty
percent will respond yes and limit your guest list
accordingly.
7. Last-minute beauty
blunders
Many brides think that scheduling chemical peels the
week before their weddings will leave their skin
looking angelic on their big days. Others think
having their teeth bleached within days of their
weddings will leave those pearly whites sparkling.
Thinking of tanning the day before your wedding?
Think again: You may end up with blisters instead of
sun-kissed skin. Last-minute beauty treatments can
lead to breakouts, mistakes, or -- even worse --
serious infections. Start a long-term beauty regimen
months before the big day and focus on natural and
common-sense measures such as eating a healthy diet
and exercising, or you could risk ruining all the
hard work you've done to make your wedding -- and
photos -- perfect. (Never mind putting your health
and happiness at risk for the most important day of
your life.)
8. Underpaying postage on
invites
You'd be surprised how many brides just stick a
stamp on their invites and drop them in a letterbox.
All but a few wedding invitations require additional
postage. The postal service will not take pity on
you -- your invites will be returned (and
rubber-stamped with that ugly "insufficient postage"
message) -- and it will take at least two weeks
(never mind the additional $$) to get them back out
the door. Be sure to get one complete invitation
weighed at the post office before purchasing all
your stamps.
9. Ignoring religious
restrictions
If you plan on marrying in a house of worship, you
need to abide by the rules. Wearing inappropriate
attire or not completing pre-wedding requirements is
grounds for your officiant to stop your wedding
before it begins. As soon as you get engaged, be
sure to contact your house of worship to find out
about any potential issues. Some houses of worship
won't let you marry on certain holy dates; make sure
to check your wedding date with your officiant
before putting down any deposits for your reception
site or vendors.
10. Ignoring weather
warnings
Brides marrying outdoors often test fate and just
wish for the best when it comes to bad weather.
Always have a backup plan -- you may not have a
place to marry at all, or your guests (and you) may
be in misery at the hands of Mother Nature.
Temperatures normally around the balmy 70-degree
mark may unexpectedly turn into a boiling 100-degree
debacle; be sure to have outdoor air-conditioning. A
hurricane, flashflood, or gale force winds may visit
on your wedding day; make sure you have an interior
alternative or a tent as a back-up location. |
