Smart Wedding Planning: Plan For The Unexpected
You will find a lot of wedding planning web sites that have great ideas about how to plan your big day
. Unfortunately, a lot of them fail to let you in on some critical mistakes you can make. If you do not include these tips in your planning process, your wedding could become a series of disasters instead of the magical event it was meant to be.
Get a list of priorities. While we all want our weddings to be perfect, the reality of it is that the unexpected does happen. Make a list of what is most important to you for this day. Is it the location? Is it the menu? Is it making sure all your guests are happy? Knowing what's most important to you will make big decisions easier, especially if you're stressed or in a hurry. You will know right away what is non-negotiable and what things can be compromised.
Plan time to mingle. The hectic schedule of a wedding can be overwhelming. There's the ceremony, photos, dinner, dancing, the cake. Many times, there is also a tight schedule with the reception venue. With all this going on, do not forget to schedule time for your guests. Everyone wants to share your big day with you, so do them the courtesy of greeting each one of them in person. Either have a traditional receiving line, or factor in time to visit each table (do it during dinner when everyone will be seated).
Let others help! It can be difficult to give up control of something so important as your wedding day. But planning an event of this importance is not something a person can do alone. Even professional wedding planners work with a team! Do not put all the work on one person, spread it around so no one gets too stressed and so that everything is not delayed by a person who fails to follow through.
Make a tight budget. No matter how good you are at planning and budgeting, there are always hidden costs for an event this big. The surest way to be prepared is to set aside a quarter of your wedding budget. It may sound insane at first; we never have enough money in the budget to do everything we want, let alone set a large chunk aside! But if something goes really wrong at the last minute (your dress is destroyed, the caterer does not show, or you have to pay for a damaged rental item) you will have the cash on hand to handle it. If you end up not spending that money, you can use it for something extra special on your honeymoon!
Have a backup plan. Know what you will do in the event something does not go as planned. For example, if the band bails the day before, what will you do? You do not need to necessarily put down a deposit on another band or DJ, but it would be wise to create a music mix you like and have a friend prepared to bring a sound system to the reception hall if needed. Making a quick call to activate Plan B would be better than having a reception without music!
Say thank you. Do not forget to plan time after the wedding for thank you notes or phone calls. We are so busy planning the wedding, going on the honeymoon, sometimes moving to a new place, and then getting back to our daily lives, that thank you notes often get pushed aside. Do not think you will get to them eventually, actually schedule a day or two where you will sit down and do it.
It's certainly not fun to think about all the things that can go wrong. But by taking some time during your wedding planning to account for the unexpected, you could save yourself a lot of heartache. Expect the best, prepare for the worst, and enjoy your big day!
by: Wenda Steppa
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