As wedding planners who have been doing this for a while, we have seen a lot of different weddings. We have seen trends come and go, classic and beautiful wedding designs, modern and unique elements, good ideas, bad ideas, and good ideas gone bad. We've all had these ideas in our everyday life right? Make sure you avoid these possible snafus on your wedding day! Sometimes the best laid plans...
Rhinestone Bridal Shoes
I cannot tell you how many bride’s rhinestone studded shoes I have had to tape (yes, like scotch tape) over so that they don’t snag their beautiful dresses or fall over! I know, I know, those sparkly shoes are SO cute and look amazing in photos but they’re not super realistic. Not only will they cut up the inside of your gown, but they will catch with almost every step, creating a major tripping hazard. Would there be anything worse than tripping down the aisle?! We really don’t think so. Avoid this terrible incident (or even just the fear of it!) by skipping the diamond encrusted wedding shoes and opt for something equally as beautiful in a smoother material.
Crash Dieting
Every bride wants to look amazing for her wedding day. We totally get it! But you don't need to do a crazy crash diet right before the wedding to fit into your gown. In the past, we have had brides do no carb diets, very low calorie diets, diets where you only eat cottage cheese, and the list goes on and on. The problem with this is, on your wedding day you're probably planning on indulging in all of the delicious food you've chosen and some of the cocktails and champagne you ordered, right?! Well if you have been hardcore dieting immediately previous to your big day, your body isn't going to know what to do with the influx of new foods. You could end up incredibly sick or incredibly drunk. Those are two things you do NOT want to be on your wedding day. Added hint: make sure you EAT the morning of your wedding. We also don't need you passing out on the way of the alter in order to look killer in your dress. Trust us, that meal will not make a difference visually, but will make a difference in fueling your body for the emotionally and physically demanding day ahead.
Wedding Favors
Okay, this one is probably going to be an area of contention. Some people see wedding favors as an absolute necessity but we just don't agree. We can't tell you how many times we have packed up over 75% of guest's wedding favors and sent them home with the bride and groom. People simply don't take them. Unless your favor is food based, we would suggest skipping it. If you absolutely NEED to send guests home with a favor, like we said, make it food. A candy bar with take away bags, a specialty cookie in the shape of your dog, a little bottle of champagne or liquor. These items will most certainly be taken away at the end of the night or consumed throughout your reception. Don't waste your money on tchotchkes. You'll end up with 100+ of them when all is said and done.
A Break Between Ceremony & Reception
Lots of couples choose to have a ceremony in one place and a reception in another. We are totally not against having two venues for your wedding day! What we would advise against would be having a huge break in between these two parts of your day. But how do you ensure that all your guests make it to the reception on time if you don’t have a long break? Of course, your guests need time to get from one place to the other and traffic in and around Seattle can be unpredictable, BUT they don’t need hours to do so. We suggest having shuttles that will take your guests from point A to point B so that you can make sure they all get there on time and don’t stray… Do your research and build in buffer time for traffic and unforeseen circumstances.
Escort Cards Grouped by Table Number
While you might think that organizing your escort card display by table is a good idea, think again. This makes it extremely difficult for your guests. As they are unaware of the table that you placed them at, they will spend tons of time looking for the name, creating a major bottleneck at your display. Try putting them in alphabetical order instead. That way your family and friends can easily find their card and their place in your reception! Also, it's way easier on your wedding planner. When we see escort cards grouped by table number, we attempt to remedy it buy putting them in alphabetical order. This takes A LOT of time. Time that could be spent attending to you or finishing your ceremony and reception set up. Please, please, please order your escort cards alphabetically!
Children’s Play Area Without Childcare
It’s super considerate of you to include activities for the children that may be attending your wedding! We applaud you for that and it truly is a great idea to keep them entertained. Just make sure that, if you have a separate area for the kiddies, that you also include childcare. You don’t want your guests stuck in that area/room/space all night monitoring their kids and you don’t want kids running wild without adult supervision. Hire a nanny or two to monitor the kid’s play area so everyone can have a fun and relaxing night!
Over the Top Bathroom Baskets
Lately, a trend that we can get behind is the bathroom basket. For those of you who aren’t sure what this is, a bathroom basket is a little box or basket of some sort that includes items that every lady (or gent!) might need in the bathroom. These often include hairspray, breath mints, makeup wipes, band-aids, etc. Anything that guests might need on your wedding day! What you don’t want to do with these baskets is go overboard. You don’t need to include expensive perfumes, a million different hair products, tons of deodorant choices, etc. This can quickly become a waste of money, and odds are you will forget to take it home at the end of the night so it’s just money down the drain. All you need is a small basket with the bare necessities and your guests will be thankful!
Cathedral Veils on Grass
We are definitely fans of cathedral length veils. They add so much drama to your wedding day attire. However, you need to take your venue into consideration when choosing your veil length. Since cathedral length veils trail behind you on the ground, they tend to get stuck on any surface that isn’t smooth. Grass, unfortunately, is not a smooth surface. If you plan to have your wedding ceremony outside on grass, opt for a shorter veil that does not trail on the ground. You don’t want it getting stuck and pulled off your head mid-aisle walk! And yes, we have seen this happen. Yikes!
Alright, now you are fully equipped to avoid any of these good ideas gone bad! If you need help in deciding if your good idea might go bad, shoot us a note! We'd love to help plan the wedding of your dreams and avoid any mishaps.