1. Not Staying Organized and Wrapping Up the Details Soon
Enough
If you are all about the personal décor details, then plan
to dive in early in the process to get a jump-start on ordering and purchasing.
Waiting until the end of the planning process (meaning 2-3 months prior) is
just a recipe for unnecessary stress. Stay organized, on track and keep your
sanity with a planning program. There
are plenty of them out there and my favorite is Aisle Planner. Organize your
contracts and invoices, track your budget, reminders and task lists, manage
your guest list, and put together your wedding day timeline – all with ease.
Final details and payments should really be completed 2-4 weeks prior to your
wedding day. Don’t wait until the wedding day to handle payments! Get that off your plate well in advance. Some
services even require payment a month prior and if you are hiring reputable
professionals, this should not be an issue. Furthermore, you should have
wedding insurance to protect your investment should something, anything
happen. You can then focus on being a
BRIDE, enjoy your final days before marital bliss - and hand-off your to do
list to someone else who has experience and YOUR interests at heart. Wedding planning should be FUN. If it is not, then you need to consider
bringing in some professional planning help.
2. The Triple D - DIY Day of Disasters
DIY touches can be great when it adds meaningful, personal
detail to your special day – and when it is done within reason. And when I am
talking about “DIY,” I’m not talking about doing your own centerpieces to cut
costs (that is another article altogether).
I am referring to small personal details that crafty couples want to
contribute that bring meaning and personality to their event). Often times,
these projects only create only stress and ends up costing MORE when not
thought through. The biggest mistake brides make is underestimating the amount
of time it takes to make the items and assuming who will set it up and pack it
up on the day of. This type of décor
falls into gray area of responsibilities, to be honest. Don’t assume your
planner/florist/venue coordinator will handle. Their contractual obligations
may pull them in other priority directions. Additionally, don’t be surprised if
more décor to set up may require more staff or fees. Discuss your plans and expectations ahead of
time with the appropriate vendors so everyone can be prepared and ready. Be considerate. Nothing is asking for problems more than
surprising your vendors with unexpected tasks on the wedding day. Most professionals will take it in stride and
do what it takes to make it happen for you, but again, why ask for the
potential for mishaps on the day of?
3. Not Hiring Wedding Professionals That Are YOUR Perfect
Fit!
It is SO important to hire pros that are the right fit for
you AND your budget – but not just based on price alone and not based on your
sister’s/BFF’s/cousin’s wedding. You may
have different priorities and needs so you should take the time to select those
who fit what YOU are looking for. When
you are contacting potential vendors to work, the first question in your
inquiry should NOT be “what is your price?”
How do you know who you will best work with, who will be the best fit
and who will provide the best service in accordance with your expectations if
all you are doing is comparing numbers and laundry lists of services? That
would be like picking a spouse based on their income and nothing else. Pretty silly, right? So why do it for your wedding? Your first order of business is to set up
phone consultations or in–person meetings to find the best team to fit your
style, personalities and who can best advocate for you and bring your vision to
life. Then, ask for written proposals so you can see the services outlined in
relation to the fee requested, make your decision, stick with it and move
forward.
4. Assumptions and Expectations
A proper and comprehensive contract is a must for each and
every service, but not only that, you have to READ your contracts and itemized
invoices! Mistakes can be inadvertently
made. Most surprises can be avoided by
knowing exactly what you are getting and what you are not getting – in
advance. Be clear on who is responsible
for what and never assume. Ask lots of
questions and make sure you are getting the detailed responses you need in
order for you to act accordingly. Each vendor contracted should be responsible
for his or her own delivery, set up and breakdown. Many venues charge couples clean up fees for
vendors who don’t return at the end of the event, so make sure you close the
loop on the breakdown of your event, not just the details of set-up. Another
important point is that your venues and professionals hired should line up with
your expectations for service. What this
means is, for example, if you expect your venue coordinator to handle certain
tasks that are not included in the contract, you must discuss those needs ahead
of time. Or, if you expect your florist to transfer ceremony flowers to the
reception and it isn’t specifically included in their service, make sure you
chat with them about that and get everything in writing. If you don’t, and in the end you are
disappointed, be very careful with your words when you start posting your
reviews. I realize that I may raise a
few eyebrows here, but what I am about to say needs to be addressed. In today’s world of online accountability,
there has been a bit of publicity recently with some professionals “fighting
back” in response to negative reviews when they include inaccurate statements,
regardless of how you feel. Some have even taken the more drastic step of suing
couples for libel (a published false statement that is damaging to a person's
reputation). With so much emphasis
placed on online reviews these days, vendors take these statements very
seriously. In some cases, they may not
even be aware a mistake was made (vendors are human, too!), so contact them
directly, share your concerns and allow them the opportunity to correct the
situation as best they can. If you still
don’t get a reasonable resolution, then take the next step, sticking to the
facts, your contract terms, and keeping emotion out of it as best you can. Yet another reason why reading your contracts
and understanding what you are signing is crucial.
5. Communication and Trust
This should seem pretty simple, right? But you’d be surprised how much frustration
could be avoided by the simple act of communicating your wants, needs, vision,
etc. so everyone is on the same page. Wedding pros are not mind readers and in
order for them to do the jobs for which they are hired, they need to know where
your priorities are and what you expect. Conversely, your vendors should be communicating
with you as necessary depending on the service they are providing so you know
where you are in the process and if any action needs to be taken on your end.
Another very important aspect of your relationship with your vendors is trust. Nobody likes to micro-managed, second-guessed
or undermined, and neither do the pros you’ve hired in their areas of expertise
who have quite possibly been doing this much longer than you. You have hired
them for a reason so trust them to provide recommendations, advice and provide
service
to you in your best interests.
6. Your Guest List and Budget Do Not Match Up
Determining your budget is the FIRST thing you tackle before
anything else! Yes, before you pick a
venue and before you buy your dress.
Your guest list is directly related to your budget and wedding
expenses. Getting married is not
expensive, but hosting a wedding is a celebration that has costs that add up -
quickly. Weddings are special events
that need services and consume things.
Things like food, drinks, plates, glassware, chairs (sometimes two
sets), centerpieces, etc. You get the
idea. Determining what you are able to
realistically and comfortably spend will dictate your guest size - not the
other way around! Be honest and truthful
with your vendors about your budget so they can best help you. And, if you don’t know how to put a proper
budget together, do your research first before contacting any wedding
services. There are lots of resources
out there to assist with this.
Prioritizing may be necessary but at least you can make the most with
what you actually have and are willing to spend. Your vendors are not here to spend every dime
you have, but actually the opposite. We
understand you have never done this before, so let’s get to know one another
since we will be spending a lot of time together and take our recommendations
to heart so we can help you avoid unnecessary expenditures. Knowing what your
vision really costs and knowing where to cut or invest in can mean the
difference between being prepared and having frustrating over-budget
surprises! Your wedding day should be
happy and stress-free and the key is in the preparation.
Michelle Garibay Events is a Southern California Bride Preferred Vendor.