Planning a wedding can be simultaneously one of the most exciting and stressful times of your life. You want everything to be perfect, to match your vision. When you are spending thousands upon thousands of dollars, it can be hard to be casual about the process, and just roll with the punches—everything needs to be just as you want it. While there is no guarantee you won’t make any mistakes, or look back after the fact, and not wish you had done anything differently, a bit of forethought can minimize problems. One of the best things you can do is familiarize yourself with common mistakes of brides who came before you. Here are just a few to consider.
Picking a Date before the Venue
Don’t settle on a firm date, and then try to find a venue to match it. It could mean passing up on a lot of great places. While you may have a general idea of when you want your wedding to be, take a look at venues that pique your interest first and be flexible with the dates. Having your wedding somewhere about which you feel really good is a key to being happy with the event.
Do thorough research on the venues so you can give some clear focus to your search, and save yourself time. Sites such as http://www.labanquets.com/ link up to customer reviews right there on their site, making it easy to find feedback from people who have held their weddings there. Think carefully about what you want and need in a venue.
Using Separate Places for the Ceremony and Reception Unnecessarily
This may not be an option for some weddings, such as ones where getting married in a religious institution is an absolute must. But, for everyone else, don’t insist on the ceremony and reception being in separate places if that is not really necessary. Having both in the same venue is more convenient for your guests because it eliminates travel, and all that downtime that is typical when the events are held in separate spaces.
Not Choosing a Venue Where You Can Take Photos Too
Your wedding photos will memorialize one of the most important days of your life forever; and, as we all know, they don’t come cheap, so it is understandable the pictures are just as you want them to be. To minimize hassle, look for venues that have plenty of pretty backgrounds for photos, rather than opting to take pictures at a separate location.
Not Utilizing House Vendors
If you have your heart set on a certain vendor, by all means, go with it. But, if you are more flexible, and your venue offers approved vendors, it is probably a good idea to go with them, instead of one unfamiliar with the location, particularly if the vendor lacks significant experience, particularly if the main motivation is to save a bit of money. Reputation is everything to a venue that hosts weddings, and any vendor that has gotten on that list is probably very good at what they do; their familiarity with the location will make for a much smoother experience, and reduce your stress considerably.
