Top 10 Wedding Planning Mistakes

Yesterday we told you how to start your #wedmin journey with our First Steps to Wedding Planning guide, so today we thought it only fair to warn you of the many traps people fall into when they get caught up in the whole shebang!

These are 11 of the most common wedding planning mistakes you need to try and avoid to ensure you have a smooth and enjoyable experience. At World of Wedmin we are firm believers that wedding planning should be an enjoyable experience, and we like to try and keep that bridezilla moment at bay! Check out our planning tools if you'd like some more help!

1. Freaking out over being 'unique'
If you've just started planning it won't take you long to realise that the wedding industry is OBSESSED with finding unique and different ideas for a wedding day. But please, please, don't stress it! I think us bloggers do it cos we look at wedding after wedding, day after day, so something new is exciting! As long as you love the idea/theme/feature, who cares who else has done to before you! Chances are your Great Aunt Susie isn't as keen on Pinterest as  you, thus whatever you have planned will be unique and fabulous to her!

2. Being  impersonal
At risk of sounding like contradicting everything we just said, one of the most disappointing things you can see in a wedding is lack of personality. In a day when choosing your wedding décor is about much more than the colour of napkins and flowers you have, use the opportunity to choose elements of your day which really reflect you as a couple! Film buffs? Have Hollywood inspired centre pieces and a movie clap board table numbers!  Fans of long walks in remote spots? Go for an outdoorsy woodland vibe with lots of greenery and an outdoor fire pit!

3. Slimming down for the dress
Ordering your dress 2 sizes too small with the intention of slimming down is a number 1 no-no! Yes, we can understand the temptation, spending £1000 on something will give you the motivation to lose the weight right? Wrong! You can never be sure how your body will lose weight and what shape you'll go, and do you really need that added stress? With most weddings taking 12-18 months to plan, and most dresses needing 6 months to order, you have a bit of time to smash the diet before you order the dress.
HOWEVER, don't even get me started on the derranged idea that you have to lose weight for your wedding day! Your h2b loves you for you, so whilst  we whole heartedly agree that doing some exercise and toning up is a great way to get you feeling great and radiant for your big day, there's no need to suddenly drop 3 dress sizes!

4. DIY-ing EVERYTHING
Biting off more than you can chew is an extremely common mistake to make. It doesn't always prove to be cheaper either, once you've bought all the equipment and tools needed! DIY-ing some things for your day is a nice personal touch, and gets you feeling really connected to the wedding. But PLEASE don't try to do it all (invitations, name cards, favours, thank you cards, seating plan, centre pieces...) because you'll end up either tearing your hair out with stress, or being severely injured by those poor folk who have to put up with you.

5. Picking a tricky colour
Falling in love with a random swatch of fabric or a particular Pinterest picture displaying an obscure shade of mauve is a classic error. If you don't care about having things matchy matchy, great, be as obscure as you like. But if you'd quite like your bridesmaids' dresses to match the men's cravats, go for a colour which can be easily replicated. Pantone colours are great for this and are a great universal reference when ordering stationery or linen too.

6. Forgetting what its all about
You can so easily get wrapped up in your canapes that you forget that the day is actually about marrying the love of your life. Try to remember this at every decision point in your planning process, think about your love as a couple and what you're celebrating with your family and friends. Make time to do things together, and don't let wedmin dominate all your spare evenings and weekends, especially if he's not that keen on being involved in the planning.

7. Boring your friends
Similarly, nobody likes a bride who only ever talks about her wedding plans. Sure, your friends are excited for you, but they don't need to hear every last detail! Save some things to be a surprise!

8. No wet-weather plan
We live in the UK here people. It rains. A lot. Outdoor ceremonies are becoming increasingly popular as licencing rules relax, and most venue who offer this will have wet weather contingency plans in place. But even if you're not having and outdoor ceremony, it's quite common to hope to enjoy drinks and canapes in venue grounds,  to organise lawn games to keep guests amused,  and to imagine most of your photos to be done outside. Thanks to the lovely sod's law, however, this is not always possible! Make sure you think up a wet weather plan so you don't freak out when the heavens open!

9. Unwilling to compromise
There will be times when you can't get exactly what you want. There will be times when what other people want will differ to what you had in mind. Yes, it's your day, but it's also his, and if your parents are helping to pay it's a touch theirs too. Be sensitive to what everyone will like or dislike. It's much easier keep everyone happy and on-side by making a few compromises, than to battle to get your own way.

10. Hiring friends or family
This is a schoolboy error. It's tempting to think that pulling a favour from a mate is a great way save you money but there are usually more pros than cons. Naturally, it depends on the circumstance, some things work better than others (like your friends band for example - works fine if you like their stuff!), but on the most part you run a risky line. What if they deliver something sub-par? What if they get accidentally too drunk and do a bad job? Avoid risking your relationships and stick to using the pros!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12463323/?claim=67hgsxtuz26">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>