Over the past 6 years, we have featured hundreds of weddings on Orange Blossom Bride. With every feature, we ask couples to complete a survey about their wedding planning process and the wedding day itself. We also ask some reflection questions. One of these questions is, “Do you have any regrets about your wedding?” Of the hundreds of answers that we have received to this question, there are three top wedding regrets that are most commonly listed by couples. Take these into consideration as you plan your wedding.
You can also listen to our podcast episode below.
Managing the Details
While going through the wedding planning process, you will learn that there are a lot of details that go into bringing your wedding day to life. These details may be fine to work through as a couple prior to the wedding. However, as the wedding day approaches, especially the month prior, all the details need to come together, vendors need to be coordinated, and a timeline needs to be created. Not to mention all the tasks that need to happen on the day of your wedding. Someone will need to be in charge of making sure your wedding runs smoothly.
You could ask a friend or family member to do this, but in almost all cases they are not familiar with the logistics of a wedding. This means they will be coming to you to resolve any issues that come up. Honestly, no couple wants that extra stress on their wedding day!
The top regret that we get from couples is that they wish they had hired a wedding planner/coordinator. We always like to tell couples that a month-of wedding coordinator at minimum needs to be worked into your wedding budget. Look at it as a form of “wedding insurance”. Hiring a professional wedding coordinator allows you the assurance that you can actually enjoy the wedding you and your future spouse worked so hard to create without worrying about managing the details the day of.
Motionless Memories
We are sure by now you’ve heard a million times how fast your wedding day will go by. Let us tell you a million and one, YOUR WEDDING DAY WILL FLY BY! After your wedding, you’ll find yourself trying your hardest to remember all the details. You’ll listen to stories from your wedding guests of things you didn’t even know happened. Hiring a professional wedding photographer will help you freeze these moments in time for you to enjoy forever.
However, photos freeze the moments. They won’t allow you to hear the laughter and sniffles from heartfelt vows. They won’t let you see the movement of the sweet dances with your parents. They won’t let you hear the emotional words of how beautiful you look from your grandmother long after she passes. Hiring a wedding videographer is the best way to capture all these special moments.
When wedding budgets are tight, wedding videography doesn’t always make the cut. Many couples assume that their photos will be enough. We are not in any way saying to forgo a photographer for a videographer. Wedding photos are a must! However, not hiring a professional wedding videographer is a close second top wedding regret couples have when it comes to their wedding.
Weddings are events that can never be duplicated. Of course, you can duplicate details, but the chances of all your wedding guests coming together again are slim. As time moves, things change and loved ones pass on. Your wedding video is the closest you can come to reliving your wedding day. We promise we’ve never heard of a couple regretting spending the extra money to have a treasured keepsake they can enjoy for years to come.
So Many Opinions
You will quickly find, from the moment you announce your engagement, everyone will have an opinion on every little detail of your wedding. It can get overwhelming, fast. You will most likely want to include your friends and family in the wedding planning process and provide a memorable experience for your wedding guests. However, it is ok to let those with unwanted suggestions or critiques know that while you appreciate their thoughts, you and your future spouse are happy with and are keeping “XYZ” wedding decision.
The third most popular wedding regret from couples is that they listened too much to others. In turn, they didn’t do the things they wanted for their wedding. Can we let you in on a secret? No matter how perfect you think your wedding is, there will always be someone who would have done it differently. You can’t please everyone nor should that be your focus. You want a wedding day that you can look back on and say, “Our wedding represented us perfectly and we wouldn’t have changed anything.” Go with your vision and let others think what they want.