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.