Planning a wedding is infamously stressful. And it’s even more stressful when you’re getting married young, since not many of your friends can relate. There’s a huge amount of pressure to make sure the day goes absolutely perfectly, without any problems or unexpected challenges.
But nothing is perfect. So if you’re getting ready to plan your wedding or if your to-do list is already crossed off and now you’re just waiting to say the big “I do,” take note of these bridal regrets.
To help make sure you don’t get lost on your wedding day, I asked 250 brides who got married in 2015 what their biggest wedding day regret was. Here are the top 13 responses…
Source: Jen Glantz, Freelance Contributor, Elite Daily
Listening to other people… “I spent so much time having other people influence my decisions, whether it was family members, friends, or just bridal message boards and blogs, that I didn’t plan the wedding of my dreams. The day felt like a discombobulated Pinterest board of what everyone else wanted. Note to others: Don’t listen to what other people say or want for your wedding. Trust your gut and go with what you will enjoy.” (Amy, 27)
Registering for things I thought I wanted… “I ended up with five coffee makers and enough bed sheets to not have to laundry for an entire year. I wish I had registered for stuff that was fun and not just household items. I lived with my husband before we were married, so we already had dishes and pots. I wish we had done a honeymoon fund or even a new house fund. It was poor planning on our part and we spent so much time after the wedding returning items to Macy’s.” (Clarissa, 29)
Paying too much for centerpieces… “The food, music, and booze are what will make your wedding memorable. I spent hours and way too much money on the tiny details of my centerpieces. When I speak to anyone about my wedding, they mention how awesome the food was and how much fun they had dancing. Put on some crowd-pleasing music and serve beer and wine and you’ll have an incredible time.” (Tamara, 25)
Worrying that everything is going to go wrong… “Relax! Everything is going to work out how it is going to work out. There is only so much you can do and once the day happens, make sure you are in the moment and enjoying every minute of it. I did get a little caught up and upset at times with things that went wrong, but I forced myself to re-focus on the good and all the amazing people that came out to support us.” (Lisa, 28)
Not being present during the ceremony… “I wish I didn’t totally forget the whole “important” part of ceremony. From hugging my parents to walking back down the aisle, I completely don’t remember any of the ceremony!” (Nadine, 29)
Adding a third appetizer… “Food is an important part of the wedding but it’s OK to go with the standard wedding. We upgraded and added on extra appetizers and desserts. So much food and money went to waste. People will have enough food, so don’t splurge to pay more for more options.” (Sarah, 26)
Not having a day-of coordinator or wedding planner… “I wish I knew the importance of the planner beforehand. I would have bought the biggest package that my budget allowed for.” (Margot, 27)
Not spending enough time with guests… “I wish I knew how fast the day went. I barely remember who was there and felt like most of the time we were away from our guests taking pictures. I wish I would have done things ahead of time or delegated better so that I could spend more time with friends and family that I hadn’t seen in a while.” (Nancy, 28)
Spending a lot of money on favors… “I wish I knew that favors didn’t matter because I was left with so many after the wedding!” (Crista, 24)
Having too many bridesmaids… “I had 12 bridesmaids. I knew that number was outrageous but there were people I felt like I had to ask. I wish I didn’t ask half of them because in the end, it was just more drama and stress on me to have them there. When selecting bridesmaids, only pick the girls you really want to stand by your side. Don’t pick people because you’ll think you will feel bad if you don’t.” (Marissa, 30)