WE'VE ALL HEARD THE ONE ABOUT THE GROOM WHO CAUGHT HIS BRIDE CHEATING WITH HIS BEST FRIEND, THEN WAITED UNTIL THE WEDDING CEREMONY TO REVEAL THE VIDEO TAPE OF THE SCOUNDRELS GOING AT IT. MIC DROP! BUT WE'LL ASSUME THAT'S NOT YOU OR YOUR PARTNER!
WE'VE SPOKEN TO BRIDES FROM ALL OVER THE UK AND ASKED THEM TO REVEAL THEIR BIGGEST REGRETS ABOUT THEIR WEDDING DAY. WHAT WE FOUND WAS SHOCKING! HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON, SUMMARISED FOR YOUR EDUCATION & ENJOYMENT!
EVENING GUESTS ASSUMING THEY'RE DAY GUESTS
PEOPLE ARE AMAZING. THEY STRUGGLE TO TAKE INFORMATION IN, DESPITE IT ALL BEING PERFECTLY PRESENTED ON YOUR WEDDING WEBSITE, ON THE INVITATION AND THE PRE-WEDDING REMINDER EMAIL.
IT'S INCREDIBLY COMMON THAT AT LEAST ONE PERSON OR COUPLE WILL BE CONFUSED ABOUT THEIR ARRIVAL TIME, AND TURN UP EARLIER THAN EXPECTED. THIS IS INCREDIBLY AWKWARD! SOMEHOW EXTRA MEALS HAVE TO BE FOUND FROM SOMEWHERE AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE, OR THE BRIDE OR GROOM ARE FORCED TO HAVE A STERN WORD WITH THE WEDDING CRASHERS ON THEIR BIG DAY, WHICH COULD TURN INTO AN ARGUMENT. ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE!
TERRIBLE ENTERTAINMENT
YOU SAW THEM ONLINE, YOU SPOKE TO THEM ON THE PHONE, THEY SEEMED LOVELY AND THE PRICE WAS CHEAPER THAN ANYONE ELSE! AWESOME!
THINK AGAIN...
THERE'S SO MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE TO MUSIC IN A RECORDING STUDIO AND VIDEO EDITING SUITE NOWADAYS. BANDS MAY BE SWINDLING YOU WITH A VERY WELL POLISHED, AUTOTUNED VIDEO THAT DOESN'T ACCURATELY PORTRAY WHAT THEY DO.
THIS CAN LEAD TO WEDDING DISASTER! THIS IS PROBABLY OUR NUMBER 1 MOST
COMMON COMPLAINT FROM BRIDES & GROOMS. THE BAND WAS AWFUL AND NOTHING LIKE WHAT THEY SOUNDED (OR LOOKED) LIKE ON THEIR ONLINE VIDEO.
THEY BRING SHODDY EQUIPMENT, CAN BARELY PLAY THEIR INSTRUMENTS, HAVE SQUEALING MICROPHONES AND SPEAKERS, AND TINY CHEAP LIGHTING THAT DESTROYS THE ATMOSPHERE YOU'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR SO LONG FOR YOUR PERFECT DAY.
IF THE PRICE SEEMS TOO GOOD, IT PROBABLY IS! HIGH QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT DOESN'T COME CHEAP!
MAKE SURE YOU BOOK A BAND THAT HAS LIVE RECORDINGS OF THEIR PERFORMANCES AND BOOKS THE HIGHEST QUALITY MUSICIANS YOU CAN AFFORD.
NO TIME TO ENJOY THE DAY
HAVING TO ORGANISE EVERYTHING ON THE DAY IS THE NEXT MOST COMMON REGRET OF THE UK BRIDES WE SPOKE TO.
BRIDES & GROOMS ARE SEPARATED, HAVING TO FIND AN EXTRA CHAIR FOR THE AUNTY WITH A SORE LEG, OR HAVING TO FIND THE 3RD GROOMSMAN FOR THE PHOTOS, OR HAVING TO FIND THE BAND BECAUSE NO SET TIMINGS WERE AGREED, OR HAVING NO SUPPORT FROM GROOMSMEN & BRIDESMAIDS ALL DAY WHO INSTEAD ENJOYED THEIR DAY AT THE BAR.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF HOW COUPLES HAVE BEEN LEFT TO ORGANISE THEIR WHOLE DAY, ALL DAY. ALL THEIR GUESTS HAD A GREAT DAY, BUT THEY SUDDENLY REALISED IT WAS MIDNIGHT AND TIME TO GO, BUT THEY HADN'T HAD TIME TO ENJOY THEMSELVES! NIGHTMARE!!!
DEEP PLANNING, DELEGATION AND AN M.C. ARE THE SURE FIRE WAYS TO AVOID THIS WEDDING CATASTROPHE.
BEING SEPARATED
IT'S YOUR DAY, IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU. BUT DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THAT? FAT CHANCE! EVERYONE WILL WANT A PIECE OF YOU. "JUST QUICKLY..." "THIS WON'T TAKE A MINUTE..." MULTIPLY EACH ONE OF THESE QUICK REQUESTS BY HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU HAVE AT YOUR WEDDING... IT'S A LOT OF TIME, AND YOU'LL LIKELY SPEND IT AWAY FROM YOUR BETROTHED!
THE BRIDES WE SPOKE TO WERE UNANIMOUS - DECIDE THAT YOU'LL SPEND THE MAJORITY OF YOUR DAY TOGETHER & STICK TO IT. SURE, THERE WILL BE A FEW UNAVOIDABLE MOMENTS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, BUT IT'S YOUR DAY! ENJOY IT TOGETHER!
PARTNER DRINKING TOO MUCH
THIS IS PARTICULARLY PREVALENT (BUT NOT EXCLUSIVE TO) GROOMS,..
IT'S YOUR BIG DAY... YOU'RE NERVOUS & COULDN'T STOMACH BREAKFAST, BUT YOU HAVE A QUICK DROP OF DUTCH COURAGE... TASTY! ONE MORE FOR GOOD LUCK...
YOU GO TO THE CEREMONY TIPSY, THEN HAVE A QUICK GLASS OF FIZZ AFTERWARDS. CANAPES & BUBBLY COME OUT, YOU HAVE A GLASS OR TWO (HICK) AND THEN HEAD TO PHOTOS... YOU'RE WELL ON YOUR WAY ALREADY...
SOMEONE BUYS YOU A DRINK, VERY KIND! ALL BEFORE THE WEDDING BREAKFAST...
YOU GET THE IDEA... IT'S A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE! BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU COULD BE MUCH MORE TIPSY THAN YOU INTENDED... THE LAST THING ANYONE WANTS IS TO MAKE A FOOL OF THEMSELVES (OR THEIR NEWLY WEDDED PARTNER) ON THEIR WEDDING DAY! PACE YOURSELF, DRINK PLENTY OF WATER, EAT. IT'S A LONG DAY, DON'T PEAK TOO SOON!
DEAD TIME
THERE ARE CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT A WEDDING DAY WILL BE... YOUR GUESTS WILL BE EXPECTING TO BE WINED, DINED & ENTERTAINED ALL DAY.
A LOT OF WEDDINGS DO RUN OVER TIME, BUT SOME RUN ON TIME OR EVEN EARLY... THIS CAN LEAD TO DEAD AIR, OR DEAD TIME.
IMAGINE ALL YOUR GUESTS KILLING TIME WHILE THEY WAIT FOR CANAPES TO BECOME READY IN HALF AN HOUR, OR THE BAR NOT BEING READY TO OPEN SO THERE'S NOT EVEN A SOFT DRINK AVAILABLE TO QUENCH THEIR THIRST!
PLAN FOR ALL CONTINGENCIES - ALLOW FOR THINGS TO RUN AN HOUR OVER OR UNDER SCHEDULE. IT'S UNCOMMON, BUT IT HAPPENS AND CAN BE VERY EMBARRASSING!
RAIN, RAIN, RAIN!
WHILE ON THE SUBJECT OF CONTINGENCIES... WEATHER HAPPENS. ACCEPT IT! THE BEST LAID PLANS CAN COME UNSTUCK - DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU... FAR TOO MANY COUPLES "HOPE FOR THE BEST," AND DON'T HAVE A PLAN B FOR THEIR OUTDOOR SUMMER WEDDING. HAVE IDEAS FOR ACTIVITIES INDOORS OR IN A MARQUEE IF THE WEATHER TURNS ON YOU - A WEDDING WITH NO ENTERTAINMENT OR ACTIVITIES QUICKLY BECOMES A HORROR SHOW.
BEING TOO SHINY IN PHOTOS
WHILE THERE ARE SOME MIRACULOUS THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT SHINY FACES IN PHOTOGRAPHS, PHOTOSHOPPING HUNDREDS OF YOUR FAVOURITE PHOTOS IS A TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE TASK FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER... HAVE YOUR MAID OF HONOUR CHECK & TOUCH UP YOUR MAKE-UP AND HAVE POWDER FOR ANY NOTORIOUSLY SHINY GROOMS FOR GOOD MEASURE TO AVOID ANY NASTY SURPRISE INVOICES FOR EXTRA EDITING FROM YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.
CASH BAR, BUT NOBODY WAS TOLD
OUR FINAL WEDDING NIGHTMARE APPLIES TO SOME MORE RURAL LOCATIONS, AND SOME STRANGE VENUES THAT ONLY ACCEPT CASH AT THEIR BAR... THE BAR IS READY, BUT THERE'S NO PHONE SIGNAL FOR THE BAR'S CONTACTLESS PAYMENT TERMINAL SO... IT'S CASH ONLY & NOBODY IN YOUR WEDDING PARTY WAS MADE AWARE IN ADVANCE - AND THERE'S NO ATM FOR MILES AROUND YOUR VENUE.
THIS CAN BE A NIGHTMARE! ONE OF OUR INTERVIEWED BRIDES TOLD US: "IN THE END A GROOMSMAN HAD TO DRIVE TO THE NEAREST VILLAGE TO GET CASH FOR EVERYONE, BUT THEY HAD A LIMIT OF £300 PER CARD
... THAT WOULDN'T GO FAR, SO SEVERAL PEOPLE ENDED UP HAVING TO MAKE THE TRIP TO THE CASH POINT. SUCH A HORRIBLE WASTE OF TIME AND THEY MISSED A BIG BIT OF OUR DAY"
OUR ADVICE... ASK QUESTIONS, DO YOUR RESEARCH & MAKE APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS - YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT AT THE PERFECT WEDDING!