Written by: Alexandra Sferra
No one is a pro at wedding planning (besides, well, wedding planners…) but it’s your first time, and things can be overwhelming and you may forget things, or do things that in hindsight, you’d change in a heart beat. That’s why we reached out to our past brides, and got a common list going of the top things that brides regret on their wedding day!
This is one of the most popular regrets – not having someone on the day-of telling people what to do and making sure your day is on the right track. This may seem like something simple, that you could put your maid of honor in charge of, or maybe a well-organized aunt – WRONG. We promise, it’s worth the money!
Brides explained how difficult it was to remember all the things to do, be on time, make sure everything is in order and on track – no matter if there was a person or To-Do list. For the brides who didn’t have a day-of wedding planner, things were difficult.
The last thing you want to be on your wedding day is stressed, so a few extra dollars is worth it – trust us!
Take a break for a quality moment with your partner, and go somewhere quiet and just savor the moment you two have been waiting for. Brides complain that a lot of the time, the wedding didn’t really feel as if it was for them because they barely saw each other. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you, and whisk him away for just a few moments, and celebrate together.
Try considering bringing a bottle of champagne and make it a celebratory moment, or have a sweetheart table that separates you from the rest of the guests in the room. Regardless – make this a priority for you and your spouse.
Trust us, and every bride ever, when we say MAKE SURE YOU EAT! This is extremely common, and also extremely important! Throughout the day from the moment you wake up, you’re going to be so busy, so make it a point to eat whether it be a few fast snacks or a few meals.
We suggest waking up an hour earlier than you were going to and getting breakfast with your girls before the chaos begins, ordering DoorDash or GrubHub for lunch, or grabbing some healthy yet filling snacks throughout the day.
As for the reception, it’s also extremely common that the newlywed couple doesn’t get to indulge in their meal that they chose for their big day because they feel the need to socialize with every person at the event.
A helpful tip: Try attending the cocktail hour, so you can do most of your socializing then, and you won’t feel like you need to get to every guest at your reception! That way, you can let go and have fun and dance and eat and spend the most time with your partner as possible!
Hear us when we say this is a MUST! Make sure you create a bag full of essentials for your big day! Include things you know you will 100% need, but also things you think you could need if accidents happen. Maybe you can put this on your maid of honor or one of your bridesmaids as well!
A few things to add to this list could be a Tide Stick, Lipstick, Bobby Pins and a mini hairspray, Deodorant, Breath Mints, Tylenol, Perfume, Powder/Concealer, Mini Sewing Kit, Blotting Papers, & a Portable Battery for Phone.
This is such a controversial topic and we love it. Some brides wish they had worn a looser gown, or a longer gown, or a more fun and detailed gown but they loved their gown so much! The best way to not have these regrets is to have two gowns – one for the ceremony, and one for the reception!
During the wedding day rush and thinking about everything under the sun, it is close to impossible to remember the photos you wanted! Make a list of all the photos you absolutely want for your photographer to have on your special day so you don’t have to worry about missing a thing.
A lot of brides feel obligated to invite anyone and everyone, worried that they will hurt someone’s feelings if they aren’t invited. Some brides have family members who say they need to invite certain people, and a lot could be people the bride has never even met before. Brides regret this so much, and wish they could go back and not do this. Not only do you have to visit with them and talk with them on your big day, but you also have to pay for them and those extra people you barely know, and that can get pricey!
It is so so important to invite the ones you want to be there, and not who other people want to be there. This is YOUR day, along with your partner, so do what you want and invite who you want!
This one is another up in the air one, where a ton of brides wish they had a videographer to get the special moments like walking down the aisle, the speeches, the dancing and reception, and everything in between. Brides state that they basically blacked out the entire day, and would love to go back and watch the big moments again, or even show their kids one day!
Some brides say they don’t mind, and that the photos their photographer got was good enough.
This is definitely based on what you want, and how you want to look back on your big day! But make sure you get one if you, even for the slightest, wish you could have some sort of videos on your wedding day.
Once the night is over, all you want to do is spend time with your partner and, I don’t know, RELAX. The week leading up to this big day may consist of stressers and worries, so make sure you get a nice hotel room for the wedding night, just so at the end of the night you can go home and do nothing but relax.
A fun tip: Make sure you tell the hotel it is your wedding night - they typically do special things for you! Also, maybe get a bottle of champagne and a dessert to have waiting for you that night, and order ahead for breakfast in bed the next morning!
It’s a fun idea, don’t get me wrong – but a lot of brides full heartedly regret this. This is when the bride goes into a lake, or a mud puddle or whatever to take beautiful photos. The gown you get married in is such a special (and pricey, may I add) article of clothing that people pay to preserve for years and years to come. A beautiful tradition is to keep it as an option for your future daughter one day, or to use a piece of it when her time comes. It is such a fun thing to share later in your life, and trashing it would take that all away. A lot of brides sometimes buy gowns offline or from an outlet or person to use for their “trash the gown” photos, and it works beautifully without destroying their beautiful dream dress.
The night is simmering down, and it is about time to end the night. Make sure you plan something for your big exit as newlyweds! A lot of people have all of their guests hold sparklers as they leave the venue to their getaway car. A few other examples are releasing sky lanterns, throwing flowers or oversized glitter, blowing bubbles, releasing balloons, setting off confetti poppers or sequins, a cool car, tossing rice, or fireworks. In some cases, especially lately, brides have a “getaway dress” where it’s a fun dress, sometimes short, that they exit out in!
