30 Wedding Planning Mistakes to Avoid

Before you set a date. Before you book a venue. Before you do anything wedding related, you and your partner have to have the budget talk. It’s not the most exciting part of planning a wedding, but it’s the most important. And it’s a great way to start discussing finances as a married couple. A budget gives you clear expectations for what you can afford and I think one of the biggest mistakes couples make is not making a thorough budget. Sure, big things like the venue, catering and DJ are all known costs, but take into account all the other charges leading up to the big day such as flights, hotels, rental cars and food expenses. And don’t forget to factor tips for vendors into the budget, too.

There are a lot of fun parts to wedding planning, from the free champagne at bridal salons and tailor shops to the cake tastings. Seriously, the cake tastings are amazing. But you can’t do any of the fun stuff until you’ve set a budget. Otherwise, you might over-commit to something you really can’t afford, and that might mean taking money away from the honeymoon. Or worse, going into credit card debt over a wedding. And that is no way to start a marriage.

So you got engaged and you’re super excited and you want to tell the world that you’re getting married so you look at the calendar and pick the first Saturday of your favorite month and presto you’ve got a wedding date! No. Wrong. So many couples jump to setting a date before they even determine a venue. And that’s problematic because popular venues can book out more than a year in advance. Also, venues have strict fire codes and max occupancy policies. So, if you’ve already mailed out your Save the Dates and told the world about your wedding, you might just have to rethink your dream venue. My advice: Go into venue shopping with two dates in mind — a preferred and an alternate. And don’t send your Save the Dates until you’ve put down a deposit for a venue and secured the date.

At the very least, you and your fiancé should completely read through vendor contracts. But it’s also a good idea to have a savvy friend or lawyer take a look, especially regarding wedding photography and photo rights. Most wedding planners will also review and manage vendor contracts as part of their services. Some venues won’t allow open flames and that means no romantic open candles or cute sparkler exit. Other venues have strict closing times because of city noise ordinances or a steep damages fee.