1. Doing everything everyone else wants.
It’s your wedding, not your mother’s or mother-in-law’s, so really try to focus on the details that you and your fiancé want, and not anyone else. Everyone will have an opinion. Either don’t tell them what you’re doing—or don’t take any negative comments personally.
2. Micromanaging/DIYing every aspect yourself.
It’s perfectly normal to want to be in control of your wedding and it’s also fun to work on a number of DIY projects for your big day, but DO NOT take on every project and feel the need to oversee every detail. Rely on your fiancé, your bridesmaids, your wedding planner, your catering manager, your band leader and your photographer to do their jobs and to take care of large parts of the wedding. Delegate, delegate, delegate. There’s no way you can it ALL yourself…and also be a happy relaxed bride come your wedding day.
3. Overspending.
The temptation is real! You’ll drool over the $10,000 designer gown, HAVE to have the $20,000 orchestra and just be delirious over those $100 per-guest invitations. But it’s just not worth it. Being in debt after the wedding is all said and done is the wrong decision to make…and one that you will have to live with for quite a while. The better route is to splurge on the ONE must-have and cut back in other areas. Your money is better spent on a down payment on a house or paying off your college loans.
4. Obsessing over the details and not seeing the big picture.
Your wedding is really NOT about the perfect shade of purple for the bridesmaid dresses. It’s about marrying the love of your life. Try to keep your focus on just that. Too many brides get consumed by planning the wedding itself and all of the details involved that they actually forget about WHY their getting married and WHO they’re marrying.
5. Planning too much in too short of time.
Don’t wait until the end. You will be so miserable cramming in all the details the week before you’re married. Make lists. Delegate. And plan it out with reasonable deadlines, so that the week before your wedding you can sit back, try to relax and truly take care of any last-minute issues that pop up.
6. Not getting your marriage license in time.
In New Jersey, there’s a 72-hour waiting period between the time you apply and the time you receive it. And the license application is only valid for 30 days from the date you pick it up, so be sure to plan accordingly!
7. Getting involved in other people’s drama.
Depending on the personalities of your bridesmaids, mother, mother-in-law, etc., some weddings are just wrought with drama. Steer clear! Try to laugh off any pettiness and remind everyone that you love them all and they need to get along—if only for the day of the wedding!
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