Wedding Mistakes: Part 6 - Finale

Since March of 2020, we've been highlighting wedding mistakes, BUT ALSO offering suggestions. We're wrapping up our series of blogs with this one and if you've learned or rediscovered as much as we have, then our work here is done. 
Links to all the previous blogs are at the end, along with a little encouragement. 

Mistake 26: You Elope Without Thinking

Don't get to the Grand Canal in Venice to say your vows only to find out that you cannot avail yourself of your favorite church unless you're Catholic, have generations of relatives who attend regularly or Italian citizenship. It happens. Get your license, read about the national, state or country's laws and then go for it..... with care! 

Mistake 27: Then You Downplay Eloping

Whether or not you have a "Wedding Celebration" when you get home or not, the day is still special if you do it in Vegas, by the sea, at a farm you've discovered or at City Hall. Get a bouquet. Buy a special dress or ensemble - white or not and take a few images to remind you why you just couldn't wait. IT IS A SPECIAL DAY.

Mistake 28: You Overdo the Hair Products

Remember the last time that your hair was greasy and you just loved it? Exactly. Your wedding day is not the day to overdo it. If you can spring for a stylist, it's worth it, but if you cannot, then ask a trusted friend, watch YouTube videos and practice. When it's right, it's right and you'll have pictures you're proud of looking gorgeous years later. 

Mistake 29: You Don't Research Your Florals

What you carry down the aisle is one thing (see Mistake 30 below), the arrangements for the rest of the ceremony, venue and day also require some thought. Flowers that look amazing but have strong odors should not be centerpieces on your dining tables. Lilies and salmon mousse? No thanks. Coordinate between vendors as you make decisions.
Having more of a DIY wedding: follow these principles yourself. You're a smart girl. Smell everything you're thinking of displaying and if it clashes in your nose, it will for others. Don't be so dazzled by a flower or a dish that, when combined, you kill the experience. 

Mistake 30: You Don't Match Flowers and Dress

A bridal bouquet that size of a Mini Cooper may outshine your simple, boho chic frock. Get the gown first and once you know it's THE one, take an image of you in it to your florist. From there, you can choose favorite blooms that complement rather than compete with. 

Mistake 31: Spray Tan

"She wasn't orange when I proposed to her....." 
Let's not overhear that at your wedding. Practice to get the formula right for your spray tan. This means: get started several months before your wedding. You can then gauge the correct color, how long it will last and work with your make-up artist.
And ladies: if you have the skin and complexion of a Nicole Kidman or Emma Stone - GO WITH IT. Women blessed with fair skin look like angels and are lit from within. Not everyone needs to exhibit a tan from the islands. 

Mistake 32: You Don't Consider the Reception Venue when thinking about Decor

This one feels so obvious that we almost didn't include it, but ...... if your reception hall has a huge bank of windows overlooking a gorgeous view, you may want to back off on buying more decor. Point guests toward the view and stick with table decor and items for the buffet tables or bride and groom's table. 

Mistake 33: Free Flowing Toasts - Yikes!

Two important rules of thumb for the toasts:
One: choose people who will keep time in mind or know when to give up the mic to the emcee or wedding planner.
Two: don't let the toasting time become a free-for-all where drunk guests stand up and - one after the other - tell inappropriate stories.

Mistake 34: The Music Volume

The music for dancing at your reception should be fun, not extremely or obviously vulgar, and after the first dance, father-daughter and other family dances are done, the tunes should be inclusive. 
Most importantly: people still want to mingle, eat and chat. If it's too loud, your crowd will sneak out to save their eardrums. 

Mistake 35: You Ignore Your Parents

It doesn't matter what has happened during the planning of your wedding or for how long, they are still your parents. Make sure that you find time with them, you toast them, thank them and let them know how grateful you are for them.