The Top 5 Mistakes Brides Make

Every bride wants to have an unforgettable wedding, but not every bride can afford to spend $28,800, which, according to an article in Tickled Pink [1], was the average wedding cost in the United States in 2007. With this number expecting to climb to $31,010 by 2012, can you have a beautiful, unforgettable wedding for less? Of course you can! It just takes research, careful planning, and avoiding the top five mistakes that most brides make when planning their wedding.

What are those top five mistakes? I've outlined them below:

Budgets - Many brides dream of their wedding day years before even being engaged. It's very easy to get excited about your wedding date and quickly add up the costs by making all kinds of purchases before determining your budget. By doing this, you can quickly run out of money for necessary deposits and final payments.

To avoid this mistake, you want to prepare a practical budget early and manage it by keeping an accurate account of your spending. Make a commitment to stick to your budget. If you overspend in one area, be sure to compensate by reducing expenditures in another area.

Selecting the Venue first - You shouldn't choose your wedding reception venue too early. It's best to first decide how many guests you plan on inviting and your budget amount. Once you've determined this information, you can select the appropriate reception venue. You will then be sure you have the correct size facility and that you don't go over your budgeted amount.

Lack of Schedules - When you first begin planning your wedding, you may begin to feel overwhelmed. Trying to figure out where to start, what to do and when can create stress. This is an area that a timeline can assist in relieving some stress. Without a timeline and a wedding day agenda, you don't know where to start or what to do next and you are sure to miss important details or run out of time.

It's easy to create a timetable. Many resources are available in local bookstores and online. Use these available templates as a guide and add to it your specific items. As plans change, be sure to update your schedules to reflect the most current and accurate information. Also, it's a good idea to share your timetable and agenda with your wedding party so they can assist as needed.

Inviting too many guests - Over-inviting guests and estimating too high on the number of guests who may not attend can only lead to disaster. As a rule of thumb, expect that 80% of the people you invite WILL attend. To help avoid this mistake, whittle down your guest list to an acceptable and affordable number. Solicit the help of your parents or other family members in deciding who should ultimately be invited.

Expecting Perfection - As many a bride soon discovers, there are a number of things that can go wrong on her wedding day. If you're planning an outdoor wedding, the weather may not cooperate. Your flower girl or ring bearer may refuse to walk down the aisle. Or your soloist may suffer a severe cold the day of the wedding. In avoiding this mistake, be sure to have a back-up plan in mind before you get to that point. But being flexible and accepting can help you weather through any mishaps.

By avoiding these top five mistakes, you can plan and have your dream wedding.

[1] http://www.tickledpinkbrides.com/brideblog/2007/11/average-cost-of.html