by C. M. Erickson

Created on: February 27, 2008   Last Updated: June 19, 2011

Wedding disasters are the bane of every bride's existence. As the bride, you have dreamed of your wedding since you were a child, or perhaps suddenly discovered in your later years that there really is a Prince Charming worth holding on to. Either way it happens, planning your own wedding can be one of the most stressful times of your life! Most brides have no prior experience with weddings and fear disaster as they plan their own. While this article cannot tell you how to avoid the largest wedding disaster of marrying the wrong person, it can help you avoid many of the common disasters that often befall weddings.

The most important thing you can do while planning your wedding is to buy a wedding planning workbook and write all of your information in it. Staying organized and following their checklists will keep you from waking up on wedding day and saying the dreaded words "I think I forgot to ___." Keep all of your contact information and receipts in that workbook as you will often need to reference them in the months and weeks before you wedding.

DISASTER #1 You have lousy pictures or video of your wedding. Let's face it: this is an event that we all hope will only happen once, and we want the pictures of it to enjoy for a lifetime. You get what you pay for with your photographer/videographer. Go cheap on the dress, go cheap on the flowers, or go cheap on the food. Do NOT go cheap on the person recording your lifetime memories. Do your research. Ask your friends for recommendations. Meet with the photographer several times before the wedding to see their sample albums from other weddings. Make sure your personalities mesh, and look for warning signs such as being late, absentminded, or pushy. If you have a videographer, make sure they have more than one person taking video, and the person catching you walking down the aisle is in a position to see you even AFTER everyone stands up.

DISASTER #2 Your dream wedding location is already booked. If you want a place that is popular, it needs to be FIRST on your list of places to book the day after he pops the question. Do not drag your feet on this one, as you will regret it when you wind up getting married at the local Moose Hall Lodge. Most weddings are on Saturday, but if it is not available at your favorite spot, ask about Sunday. If you are Catholic, check with your priest before scheduling a Sunday wedding. Be prepared with a backup location should your favorite spot be a lost cause. Book your backup the

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>