Today’s wedding planning advice post and video is an important one. We are talking about what happens when wedding planning goes wrong. A wedding day involves so many details and moving parts that it is no surprise that all of the planning logistics may not go exactly as planned. But don’t worry, we are here to give you all the tips and tricks on how to handle them when these difficult or overwhelming situations arise during the wedding planning process.
We know that no one likes to be let down or disappointed. It can be very frustrating when things don’t go according to plan. And this is even more heightened on such an important day like your wedding. Your wedding day is such a special day, one that you’ve likely planned for months or over a year and you want everything to be perfect. With our expert advice and tips, you will be prepared to handle any wedding planning snafus with empathy and grace.
Video: How To Handle It When Wedding Planning Goes Wrong
Don't miss all the tips and advice from our Wedding Fashion Expert in this week's advice video discussing how to handle when wedding planning goes wrong.
Get Some Help
Wedding planning can be stressful especially when you are adding it to an already busy daily schedule. With work, family, and social commitments, we all live with what can feel like chaos, and wedding planning can add to this stress. Wedding planning adds a layer of work to your already full to-do list. When planning a big event, like a wedding, there are so many details to think about and it can be easy to forget certain aspects or to let certain details slip through the cracks.
Our best advice for when you find yourself overwhelmed or frustrated with trying to juggle wedding planning and life is to get some help. As soon as you can, figure out what you can handle on your own, and then outsource the rest. Make sure you have a support system around you. Whether this is your family, a close group of friends, or a wedding planner, these people will be able to help guide you through the wedding planning journey and hopefully take some tasks (and stress) off of your to-do list.
Keep Your Expectations in Check
Once you get some help with your wedding planning, be sure to keep your expectations in check, grounded in reality. Those that you've either hired or who are your friends and family are also trying to juggle their life too, just like you.
You could hire the most amazing, expert wedding vendors, but you have to keep in mind that they are still human. Know that things can still go wrong, but everyone is doing the best they can. Mistakes happen, it’s human nature, and it’s nothing to take personally.
Kindness, grace, and empathy are going to go a long way in these situations and will help ensure you still have a good relationship with those in your support system. Keep your communication clear and honest, and a solution will be found.
It’s Okay to Break Up
We believe there is always a remedy to a problem situation. Sometimes this remedy is breaking up with a wedding vendor.
We’ve heard from so many brides over the years at Lovella that they booked a vendor thinking they would be great, but after beginning to work with them, they no longer align with the couple’s needs. A lot of these couples stick with the vendor because they’ve already paid a deposit and feel stuck with them. But this can lead to disappointment in the long run. If you are already feeling unsure of this vendor during the planning process, you are going to be even more unsure on your wedding day and not able to fully enjoy your special day.
If things are not going right, we first and foremost suggest starting with an honest conversation with this wedding vendor. Let them know your feelings and expectations and see if a solution can be found. If the issues can’t be fixed, you might be better off walking away. Cut your losses, and find another vendor that aligns better with your wedding day vision.
You want to be able to enjoy your wedding day fully and not worry about what problems might arise with vendors that you don't get along with.
When it comes to wedding planning, if you aren't getting along with certain vendors, like your photographer, florist, catering manager, or planner, it's OK to break up and find another vendor that you get along better with.
Not All Wedding Planning is the Same
Our next best tip for when things go wrong with wedding planning is to not overreact when problems arise and to be proactive in solving the problem. Problems or difficult situations will come up, that is a fact. Handling them proactively without overreacting is the best solution, even when tensions are high during wedding planning.
When you begin planning your wedding, you may be more excited about some tasks than others. At Lovella, we’ve heard from past brides that shopping for their wedding dress was the best part, or that they couldn’t have done it without their wedding planner. Every wedding is unique and not one size fits all.
You might think that wedding dress alterations will be the easy part. But we’re here to tell you that every body and every wedding gown is different and will require its own level of attention and detail. This is just a reminder that not every aspect (even the little details) may go exactly how you envision it. Little speed bumps can pop up in any stage of wedding planning. If you are prepared for it, you won’t get derailed.
A wedding planner once told us that she tells every single one of her brides that one thing is going to go wrong on their wedding day at minimum. As a wedding planner, it’s her job to not allow the bride to know what that one problem thing is. That is the type of wedding planner that we would want on our side for the wedding day!
For a stress-free wedding planning experience, keep your wedding planning expectations honest, and have a support team that is going to understand your vision, understand your wants and needs, and be able to deliver that.
Don’t Sweat the Small Things
When your wedding day finally arrives, our best advice is to not get worked up or stress out over the little details and things that go wrong. Your only "job" on your wedding day is to enjoy your day. Stressing out over problems will not lead to enjoyment on your wedding day.
We’ve been to a few weddings where the wedding ceremony programs were forgotten and didn’t get put out for the ceremony. The bride was so disappointed, and so mad all day long on her wedding at this little, forgotten detail, that it put a dark cloud over her special day. Trust us, your wedding guests are there to celebrate you and your fiancé and likely won’t even notice something like a missing ceremony program. You might be disappointed because you spent time and money on the ceremony programs, but it is nothing to ruin your wedding day over.
If anything happens on your wedding day that isn't going according to plan, no matter how incredible your support team is, we encourage you to just let it go. Don’t let something little ruin your special day. Just enjoy the moment of marrying your special person.
Overreacting and getting fixated on an issue is not going to get the problem solved. It will only create more stress on an already busy day and can cause you and your partner to not fully enjoy your wedding day. Think about how you can approach the situation in a calm, collected way to work towards a solution. Stay present, and focus on what your wedding is really about.
Just be mentally prepared that something might go wrong on the big day, but in the long run it won’t be what people remember about your wedding. If you have the right support team behind you, they are going to do everything they can to remedy any issue without you even knowing about it, if they can help it. Have a backup plan in place to prevent any potential issues, but also be open to rolling with the punches and whatever a stressful day with lots of moving parts might throw at you.
Remember It Is Only Temporary
If there is one last piece of wedding planning advice that we can tell you, it’s that the wedding planning process is temporary. It may seem stressful now to think about all the details, and what could potentially go wrong, but it will come to an end. You won't be planning your wedding forever, even if it feels like that on some days.
The wedding day itself is also temporary. If you have started planning your wedding, then you’ve already heard that the wedding day goes by so quickly. It may sound cliche, but it is really true.
You’ve worked for months and months to plan out every minute of this monumental day, but it will be over in the blink of an eye. So, solve any problems on your wedding day or during the planning phase quickly so that you can just enjoy every moment of this process. Life is life, not everything goes according to plan and not everything is super enjoyable, but it won’t last forever.
We encourage you to just enjoy it and savor every moment.
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
