Yay! You’re planning a wedding. Yay! You’re marrying your best friend! Yay! It’s one of the best days of your life. There’s a ton of things people (and society) tell you to do at your wedding. Let’s be real. You don’t HAVE to do anything at your wedding. You CAN do anything! It’s your day for a reason. But, there are some things you shouldn't do. Over the past eight years of photographing love stories, I’ve learned a few “don’ts” for weddings. . . Whether it be for safety reasons, health reasons or just not giving in to society's expectations. Here’s my top eight wedding don’ts.
1. Don’t Forget What It’s Really About
What is this day about? You and your fiance. That’s truly it. Yes, your family and friends are there to celebrate and enjoy the milestone with you. . . But, the day is truly about you and your new husband/wife. Don’t forget that.
2. Don’t Spend Too Much Time With One Guest
This may sound like an obvious one but, you’d be surprised by how many brides/grooms let the moments and emotions take over. . . And before they know it, they’ve spent an hour talking to their college roommate. I’ve literally had a bride admit that she spent too much time with her close friends and not enough time with everyone else at her wedding. She felt SO bad. Make it a goal to at least have a brief conversation with each guest, just to show how thankful you are that they took the time to be there and celebrate with you.
3. Don’t Forget To Eat and Drink
Another one that may seem obvious but, on a big day it sometimes gets forgotten. Lightheaded brides and grooms are a bigger problem than you’d think. Whether you don’t eat because you’re nervous, want to look skinnier in your dress or you just run out of time. Don’t skip food or water. You will regret it, I promise
4. Don’t Invite People Because You “Have To”
I’ve heard it all. . . I have to invite my third cousin Karen because she invited me to her wedding. Or, I have to invite Uncle John because he’s an uncle, an uncle you haven’t seen in fifteen years. Think about it this way, do you really want to be surrounded by unfamiliar people on your special day? Plus, more guests means fewer flowers, less extravagant menu and just overall, a smaller amount of money to work with.
5. Don’t Try To Please Everyone
Let’s be honest. You are never going to be able to please everyone. It’s the sad truth. You will drive yourself crazy trying to make everyone happy so. . . Make it easy on yourself and just make you and your fiance happy.
6. Don’t Over DIY It
We all wish we could be Joanna Gaines. Unfortunately, we can’t. Some of our DIY projects are super amazing and come out perfectly. Some of our other DIY projects are epic fails. If you want to do some DIY projects for your wedding to save some money, do it! Just don’t over do it. I promise, if you do too many, your wedding can get super tacky, super quick. I’ve seen it happen, just trust me.
7. Don’t Blow Your Budget On Your Ceremony
Okay, think about the last wedding you attended. What do you remember? If you are like most of us, you remember the bride and groom, the setting/venue and the party/experience. Do you remember the decor or flowers at the ceremony? Probably not. . . I’m not saying to not have flowers or decorations at your ceremony. I’m just saying, don’t blow your budget on the ceremony. The ceremony is usually quick and your guests are focused on you.
8. Don’t Forget Thank You Notes
What was the worst part about having a birthday party as a kid? Okay, two worst things. . . 1. Inviting the kid that was mean to you because everyone in the class had to be invited - haha 2. Writing thank you cards to everyone. Thank you cards are so rare nowadays and it breaks my heart. When someone spends the time and money to be there at your wedding, they deserve a heartfelt thank you. Not a text or a call and certainly, not silence. Take the time to write a little note to your guests. I promise it will mean more to them than you know - especially grandma. Grandma loves that kind of stuff.
I hope this helps you while you are planning your wedding. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below! Happy Planning, y'all!
With Wedding Don'ts comes Wedding Do's - Check out MDB Photography's blog Top 8 Wedding Do's