WR: What do you wish you did differently?

Hummingbird125

So, I just had a minor WR panic attack when I realized I didn't rent anything in the way of cocktail hour seating. After about 5 minutes of thinking "Oh no, I didn't budget for that!!" I remembered that the venue has at least 4 or 5 extra tables we'll be able to use, and the padded white folding chairs I'm not using for anything else. Crisis averted. 

Anyways - this got me thinking - are there any big or small things you forgot about until the "last minute"? Things you wish you did differently? Things you spent a lot of time/energy/money on that your guests wouldn't have missed AT ALL?

I have wedding-brain today, so entertain me with your wisdom, all you OMH's ;-)

minskat30

I wouldn't have brought our dog to the hotel we were getting ready at. Don't get me wrong, I loved that he was there and that we got to take a few pictures with him but he freaked out over the new location, which no one told me about because they didn't want me to be upset.  By the time I saw him he was calm but I felt terrible to put him through that stress and I wouldn't do it again if I had known it would have upset him.

I spent a LOT of time agonizing over the seating chart/guest list.  People didn't show up who RSVP'd "yes" at the last minute and some brought a guest even though they only RSVP'd for "one".  In the end, it all worked out...even though it does still irk me a little.

[Deleted User]

@Hummingbird125 I think I had the same freakout moment about our cocktail hour as well. Our venue had outdoor patio seating as well as indoor seating for that time period so I slowed my roll on that one after crying for about 30 seconds. 

I remember also freaking out whether or not we needed a tent for our ceremony since it was outside. I just told myself that if the weather was about to go crazy then we will order one a week before hand. Luckily we didn't need to.

There weren't many things that I can think of that we regret not doing. I loved everything about our wedding but I think we spent too much money and effort into some of our decorations that in my opinion didn't even have much of a significance. I wish we spent more money on our centerpieces rather than some of the other decor.

Peaseblossom55

There is really nothing I forgot about last minute.  I wouldn't have changed anything either.  I loved how it all turned out.  I felt really lucky. 

The only thing I would have wanted was a reception venue closer to the church, it would have meant upping the budget by $20,000 or so but otherwise I have no regrets.  I may have gone with a more expensive florist who paid a bit more attention to detail and some of my requests at the initial meeting.

GoldenPenguin

I went to my friend's baby shower this weekend, and was talking to some people there about our wedding plans. Her mom was saying how some of the little detail things - like, square plates vs. round plates (and the square plates were $3 more) - and not one of us could remember the shape of the plates at the reception. 

That made me feel better about things like looking at one of the catering proposals we had that had five different glasses and going "why do we need five different shaped glasses on the tables??"

Hummingbird125

@southernpeach89 - I'm having the same thoughts about a tent for the ceremony. My feelings are that a tent will only be useful if there is a VERY light rain, or just a chance of it. If it's pouring, I wouldn't want to be sitting under a tent anyway. I figure that if the weather isn't looking great we'll decorate the inside ceremony location the day before, not ideal, but at least we'll still have time to make it pretty.

Blackbird230

@GoldenPenguin, that's how I'm approaching all of our WR decisions. Are we actually going to remember this in X amount of years? 

GoldenPenguin

Blackbird230 said:

@GoldenPenguin, that's how I'm approaching all of our WR decisions. Are we actually going to remember this in X amount of years? 

That's exactly how I feel. Like, I'm going to remember the location, the dress, and the fact that I'm marrying the love of my life. How am I going to remember all of those things? Amazing pictures. AKA - we're spending a little more for a fricken AMAZING photographer, but I really don't care if I drink out of the same glass all night. 

buddysmom80

Most of my decisions have been based on guest's comfort. For example, I was agonizing about having either a fish option or vegetarian and not both, finally I asked the venue to add the vegetarian choice on there as well. She did it for free, which was awesome. Long story short, if I think it's going to piss off my guests, I don't do it, or buy it. If I think they're going to love it, I do it (except for the cupcake truck, damn you FI!)

GoldenPenguin

buddysmom80 said:

Most of my decisions have been based on guest's comfort. For example, I was agonizing about having either a fish option or vegetarian and not both, finally I asked the venue to add the vegetarian choice on there as well. She did it for free, which was awesome. Long story short, if I think it's going to piss off my guests, I don't do it, or buy it. If I think they're going to love it, I do it (except for the cupcake truck, damn you FI!)

I'm going to be pissed if there's not a cupcake truck. I think @swazzle will agree with me.

Hummingbird125

GoldenPenguin said:

buddysmom80 said:

Most of my decisions have been based on guest's comfort. For example, I was agonizing about having either a fish option or vegetarian and not both, finally I asked the venue to add the vegetarian choice on there as well. She did it for free, which was awesome. Long story short, if I think it's going to piss off my guests, I don't do it, or buy it. If I think they're going to love it, I do it (except for the cupcake truck, damn you FI!)

I'm going to be pissed if there's not a cupcake truck. I think @swazzle will agree with me.

I guess we'll just have to bring our own cupcakes. 

Peaseblossom55

@buddysmom80 wait what??? A cupcake truck???? I'm crashing.....

buddysmom80

Yeah, we were kicking around having a cupcake truck instead of favors, but it's too much per person and we can't take the cupcakes home with us if we order too many

tuarceatha

Are there any big or small things you forgot about until the "last minute"? Things you wish you did differently? Things you spent a lot of time/energy/money on that your guests wouldn't have missed AT ALL?

I definitely had all of things listed above, but nothing too significant comes to mind. Like we forgot to bring pens for the guests writing notes/advice for bottles to open in a few years. So they had to use colored pencils we brought for kids to color with... We also forgot to tell the person setting it up which years we wished the bottles to be labeled with, so someone picked 5, 10 and 15, I believe... I would've loved to have a 1 year one. But I guess in three years I'll love opening the first one.

We didn't go all out on anything... I mean we could've picked a cheaper venue, but I love the one we picked. Would've been nice to have a venue near a hotel, but again that would've meant another venue and I loved ours.

tuarceatha

I 100% want cupcakes rightthissecond. Thanks.

loves2shop4shoes

I wish I had gotten less extravagant gifts for the BP.  I got them Pandora bracelets, and I think only one of them actually appreciated it.

I would've picked my WP based on who I REALLY wanted there...politics and uneven sides be gone!

I would've worn a completely different dress.

Sometimes I SERIOUSLY think I might've just eloped and saved the money.

doubleSS07

I don't really have much that I'd change.  Maybe I would have been a little more specific with the girl that did my flowers, but she was a friend and a good price.  I couldn't take any of the flowers and I really only held my bouquet for a short time so whatever.  I LOVED our venue and the people working there along with our caterer.  I MAY have chose a different photographer but I had a budget and I got some great pictures...not as many as I thought but enough.