Wedding Day Regrets, etc.

serlace

Hi girls.  So, I wanted to start a fun thread - try to liven things up.  For those girls that are married - what was your biggest regret/wouldn't have done if you would have known/wasn't worth it for your wedding?  Like would you not have spent so much time on favors - since no one took them home, etc.  I think hearing (or reading, rather) your experiences will help us that are planning. Thanks!

ewinkler1977

My photographer wanted to take more pics of the bridal party and my husband and I around White Rock and my mom wanted us to go straight to the reception after we finished the church pictures.  My photographer did manage to get a few of us but I wish I hadn't listened to my mom and just done a few more pictures. I mean you don't get redo's. I wish I could have had some fun ones with the bridal party and put my foot down instead of doing what my mom wanted.   At least my photographers followed my husband and I to the hotel and got some more pictures of just us.  I'm saying this because they showed me those pictures and they looked great.

Remember girls, its your wedding not your mom's as much as they help out and are they for you.  At the end of the day, you are the one getting married.

Terriniski

Not many people took the favors (we had an informal reception with no assigned seating, so we had all the favors in baskets by the exit), so that seemed like a waste of money.

Similar to ewinkler's comment, I rushed our photographer through photos in the church after the ceremony because the next wedding was starting to arrive and I didn't want to take up their time.  I should have let the photographer take her time - those photos didn't turn out well.

I didn't pay for too much that I regret, but as for other wedding regrets - I wish I'd eaten more.  Apparently DH tipped a server to keep bringing me food, but I kept declining.  That was dumb of me. 

bdettecrow

I've voiced my regret about my bridal party many times, so I'll spare you that b*tch fest.

But the only other regret I have is that I didn't have enough structure for the day, time wise. The girl doing our hair was running behind all day, set-up ran a little longer than expected, and the girl doing my make up got in a wreck on her way to the venue so she was late as well. Plus, my grandpa (who didn't feel the need to come to the wedding) surprised us with a mariachi band and it totally threw off the timing of our introduction, first dance and the daddy/daughter, mommy/son dances.

Other than that, I really enjoyed our special day. I had the best time with my new husband and our family. I love re-living that special day.

fallbride1109

- I would not have done favors. They were not worth the time or money spent.
- I would have had a videographer for the ceremony.
- I would have timed it where me and my girls were ready at the same time so that we could have had more candids together. Instead they were getting ready while I went to the reveal. 
- I also would have allowed more time to get ready.  It takes a long time and it also comes at the most stressful time of the day.
- I would have given the formal pictures more importance.  I don't really like where we took them (the bar of the hotel).  They turned out dark and I look at BP pictures done outside and I like them so much more.  But this is all in hindsight--at the time my photographer said it was the best option and I didn't really care at the time but I do now.  
- I would have gotten a cool shot of me and Ben ON the bar.  A girl on the Etiquette board has one and every time I see it I think, "We should have done that!"

melissaandjoel

My only regret is that I didn't get a videographer. By the time I realized I wanted one it was too late and Adam Kegg was already booked for my date.

fallbride1109

Oh and I would have done gold chargers on the tables.  I only had the ones I own on my head table and it looked so great--I immediately regretted not doing them on all the tables and it wouldn't have been that expensive either. Darn it.

stephl3055

Our favors went over really well, but we did have assigned seating and put them out on the tables.  So I wouldn't change that aspect for us, but I can see how for others it didn't work out so well. 

My in-laws wanted me to wear a traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai (what the bride wears instead of a wedding dress) at some point during the reception and I was perfectly fine with that.  However, I also wanted to make sure I had all the really important pictures taken while I was in my white dress, including the first dance, cake cutting, etc.  So that meant that I changed twice; once into the other dress and then back into my white dress.  That took forever and in the process my mom and I missed the picture slideshow.  I would've loved to see her reaction to some of the pictures.  So I wish I would've just planned it better on when I was changing.

The guys were in such a rush at the church (I think they showed up late) that David's mom didn't get to put his boutonniere on so obviously they didn't get that picture together.  I think the photographer did take a picture of our wedding coordinator putting it on though. 

nae82

I wouldn't have taken the cheapest videographer route.

I would have started getting ready earlier so that all of us girls could have taken pics before the ceremony, other than the getting ready photos.

I would have had my photog take some formal shots outside.

I wouldn't have let the GM drink so much that he tried to jump a fence and broke his foot 4 hours before the ceremony. (LOL)

I'm sure there is more that I can come up with.

Donnaaries

I'm not married yet but here's one I already know: I would have booked a photography package without the bridal session.  Honestly, now that I realize it's pretty much just for that single display photo at the reception, and that I could have just scheduled some additional time on the day of the wedding to get some nice shots of me in my dress, I could've saved this money on the portrait session, hair & makeup for bridals, etc.

I would've used the money on a super extended spa day on the honeymoon instead! 

I think

JessTX

All in, it was great and no real major regrets but if I break it down...
I would have shopped for photography differently. Hard to explain but for one thing,  I did not like my bridals and realized it's because my photographer was photojournalistic and that was great for catching emotion candidly at the event and such but not for posing me.
I would have met with the photographer again before the wedding and would have outlined some specifics to get at the wedding site not just the before and formals - i.e. fun group shots with bridal party, picture of me with my two college roommates I hadn't seen in years,a good full length of bride and groom with simple backdrop, etc.
I would have allowed a little more time to get ready so it wasn't as rushed and we could have gotten more fun shots with the girls.
I would have complained to the bar when I first saw they were handing out beer bottles (no bottles were suppose to be outt/all poured) and not using the right plasticware for glasses ( I was unhappy about using plastic anyway and spent a lot of time meeting with them and agreeing on "nicer" plasticware and then they used white, cheap stuff.
At the rehearsal I would have spent more time making sure the parents, bridal party, and spouses at head table had it right on when to enter and from where and how we were coordinating getting the ring bearer to his dad to sit instead of on stage (very young ring bearer- would not have made it on stage) and made sure the bridesmaids knew not to start going down aisle unless I was ready for them (no coordinator and someone told them to go when the other half of the party wasn't ready and my future bro-in-law was still at the aisle entrance door with the girls)- it was  a mess of an entrance.
I would have made sure my flower girls; mom knew upfront she was not throwing flowers (she knew beforehand but not long enough before~) so she would not have taught her how to throw flowers and so the flower girl would not have shredded the pomander in pieces trying to get flowers off of it to throw!
I would have remembered to find my step dad for a dance instead of just dancing with my dad.
I would have took some time off work about 2-3 weeks out when all the final meetings and confirmations with vendors are going on.
I would have asked my family to come into town a few days later and took a day or two off work before that to get my stuff done. i would have started to design the program earlier.
On the favors- we did homemade italian cookies that were placed at each placesetting and we had assigned seats. They were a big hit but I can see how favors could be a waste.
Hope this helps!

wyadler

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