the A-Z of 26 wedding planning mistakes costing you ££££ (2 of 2)
part 2
Welcome to part 2 of 26 wedding planning mistakes that are costing you ££££!
In case you missed it, you can check out part 1 here:
As I said before, I wanted to make this fun, and not super stressful, so let’s do it as an A-Z list (because everything’s more fun in alphabetical order). 😇
I hope that reading this article will help you save even £10, £100, or £1,000s!
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N - Noise curfews
Aka sound limiters & very strict cut-off times. It’s not uncommon to see the following in a contract or discuss it as a starting point in your first meeting with a venue:
music must end by 11pm
bar closes by 11:30on
guests off-site by midnight
If you’re imagining a late, wild dancefloor - then this definitely matters! It’s always good to understand what time the music has to stop, if there’s any flexibility, and what happens if you overrun.
Realistically, there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s not like you can pay more to get it extended. However, if you’re paying a DJ, decorator, venue etc. a full day rate, you’ll likely want your event to start at a specific time where you know you’re making the most of it!
O - On-the-day coordination assumptions
Many couples assume their venue “has someone” to run the day. Often, you’ll be given a wedding venue coordinator who is in charge of all the venue-based logistics in the lead up to and on the day.
This isn’t the same as a wedding coordinator who is the person in charge of everything else. The venue coordinator won’t be the one actively running your schedule, liaising with vendors in the lead up, and troubleshooting any last min issues for you - that’s where an on-the-day coordinator steps up.
Realistically, if you don’t plan for this in advance - you will likely start to question whose doing these tasks about 2-3 months before the big day. At this point, it could become an unexpected and more expensive expense for you,
P - Post-wedding item collection
The night of your wedding, the last thing you want to be doing is thinking about cards, gifts, signage, table numbers, and personal decor.
However, the likelihood is that you’ll want to keep these elements for your own memorabilia and will also be responsible for removing it (from your venue).
In order to avoid things getting lost or any extra charges, you’ll want to ensure that you know exactly who is collecting what, and where are they placing it.
Q - Quote expiry dates
It should go without saying that most quotes are not open-ended.
They all have an expiry date! This is usually 14-30 days, but it will almost always be written on the quote itself. If you come back later than that and assume the price is still the same, you’d be mistaken.
You’ll find, especially in peak season, the pricing will go up and any discounts you were offered may not be valid anymore.
It’s so natural to compare quotes, but you’ll want to make sure you know how long the quote is valid for before you shop around and then emotionally commit to a number which may not exist anymore.
R - Refund & cancellation terms
Life happens - and it’s important for you to know your rights.
Vendor refunds & cancellation terms vary massively. You can never expect two venues or two vendors to have the same policy - that’s why it’s so important for you to always check a few of the boring, yet extremely important things:
what happens if we cancel?
what happens if we need to move the date?
what happens if you cancel?
how far in advance do cancellations, from either party, need to be communicated?
S - Service charge & VAT & gratuity
Aka all the additional charges right at the end of your invite.
Sometimes, your quotes will include things like service charge, VAT and gratuity, and sometimes they’ll be hidden up until the point that you go from final quote to final invoice. This can be a difference of up to 20% of what you had budgeted - that’s why it is SO important for you to be aware of all the costs upfront.
T - Tasting assumptions
Lots of couples I speak to assume that a food tasting is included in your catering package - which is often the case, but only after you have actually booked their services. They’ll then deduct any tasting fees you’ve already paid off your final invoice.
So, it’s very important that you’re strategic about who you’re booking in a food tasting with, and ensuring that you have all the information in advance:
what are our ‘alternative’ menu options for dietary restrictions & can we taste them?
how many people can we have at the food tasting?
when do we schedule the tasting?
Knowing these few things in advance will avoid you spending £££ on multiple tastings.
U - Unloading & parking logistics
Where your vendors park & unload their equipment at your venue sounds minor, but it’s actually quite an important aspect which will impact: labour time, setup time, parking fees, on the day schedule etc.
This is especially the case if you’re getting married in a busy city hotel - there may be some restrictions and/or complications with multiple vendors unloading at once, using the same service lift, needing to park in the same loading bays etc.
Ask your venue:
where do vendors unload?
how far is it from the event space?
how many lifts are there?
V - Vendor arrival order
Following on from the above, it absolutely doesn’t make sense for all your vendors to arrive at once. However, there is likely to be quite a bit of overlap. If it isn’t coordinated correctly - delays are absolutely bound to happen.
Whilst this won’t directly cost you £££, it will indirectly cause you unnecessary stress & overwhelm which could have easily been avoided in advance. This is where your venue coordinator, catering team coordinator and on-the-day coordinator need to work together.
W - Weather reality checks
Even peak summer weddings need a proper rain plan, nowadays. You could have booked the most sunny location on what was last years hottest day of the year - and plans could still change!
It’s really important to work with your teams from the start, if you are having any of your ceremony / events outdoors, to have plan B sorted out months in advance. Leaving it too late can be expensive and stressful.
This means asking the smallest of questions:
how long will setup take indoors vs. outdoors?
what will the layout look like?
when will we make the call on an outdoor vs. indoor ceremony?
I remember one of my friends was getting married last year and it was forecasted to be a very rainy day in the weeks leading up to it. Their cutoff decision time with their venue & vendors was making the indoor vs. outdoor call 7 days in advance. So they switched the ceremony indoors, and then the weather forecast every single day after that was sunny & clear skies! Luckily, they did have sunny & clear skies, but due to the cutoff from their venue & vendor, they had to have the ceremony indoors after all.
X - Xtra outfit changes
(we’re just going to say this counts!)
If you are having multiple outfit changes for you, your partner, your families, and maybe even your guests - make sure that these don’t turn into a stressful, logistical nightmare.
In reality, this could mean that they take up more time, more space, require a makeup artist or hair stylist to stay around for extra hours (£££) - it’s all absolutely fine as long as you are aware of it and it is communicated to the relevant people in advance!
Y - Your own energy
Honestly, your sanity is the most valuable thing in the lead up to and on your wedding day. Wedding days are logistically long and emotionally exhausting (all the good emotions, of course).
If your timeline is too back-to-back, you will absolutely feel it. I always suggest building in:
5-10 minutes alone time with your partner after the ceremony
time to eat (be sure to know who is bringing your food where!)
breathing space between moments
Z - Zero delegation
Which leads me to the last, final, and most expensive mental mistake you can make. Trying to control everything yourself and not delegating is the worst thing you can do on your wedding day.
If the answer to “who is doing XYZ?” is “me” on your wedding day - then that is absolutely the wrong answer!
Your only real job on the wedding day is to stay present & get married. 🤍
I truly hope the N-Z of wedding planning mistakes was helpful for you - and stopped you from making any hefty mishaps.
If you haven’t already, I’d recommend reading A-M of wedding planning mistakes here:
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the one that surprised you the most, below.
Happy wedding planning! 🤍
P.s. if you know another engaged couple who would find this useful, feel free to forward it to them too.