Wedding planning can be as stressful as it is exciting, especially if you have an unexpected mishap pop up. Preparing yourself for common issues and their solutions will help you stay calm and avoid a complete bridezilla moment if one of these setbacks does occur. Keep in mind that some unforeseen incident is sure to happen, but at the end of the day the most important thing is that you are getting married to the person you love the most. Everything else is just icing on the (wedding) cake!

5 Common Wedding Disasters and How To Control Them


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Kelbert McFarland Photography

Hiring a Friend for a Service

Sure, it sounds like a great idea to have your friend with a fancy camera take photos and save some money, but this plan can go downhill very fast. People typically don't have a contract when their friends are providing a service at their wedding, so they have nothing to fall back on when the service isn't delivered as promised. Additionally, many vendors have protections like insurance and certifications that are very important. Caterers and cake bakers have food safety standards to ensure no one will get sick after eating your wedding food. Even if your friends and family are offering to volunteer their talents for your wedding day, it's best not to risk it. Stick to professionals and always get everything in writing so you can rest assured you'll receive the service you're paying for.

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Dawn Elizabeth Studios

Not Budgeting Correctly

When you first start wedding planning it can be so exciting to start putting down deposits with vendors. However, if you haven't fully planned out your budget you might find that you're running out of money before you have booked key services and now you're scrambling to cut costs. Don't let this happen to you! Before you put down any money or apply for a wedding loan, sit down and plan out how much you expect to spend on each vendor as well as a cushion for unexpected expenses. Having a plan means you'll feel much more confident in your purchases and it will help prevent any details from falling through the cracks.

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Gruene Estate Reception Space

Mint Photography

Bad Weather

Whether you're dreaming of an outdoor ceremony or an entire reception outside, you'll have to be prepared for the possibility of bad weather. Talk to your venue about their backup plan, whether it's an alternative indoor location or a tent they can set up. And don't forget that there's more than just rain that can put a damper on your day. Make sure the venue has access to portable heaters if it's cold and that your decorations will stay in place in case of high wind. Finally, make sure to mention if any portion of the wedding is outdoors on your invite so guests can prepare accordingly and bring sunglasses, jackets, umbrellas, or whatever is needed.

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White Buffalo Weddings

Important People Are Late

The last thing you want is to be standing around waiting to get married if someone vital to the ceremony is nowhere to be found. If you'll be traveling any distance between where you get ready and your ceremony, be sure to give yourself tons of extra time. Check online to see if there are any major concerts, festivals or other events in the area that could pose a traffic risk and plan your route accordingly. Finally, a great way to ensure your wedding party all arrives on time and together is to arrange everything with a transportation company ahead of time. That way you can be absolutely certain everyone leaves together and no one is left behind!

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Tracy Autem & Lightly Photography

Wardrobe Malfunctions

Stains, rips, missing buttons and poor tailoring are all potential disasters just waiting to ruin your carefully planned wedding attire. To avoid fitting mistakes, make sure the whole wedding party tries on their entire outfits a few days before the wedding day. That way if something doesn't fit correctly you won't be scrambling to get it fixed the morning of your big day. For emergency situations, ask one of your bridesmaids to carry a small sewing kit, chalk, lots of safety pins, fashion tape and stain remover. With these tools in your arsenal, you should be able to handle any wardrobe malfunctions so they don't slow down your special day.

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Bridal portrait with wedding bouquet

Jessica Pledger Photography


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