10 Silly Mistakes Couples Make When Planning Their Wedding!

Boom!! The big day has arrived and you’ve done your best to make the day amazing. You have worked so hard making sure all the little details are in place. Here are some of the mistakes I’ve witnessed in nearly 15 years of entertaining at weddings.

Relying on amateurs to produce professional results. Cousin Bruce is DJing from his IPOD. Aunt Nellie is cooking the food (she cooks for 8 people every Sunday so she should know how to feed 200.) My cousin, Shelly is taking a photography class in college so she can take the pictures. My brother, Dave, is getting his officiant license online so he can marry us. These are all classic fails that I have witnessed over the years. Bite the bullet. Pay the pros and sit back and enjoy the day. They are worth their weight in gold!
No “Day Of” coordinator. The ideal situation is hire a wedding planner. If funds are tight, you can hire a co-ordinator. They will take care of the details while you enjoy the day. I’ve watched as an endless procession of vendors approach the couple asking questions though-out the reception. They should be approaching your coordinator while you enjoy the day.
Be very specific on start-end times of the event, who will pack the gifts and who will clean up after the event. Often the couple has told me to DJ until a certain time, only to be told by the venue that I need to end at a different time. I’ve seen Brides in her wedding dress mopping the floor after an event. Just didn’t seem right!
Fail to proofread invitations carefully. With online ordering, it is easy to miss a detail when ordering your invitations. I have had numerous couples tell me they had to reorder because the forgot the time and one forgot the name of the church.
Not calling those who fail to make an RSVP. I always kiddingly said when they added “and family” to our invitation, they just spent an extra $800. to their budget, with 6 kids and grandkids. The guess of how many will attend doesn’t work with caterers. They have to feed your guests with plenty of food. Over the years I’ve seen probably 15 receptions where there wasn’t enough food. Classic oops!
Rent too small of venue for your guest list and your guests feel like sardines in a can. The dance floor becomes too small and no one can walk around without feeling trapped.
Of course as a DJ/MC, a real fail is hiring someone to play music, rather than someone to Emcee/DJ/Entertain. An amazing party is created by a professional who doesn’t play illegally downloaded music, understands volume control, carries the proper insurances to protect you and him/her. They know how to entertain your guests and keep the flow going. They can make your event memorable or a disaster!
Feeling Saturday is the only day for a wedding. If you are on a tight budget, why not consider a Friday or Sunday for your event. Vendors are limited to 52 Saturday nights a year and are more than happy to give a discount for other times. My DJ business turns away more jobs than we can perform because of availability and welcome Friday/Sunday dates!
Making everything traditional. With the internet, there are a thousand ways to think outside the box on decorations, activities and fun ways to make your wedding and reception unique. You can spend all day on Pinterest looking at ideas. Ask your vendors what they have seen that is different and unique. At Surface DJs, I have been to many interesting venues and have seen some outside the box ideas that I would be happy to share and I’m sure most vendors will be happy to give you input.
Not taking your guest’s likes and dislikes into consideration. You love broccoli mixed with refried beans. Most guests don’t. You love Indie/Alternative music. You want a club atmosphere. Most guests don’t and like a place to talk. It is your wedding day and you should be the ones to enjoy it. But you are also inviting guests to share the day with you and they expect to have a great time also. Find the happy medium, so your grandma has as much fun as your 14 year old cousin.