Many engaged couples dream of a perfect wedding. For some, it’s a fairy-tale, for others it is a modern gathering mixed with media hype and family traditions. Whether or not you hired a wedding planner or a day-of-coordinator, there are many ways to achieve a wedding that is planned perfectly. In any case, it is necessary to temper your expectations with some realism. Let’s talk about what to expect and what not to expect, what to do and what not to do. These are the most common wedding pitfalls associated with the weddings:

Perfection takes time. Not everything seen on a Pinterest board can fit in a budget or can be achieved on time. Once you have decided on your vendors, expect that a few details may turn out differently than you imaged them. Some of these pitfalls could lead to major investment loss as well. Driving an unrealistic wedding plan could lead to wedding glitches and potentially loss of money. It is not uncommon today for wedding photographers or bakeries to receive requests for copies of popular Pinterest poses and over-the-top expensive wedding cakes. As beautiful as these may be, they are often nearly impossible to replicate and very expensive to provide. Though the bridal party may make it to your every meeting or pre-wedding event, attendant can be late, your partner may not be equally involved, and your big day may turn into your mother’s day.

The flowers may not look like what you initially ordered, the cake may not show up at all and the song list may not be what you have chosen. Don’t sweat it! The first dance is embarrassing instead of blissful. You agreed to no cake in the face, but it happens anyway. When waiting for all day shine, it may rain- and even within a hurricane.

Most people in the wedding industry business know you have to protect your time and resources. For vendors, damages from a cancellation can range from losses on food that spoils, to alteration costs on gowns, to lost opportunities for booking another wedding. It can be particularly difficult for many vendors to prove monetary loss for missed opportunity because a certain weekend was popular or you didn’t have time to hire adequate help for your non-traditional venue. An insurance could protect your deposits in case a wedding vendor goes out of business last minute.

So suppose you had paid deposit in a lump sum and due to certain events, maybe unrealistic expectations too, the wedding didn’t happen and you had no wedding insurance claims. Here you are with no cover, and your deposits are gone. Businesses aren’t apt to announce they’re having financial trouble, so it’s on couples to protect themselves. So isn’t a wedding insurance an investment to consider?

It’s all too easy to forget about the tax tacked onto every product and service. Sales tax adds up, says Ginny Kozlowski, an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven, who teaches courses in event planning. “For example, a $5,000 dress with sales tax is $5,475 in Connecticut. This will vary state by state, of course,” Kozlowski says. So as you prepare your budget, don’t just do an overall estimate but go into the nitty-gritties and details just so you don’t set yourself up for the surprise of a lifetime. Small figures like that really add up.
Be sure to at least include tipping expenses, too. It’s good to show appreciation especially for people who have shown great dedication to your big day. A vendor who’s self-employed or is the owner of a business is generally not tipped. You just might find them getting more motivated to offer you other services you never even thought of. Here are 3 great articles on how to tip:

Tipping vendors

How Much To Tip?

Wedding tipping guide

When organizing your big event-brides, wedding planners are often confronted by many decisions. Choosing a venue is the one decision that will have the largest impact on your event. Critical planning information, such as the date for the event, could very well be dependent on the venue you select. Understandably, making this choice can be a bit intimidating as it can be hard to know what to look for when selecting a venue. Would the date fit the venue? Would the venue be available on the date?
Before you begin your search, there are a few things you’ll want to have a strong understanding of:

Budget

Number of attendees

Type of wedding event (formal, traditional, outdoor, high-tech, etc.)