What would you have done differently?

[PrincessBride07]

Hey all you marrieds. If you could go back through the entire wedding process (planning, the day, the honeymoon), what, if anything, would you have done differently?



For me:
1. rent tuxedos from a place the delivers. DH went with Afterhours, because people could get measured anywhere (and buy the way only 1 tux fit properly). Well, I was the one that had to drive people to pick up and drop off the tuxs. I spent three days making trips to the Florida Mall.

2. I would have insisted on hand tied bouquet. I asked for one after the planning session, and was told that they are more troublesome to deal with. I stuck with the florists suggestions, because they are professionals right. Well, I was unhappy with them after looking at my pictures and pictures of others with the hand tied bouquet.

3. Finally, I would have made the honeymoon longer. We only had three days (and as earlier mentioned one of them was spent returning tuxes. Yeah I am still bitter over that!) Between prewedding activities and lack of time post wedding, there was a lot of things we missed.

 

[lurkyloo]

I'm cheating and posting here 13 days before the wedding, but one thing I wish I had done differently already:

Only offer guests 2 hotel choices in the room block. That way I could have had a cheaper "one-way" bus instead of a charter, which costs a fortune because there's a minimum of 5 hours - even if you only need it for 2 or 3. Plus there's a more complicated transportation schedule, and your guests have to be on the bus for almost an hour by the time the bus picks everyone up....

 

[pooh98378]

We would've done bill on consumption. We paid $20 per person for soft drinks. There is no way that we broke even -- DF and I both only had one drink!!

 

[BaBeeCee14]

This is a great thread. It will definitely help out a lot of us future brides!

 

[wendy46001]

I have two things

1) Made my own invitations...paid way too much for something i could have done myself...
2) Been more specific about my cake...we thought a picture of what we wanted and a few notes on changes would be sufficient...Oh well it was a pretty cake...just not the color or specific design we asked for

 

[Funniebunny]

1. I would have stayed in WDW for longer, we only had a week there.

2. I would have invited less guests. We only had 8 but coming from the UK there was drama. It would have been just as nice with me, DH, his brother and his brothers girlfriend.

3. It rained so we got moved to the Pavillion, if I'd known I would have liked to have the candle ceremony.

 

[sunsh1ne]

this is a great thread.

ok well this is a hard question for me ok hmm:

1. gave a more specific idea of the color peach

2. asked for more to eat while waiting for the reception to start and also asked the photographer to do more pics while we waited also. so to sum it up for futire brides make sure to use your time between ceremony ands reception wisly and if no one offers ask!!

3. let the planner know that we wanted dancing between every course and not just after dinner! if you are from up north i foudn our quests expected it. fortunalty my planner made sure this happen!!

4. spent more time with the quests

5. and the big one: i wish i would have not worried so much in the beginning of planning. it all worked out in the end!

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Not married yet but the single biggest mistake I've made by not taking other people's advice...

If you're planning a wedding that's more than 1 year out DON'T ASK YOUR BRIDESMAIDS TOO FAR IN ADVANCE. It's amazing how weddings change people and make you realize who your true friends really are.

 

[TamTab]

Not married yet but the single biggest mistake I've made by not taking other people's advice...

If you're planning a wedding that's more than 1 year out DON'T ASK YOUR BRIDESMAIDS TOO FAR IN ADVANCE. It's amazing how weddings change people and make you realize who your true friends really are.

I hear that. I asked one of my bridesmaids last August and now she is engaged herself and decided she is too busy to help me and be a bridesmaid anymore.

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

I hear that. I asked one of my bridesmaids last August and now she is engaged herself and decided she is too busy to help me and be a bridesmaid anymore.

Oh, yeah. Don't even get me started on that. My best friend of 10 years (Maid of Honor) dropped out of my wedding IN AN E-MAIL.

What I realized that is - if somebody doesn't want to go, no matter how much you accomodate them, they won't go. That's why it's best to do what YOU want to do for your wedding. I offered to pay for all her travel expenses, dress, shoes, hair, makeup, etc - I even offered to change our wedding date around her college classes. And then I get the e-mail. Heh.

Then, my other friend who was totally onboard with going - I e-mailed her at work (since we chat at work) after the holidays asking if she'd be able to fly down the day before because we're having a welcome dinner.

"Oh, about that."

Apparently, her family is flying in from overseas for Thanksgiving and now she can't afford the expense somehow. I still don't understand what that has to do with it. Our wedding isn't until December 12th!

I'm already having drama now with my third BM. Trust me, just save yourself the trouble and ask them later than sooner. Sorry if I sound so bitter, this just all happened within a few months and I feel so hurt that I'm losing friends over our wedding.

I'm now accepting applications for DIS BMs. Any takers? XD

 

[soontobebride]

if you want the truth, absolutely nothing........it was everything we wanted.

One thing I can think of but this was really trivial but may be a point that you should think about - and that is corsages for mother of the bride and mother of the groom, when I asked for a corsage I had asked for one that could go on the wrist like a bracelet but our mums were given one that was pinned to their tops, it was ok on my hubby's mums outfit but my mums top was very thin so the corsage was too heavy, therefore her top kept falling off her shoulder.

Other than this everything was perfect.

 

[SarahInMN]

I, um, can't believe that anyone would back out of being a bridesmaid without a really good reason (cancer, etc). I mean, wow!

This is a great thread! Princessbride: thanks for starting it!

 

[BaBeeCee14]

Jessi,

Sorry you're having such a hard time with all your BMs. Sending lots of and your way!!

 

[autumnbride2B]

There really isn't anything that I would change about the ceremony or reception. They were absolutely perfect.

The thing I would change, though, is to have not put my cell phone number of the contact information list that was part of the welcome bags. I had people calling me all week asking questions like how do they get from place x to place y! That is why WDW resorts have front desk and concierge staff! It never occurred to me that people would bother me with those kinds of things.

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Jessi,

Sorry you're having such a hard time with all your BMs. Sending lots of and your way!!

Thank you SO much. You have no idea how much I needed that.

 

[cappygirl]

Everything was perfect! The only thing i would have changed is I would have stayed at the Grand the entire time instead of switching to the Poly for the wedding night.

 

[4luvofthemouse]

I think it was mentioned earlier - not to stress. I wished I had of been able to enjoy the planning more. Everything turned out to be amazing...even all the haters had a great time. It all seems so petty now.

The second thing - more time at Disney for ourselves. By the time everything was done and the last of our guests left..wiat a minute they didn't leave!
They stayed the whole time with us
Thats why we are going back in June!

 

[curemoods]

What an interesting thread! So many posts to learn from and make mental notes of ~ thank you!

 

[OceanGdss]

great thread! subscribing

We arent married yet, but Ive already learned one thing:

Don't get your MIL involved in the guest list!

 

[pink_tink8i8]

this thread is great and I hope to learn a lot from it