Image credit: Dan Biggins Photography
It’s easy to get bogged down in the different aspects of wedding planning. Let’s face it, there’s an awful lot to think about! But is there anything you’re likely to wish you’d done differently? Anything you think you might regret not booking or putting in place before your big day? Do you need some tips on how to make the most of your wedding day so you can experience it to the fullest and look back on it with nothing but fond memories?
When couples are asked about their wedding day and whether they would make any changes if they did it all over again, common themes pop up frequently. To make sure you don’t make these easy mistakes, we’ve compiled a list of the top wedding regrets we hear from real-life couples time and time again. So read on if you don’t want to make the same mistakes!
Not Taking It All In
This is probably the most common regret experienced by couples when it comes to looking back on their special day. It’s well-documented that time flies on your wedding day and those of us who are married at Entertainment Nation all agree that with so much going on, when the adrenaline’s pumping and with so many people to talk to, it’s difficult to take time for yourself to take it all in. Remember to take a step back and look around, breathe it in and make some memories that last a lifetime. It’s harder than it sounds so try to make a special effort. We promise it’ll be worth it!
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Drinking Too Much
There’s nothing wrong with having a drink on your wedding day but with pre-wedding jitters and nerves all a quiver it’s easy to start drinking early and keep it up all day when you’re in a celebratory mood! However, try to keep yourself hydrated with water throughout the day, and when you reach your limit, it’s sensible to swap to soft drinks. If you become more than a little tipsy you might have to leave your wedding early or possibly not remember some of the most enjoyable parts of your evening, which is a great shame on a day you’ll never want to forget!
Leaving It Too Late To Book Your Dream Wedding Band
You’d be surprised how early some of our incredible wedding bands get booked, with the most popular bands getting booked at least two years in advance! If you haven’t got two years before your wedding, don’t panic – there’ll still be a huge selection of awesome bands to choose from – but take our advice and book as soon as possible. Bands get booked extremely quickly, especially during the peak summer months and on Saturdays, so avoid disappointment and book as soon as you can.
Not Spending Enough Time With Your Partner
This one’s so easy to do. When your guests have travelled from far and wide to celebrate with you, you might feel pressure to spend a lot of time with them, especially if you haven’t seen them in a while. Before you know it, half the day might have passed before you get to spend time with your partner as a couple. But this is your day and you should try to spend as much time as possible with each other. Share the experience and make sure to enjoy yourselves. Plan time in if you have to!
Not Organising Daytime Entertainment
The time between your wedding ceremony and your wedding breakfast can fill a good few hours, especially if you’re getting married early in the day. The last thing you want is bored guests! Luckily it’s really easy to keep everybody entertained. You could hire a magician, a caricaturist, an acoustic soloist, an acoustic duo, a Rat Pack singer or even a roaming band to keep spirits high until it’s time to eat. Result? Happy guests!
Not Hiring A Videographer
I don’t often write in the first person, but this is my number one regret about my wedding so I can speak from experience. I so wish that I had video footage of me and my husband getting married and having fun on what we still consider to be the best day of our lives. But we didn’t budget for a videographer, believing it to be an unnecessary extravagance. How wrong we were! I’d love it if we could relive our wedding day, but sadly that’s not an option. Our photos are great, but they can’t bring the day to life in the same way as a video would. Hire a videographer and don’t make the same mistake we did!
Choosing A Long Song For Your First Dance
Unless you absolutely love the limelight and are happy dancing with everyone watching you for what feels like an eternity, make sure you choose a short first dance song! Of course, you can always invite your nearest and dearest to join you on the dance floor which would certainly make it less awkward, but in reality, everyone probably just wants to start partying. So a short song is the way to go! If the idea of a first dance doesn’t appeal at all, check out these alternatives to a first dance instead.
Hiring Only One Photographer
Similar to the videographer regret, this one is about making memories, but also about finding out what else happened while you weren’t there. Many couples make the mistake of only hiring one photographer. This inevitably ends up with stunning photos of the bride and bridesmaids getting ready, but not a single one of the groom and his friends! It can also lead to a situation where the bride is captured walking down the aisle but the expression on the groom’s face is missed. With two photographers you’ll literally capture twice as much of your day and end up with a far better selection of photos once the day is over. And let’s face it, all you’ll have are memories, photos and hopefully a video to remember the day by, so make sure you capture as much as possible!
Choosing The Wrong Wedding Party
Maybe you made a pact years ago to be each other’s bridesmaid or best man, or you feel obligated in some way to choose someone to be in your wedding party you’re not 100% sure will be there for you when it comes to the crunch. Please don’t do it! Photos and videos live forever and you don’t want to look back on them wishing you hadn’t chosen a certain person to support you on your big day. If your gut is telling you no, make an executive decision to exclude them from your inner circle. You can still invite them to the wedding of course, but choose only your very closest friends and family to be part of the wedding party. You won’t regret it!
Image Credit: Martin Dabek Photography
Letting Your Photographer Dictate Your Day
Having to pose for endless photos is not fun. Sure, you want a great selection of spectacular images of your special day but being told you need to come and pose for yet another one when all you want to do is hit the buffet is not the ideal way to spend such an important day of your life. Ask your photographer to take all posed photos within a one hour slot shortly after your ceremony and then ask for the remaining shots to be candid and informal, which tend to be the most natural anyway. This will leave you and your guests to enjoy your day, without worrying about being whisked away again.
Inviting Long-Lost Members Of The Family
Unfortunately, pressure to invite family members you haven’t spoken to in years or barely know is a real thing. But remember, these people will appear in your wedding photos, you’ll feel like you’ll have to speak to them when you’d rather be celebrating with people you love and what’s more you’ll have to pay for them! Unless you’re lucky enough to have the bill for your wedding footed by someone else, try to keep your number of wedding guests down to your close friends and family. It’s your wedding, and you should only celebrate such an intimate day of your life with people you care about.
Image Credit: Tom Aizenburg
Micro-Managing The Day
If something isn’t ready by the night before your wedding, it’s never going to be. Stop stressing! When the day arrives just go with the flow. Allow the wedding co-ordinator at your venue to take charge and just enjoy your day. It’s not uncommon to hear of couples forgetting to eat or missing the entertainment they’ve booked because they’re running around ensuring everything goes exactly as planned. Before they know it, the day has passed them by and they haven’t had the wonderful day they’d envisaged. Don’t let that be you!
Not Serving Enough Food
Food is the way to a lot of hearts. People will always remember a great meal but they’ll be unlikely to remember the colour or thickness of your napkins. Spending money on quality food (and a lot of it) will never be something you’ll regret. It’s definitely not something you should skimp on. It also has the added bonus of keeping your guests’ stomachs lined, resulting in fewer drunken mishaps and more people making it to the end of the day! You don’t want people leaving early to get food!
Image Credit:Dan Biggins
Being Too Trendy
Modern fashion trends might be hot right now, but that’s all they are – a trend. If there’s a surefire way to make your wedding photos look dated it’s choosing a dress, suits, makeup and decor that are bang up to date. Lots of couples regret being too trendy on their wedding day and not choosing timeless options that will forever look good in photos. To avoid this, think nude makeup, classic dresses and smart suits. The same goes for memorable songs that you choose. You might love the current number one but is it going to stand the test of time? If you choose a current chart topper as a song to walk down the aisle to, or as your first dance, are you still going to love it in ten or twenty years time when you look back at these special moments?
How Can I Book Entertainment So I Don’t Have Any Wedding Regrets?
You’re definitely in the right place if you want to book sensational wedding entertainment! At Entertainment Nation you’ll find the UK’s best selection of wedding bands, musicians and entertainers available for hire. To get started, simply browse through the acts using the button below and when you find an act you love, either fill in the enquiry form on their profile or give one of our friendly advisers a call and they can help match you to your dream entertainment!
