Wedding Day Regrets (you absolutely won’t have if you read this article!) by Jenna Hewitt

Published by Claire Gould on

Itโ€™s December, time for festive cheer! So, it probably feels a little strange that today Iโ€™m bringing you a piece titled โ€˜wedding day regretsโ€™ but bear with me, I promise it will be worth it!

Nothing saddens me more than listening to the words โ€œif I could do it all again I wish I would haveโ€ฆโ€ and, if you are a 2018 bride to be heading into the year of your wedding, you have the wonderful luxury of time and the fabulous opportunity that comes with it to avoid those wedding day regrets I hear about too often.

Greenery and gorgeous urban chic styling at Manchester Victoria Warehouse with Kate McCarthy Photography (33)

Photography credits: Kate McCarthy from this beautiful wedding

VIDEOGRAPHERS

Too many couples dismiss the idea of a videographer without properly looking into it. Some canโ€™t understand the value in having one (โ€œI have an amazing photographer, why do I need one) or they think that they would prefer to spend their budget elsewhere. Sometimes they have the perception that a wedding film will be cheesy or a little naff or perhaps they imagine an obtrusive film crew who will kill the spirit of the day. Sound familiar? There are some amazing videographers out there whose work is quite frankly epic, spine tingling Iโ€™m going to throw a couple out to make my point โ€“ This Modern Revelry and Roost Films. Neither of these fits anywhere near a stereotype of โ€˜film crewโ€™ take over! To the contrary, a little like the trend for more fly on the wall photography, the videographers Iโ€™ve worked with and recommend blend into your day. Wedding videography has moved on and can capture the emotion the spirit, the essence of your wedding in a very different way to just photography and, if itโ€™s a question of budget, itโ€™s worth a big think about the investment in the grand scheme of the entire wedding budget or seeing if you can make savings elsewhere.


https://www.jennahewitt.co.uk

Instagram | Facebook


PLEASING EVERYONE

Twice in my life have I been in the situation where it feels like everyone has an opinion and everyone wants to input leaving me feel totally overwhelmed and driving me slightly bonkers. The first was when I was planning my own wedding and the second was after the birth of my first child. Iโ€™m not sure what it is about major life events but youโ€™ll find everyone will want to impart some โ€˜helpfulโ€™ advice and have their say. If youโ€™re currently in the throes of planning I guarantee you can think of at least a handful of examples! Whilst most of it is well meant, it still doesnโ€™t mean it will all be helpful. Remember this is your wedding day, itโ€™s a declaration and celebration of your love as a couple and thatโ€™s what counts. There will be some things where you may need to concede a little (guests list, whether or not you allow any children are typical examples) but on the whole try and stick true to you as a couple.

Greenery and gorgeous urban chic styling at Manchester Victoria Warehouse with Kate McCarthy Photography (18)

WET WEATHER PLAN, WHAT WET WEATHER PLAN?

A very practical one but if you are getting married in the UK and any part of your plans are outside, have a wet weather plan, please. I promise nothing will raise your stress levels more on the day of your wedding if you donโ€™t and it happens to be torrential outdoors. Winging it or hoping for the best isnโ€™t the best option. If you have a wedding planner this will absolutely already have been considered but, if not, chat to your venue โ€“ ask them what the contingencies are and make sure that the contingency still works for you.

YOUR A-TEAM

Having the right suppliers on board to pull off your big day is super crucial. Donโ€™t ever feel pressured into choosing a supplier without having taken the time to decide if they are right for you. These guys will be your A-team leading up to and on the big day and youโ€™ll want to make sure youโ€™ve the best team for you. Do your research, check out their credentials, follow their social media posts – do everything you need to make sure youโ€™re happy and, if you have even the slightest niggle (you canโ€™t always get hold of them when you need to, you feel like they just donโ€™t โ€˜getโ€™ what it is you are askingโ€ฆ) then donโ€™t book or find an alternative.

Greenery and gorgeous urban chic styling at Manchester Victoria Warehouse with Kate McCarthy Photography (27)

SAVING MONEY THE WRONG WAY

There are two ways that couples try and save money that can lead to wedding regrets. The first is trying to save money on the wrong things. Iโ€™m going to use photography as an example. You have a friend/friend of a friend who wants to get into photography or dabbles in their spare time and has offered to do it for free or a knock down price so you go for it โ€“ it means youโ€™ll be able to afford the wedding favours, the fairy lights, the expensive table plan etc etc. To me, trying to save on the key stuff, the stuff youโ€™ll cherish forever that captures the memories of your day isnโ€™t the best choice.

The second way that couples try and save money that often makes me edgy is by taking on too much themselves, Iโ€™m talking wedding DIY. By the time youโ€™ve bought all the individual parts and pieces to put it all together you would be surprised at how much youโ€™ve actually spent. Oh and I havenโ€™t even covered the investment of your precious time in pulling it all together. I am all about adding your personal style to your wedding day but not if itโ€™s really not you and if itโ€™s going to cause you more stress to do so donโ€™t do it! Even if you do save money, chances are youโ€™ll have spent more of the emotional tank getting there. Do not get me wrong. Iโ€™ve seen it work brilliantly where the bride and her entire family were blessed with amazingly creative and artistic abilities. It was amazing. Iโ€™ve seen it work like this, without hiccup or fluster, once.

Greenery and gorgeous urban chic styling at Manchester Victoria Warehouse with Kate McCarthy Photography (3)

HOLDING ON TO THE REINS

Itโ€™s your wedding day, youโ€™ve put your heart and soul into every little detail and youโ€™re so excited! You completely deserve to enjoy it but you canโ€™t because youโ€™re worrying about who will make sure all the little details of your day, that are in your head, will happen? Who will make all those little decisions on the day when things just โ€˜crop upโ€™? I think everyone on their wedding day needs their right hand man/woman. Someone you trust completely who knows your wishes and โ€˜gets itโ€™. This could be a best friend, a supplier who is there on the day, a wedding planner or family member. Whoever it is make sure you have one.

Greenery and gorgeous urban chic styling at Manchester Victoria Warehouse with Kate McCarthy Photography (31)

 

Lovely English Wedding Blog sponsor Jenna Hewitt is writing a series of articles following one of her couplesโ€™ wedding planning journeys, which weโ€™ll be publishing on these pages throughout the year. Previous features if you missed them are:


Claire Gould

Claire spends her days writing - either in beautiful calligraphy or online. She lives on the edge of the English Lake District only minutes away from the beach, where she loves to escape and unwind. Claire's calligraphy can be found at www.byMoonandTide.com. Claire launched the English Wedding Blog in November 2009 - it's been a top 10 UK wedding blog ever since, with a regional focus we hope you LOVE.

1 Comment

Robin Goodlad · December 15, 2017 at 2:34 pm

A really great post, and all so true! it is natural to worry when you put your heart and soul in to your wedding, but also when the day arrives, you need to step back, relax, trust your suppliers, and ENJOY the day. I see so many couples worrying about things they really don’t need to on the day, and it means they aren’t enjoying themselves as much as they should. Looking back this is something to regret, especially if nothing actually went wrong.

Leave a Reply

Avatar placeholder

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Read previous post:
Advice on trying on wedding dresses, by Ailsa Munro on the English Wedding Blog (1)
A beginner’s guide to wedding dress sizes (Or, “Are you SURE this is a size 12?”)

by Ailsa Munro Dressmaker, Cornwall It seems like it's fairly common knowledge that wedding dresses "run small" compared to high...

Close