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Despite putting all the effort to make a wedding celebration successful, there are some things that can still occur that is beyond a person’s control. Imagine this: You’ve worked for months trying to make the event a success from choosing a suitable venue to selecting the design of the cutlery and you couldn’t be more ecstatic when the day finally arrives. However, in the middle of dinner service, you ran out of roast duck and rib-eye steaks. Why? Because regardless of ordering the correct portion of food for your buffet, how could you know that Uncle Louie, Aunt Tina, and nearly half of your extended family just started an all-meat Paleo diet last week! How kind of them to leave only bones and high carb sides for the rest of your guests to eat.
Okay, so maybe that is a longshot of actually happening but that doesn’t mean unwanted situations like this can’t haunt your wedding day. To give yourself the best chance to avoid being a victim in a bad scenario, here are some tips that can help if you face such situations and how to deal with them.
Running Behind Schedule
Even though you were pretty much clear on every detail of your wedding and made sure that the wedding planner has a copy of it too, on the actual day, for some reason, you find yourself running behind schedule at the reception. It happens all the time that some things, like the Best Man and Maid of Honor running long on their speeches. In situations like that, you can prepare in advance to include an item in the second half of the program as optional. That is, you can safely remove it from the program if the additional time is needed without taking away from you or the guests’ experience. If that happens, you can easily cut the program in order to make it work. Or you can assign a timekeeper so that he or she can keep an eye on the clock and make sure that the event is going according to plan.
Bad Weather
You can never be sure how the weather is going to be or how long weather conditions are going to last making planning an outdoor wedding a challenge. To be on the safe side, you can set up backup plans for bad weather and ensure that all of the vendors are aware of the contingency plan arrangements. For example, it’s common for venues to store tents as backup for rain or snow. Venues may also have an indoor space available in case of poor weather or strong winds.
Vendor Cancellations
It isn’t unheard of for vendors to not show up on the day of your wedding or cancel at the last minute. Because of this, it’s always wise to confirm all of the arrangements the week prior to the wedding. If it does happen to you, try not to panic. See if the venue can quickly replace the vendor on short notice.
To be better prepared, when you can, hire vendors recommended to you by your friends or family. Always ask for a contract. Read through it and make sure that it’s signed by both you and the vendor. Take advantage of social media and planning sites like weddingdive.com by announcing your event publicly. Available vendors may reach out to you or make themselves easy to find in case you get in a bind.
Technical Errors
Sometimes you focus too much on the décor and the catering that you forget that the microphones, speakers, lights, or the projector need to be checked too. Usually it’s the DJ’s responsibility but you chose not to hire a professional to save money. That’s totally fine however all that hard work by you and your loved one will be done in vain when you find out that neither of you tested the A/V equipment. It’s no surprise that we suggest to do a test run the week and day before the wedding. Notify the vendor right away if you have any concerns. If you learn of any issues during the test, you should have time to have the equipment repaired or replaced.
Wardrobe Malfunctions
It’s not unusual for brides or grooms to find themselves in situations where a button goes missing, a zipper gets stuck, or a gown embellishment falls off. As insurance, you can stock spare pieces and have a professional tailor, or friend or family member who knows how to sew, stay close by on the day of the wedding. You may even want the designated person to be available well before “Here Comes the Bride” starts playing in case something happens early in the day.
Uninvited Guests
There are times when some invited guests may take it upon themselves to bring an unexpected plus one. Yes, this is what many of us would call rude. Regardless of your take, it can quickly become an issue because several guests that properly RSVPed can be left stranded without a seat or the once ample amount of food that was prepared may no longer be enough. Let the event planner, if you have one, handle the situation by squeezing in a few more chairs and by having enough food for a higher number of guests than expected. If you don’t have a planner, have your close friends or family remedy the situation with these solutions. Don’t let this issue stress you out, it’s your party!
Power Outages
Amazing music? Check. Beautiful lights? Check. Sounds like you’re going to have a wonderful wedding, as long as you’re able to run them. One of the biggest possible party poopers is a power outage. Try to say that 3 times fast!
Overstuffed power outlets, electrical storms, and area outages can all pull the plug on your wedding. Certain regions are more susceptible to power outages than others but you should still be prepared. Find out if your venue has a backup generator or you can borrow one from a neighbor, friend, or family member. Learn how much power you will need to run the main electrical equipment for generator requirements.
There are hardly any weddings that go according to what a couple imagined. Beyond the usual wedding jitters, there are things such as flowers not being as beautiful as they were in the catalog pictures that can spoil the mood of anyone getting married. Hiccups like these shouldn’t be carried on the bride and groom’s shoulders. It’s your wedding. Let others close to you know if you have any concerns so they can smooth out the bumps while you can focus on being elated on your extra special day.
