What Could Go Wrong For The Bride

If you are planning to get married and you are going to be the bride, if you want things to go wrong then simply don't prepare. Now, some people will tell you that if you don't put a plan in place because you like randomness, then whatever happens can't be a bad thing. I happen to know that most brides don't like that theory. In fact, you'll generally find that most brides organised their big day in more detail than any other day in their life.

Having said that, some brides like to plan things on their own whilst others like to share the planning with someone close to them such as their husband-to-be. Not that those that don't want to share the planning show any sort of inclination of how their future lives together are going to be but it is a good idea to share at least some of the planning - and that doesn't mean just telling him to go arrange the cars.

Planning. Preparation. Precision for the big day. Rule one says that no matter how much you plan, something is likely to go wrong. Rule two says that it's too late to worry about it so just enjoy the day. Probably the most popular mess up of the day is the rings being mislaid by one of you. This is normally the groom's job to mess up and it seems to happen quite often. Another popular one is forgetting to tell the hire car driver where he is picking you up from if it is not your house. Also, not practicing your speech if you are going to make one. Early planning can help most things but not everything.

A to-do list is a great start to making sure that you tick off everything. Set aside ample time to plan and then execute every one of the items on your list. Note that it takes longer than you initially think to do anything as this is a wedding that you are planning not just a party. If you can work your way methodically through this list, you will most certainly have less headaches on the day. Designate what you can to your wedding helpers including such things as the wedding cake, ordering flowers and sending out the wedding invitations. No bride will totally hand over these tasks without 99% involvement in them so even handing them over to a helper may only save you a little bit of time.

At this point in the planning, have look at how your plans are going and, no matter where you're up to, don't panic. Take one step at a time or even two or three but don't try and take on everything at once. Little things such as making sure that the wedding venue that you chose before you sent out the invitations can hold the number of people that you have invited or are expecting. Make sure that whatever entertainment you are planning can also fit into the same room at the same time as, on the day, you don't want to arrive at your reception and find the band has moved the bridal table to fit in the drummer and his drum kit.

Most wedding caterers are pretty good at dealing with brides to be and, if this is potentially a problem area for you, just let them know what special dietary needs any of your guests may have and what you don't want and you can generally leave them to do the planning for you. They will ask if you want hors d'oeuvres, entree, main course, desert, coffee, nibbles, cakes, wine, soft drink, bottled water or any other thing that can add a few dollars per person to your catering bill. Just make this decision and let them know.

If your wedding day is to be anything but a Saturday or Sunday, make sure that your invitations are pretty clear on this as most of your guests will have taken some time off work and this can take time to arrange for some people. If you are planning to do your hair 30 seconds before you hit the road, make sure to book your hair stylist well in advance so that they can keep their diary free of bookings for the least a few hours on that day. Speaking of hair, if you're wedding dress is one that goes over your head or if the bridesmaid dresses are similar, then an old trick is to stick a pillow case over your head when putting on your gown which will ensure that your makeup does not stick to it.

If your flowers are to be carried into the church by a child, remember that working with children and animals can both be a challenge however animals are quite often easier. Dress your flower carrier as close to the time that they are to appear in public as possible as small people love to get up to mischief particularly when dressed impeccably.

If the groom had his bucks or stags night the night before the wedding (not really recommended), call the best man the morning of the wedding to make sure that not only did the groom arrive home safely but that he will be appearing at the church on time together with the wedding rings. Before the groom heads on up the aisle, make sure that somebody has met him outside and has inserted the corsage in the correct buttonhole and that it is not upside down.

Now, the speeches. If you are going to make a speech, people want to hear it and there is a chance that you may want to retain it as a keepsake so therefore don't write it down on a tiny scrap of paper. A computer will normally print in size 10 font. It is advisable to print your speech in size 12 or even 14 font so that you don't have to squint or keep holding bits of paper in front of your face. Size 14 font is large enough to read it clearly if your speech is laying on the table in front of you.

There are plenty of books and websites available that can help you create and write a catchy speech that will interest the people sitting quietly listening to every word you say so you don't need stress over that one or get writers block.

Then there is the Best Man's speech. Yes, sometimes you will need to be worried about what this person is going to dredge up about the man who just became your husband - and then choose to share it with the world. Sometimes, there may even be reasons to question the lifetime decision that you made only hours before but remember, you did agree to for better or for worse - even if you think that it can't get much worse. This is another good use for those speech writing books. It's not a bad suggestion to get one and also send it to the Best Man and tell him to follow the basic rules.

For the bride, it is a good idea to put together a bit of an emergency kit which would contain such things as hairspray, make up, facial tissues and headache tablets (no jokes about that last one please). A couple of safety pins and spare stockings will also not go amiss on this special day.

A big worry for some brides is that the photographer won't turn up on time or at all. The worst thing that can happen here is that you don't end up with professional photographs but you can be sure that your friends and family will have taken thousands of which they can send you a selection of their best.

Finally, as I said, it is your big day and, by the time you get to the actual day itself, it really is too late to make any changes so, short of the groom not turning up, just try and prepare as best you can and accept whatever happens on the day as it will all form part of the character that makes your big day your wonderful day.

This wedding planner tip is brought to you by Jeff Halter. Check out this help on Wedding Speeches and Toasts if you could do with some ideas on what to say and what to get the Groom and Best Man not to say. I hope that everything goes well for you on your big day.