Brides USA

You can always find a plan B. “The event

space I booked closed three months before

my wedding! I shouldn’t have panicked; a

few phone calls later, we found a stunning spot

that was able to closely match the deal at

our original location.” —Missy Greenberg, Ne w York

It’s just as hard to plan a small wedding as a

big one. “I was set on having 10 guests in a

rented home in Big Sur, but most places that fit

the bill wouldn’t accommodate a small party

like mine without a huge fee. I eventually com-

promised on a venue in Sonoma with an elope-

ment package.” —Katie Oxenford, San Jose, Calif.

Order at least 10 extra invitations. “You could

mail one to the wrong address, or your parents

might decide to add the family doctor to the

guest list. I came dangerously close to having to

mail out the invite I wanted to keep for myself!”

—Tanya Scalisi, Hawthorne, N.J.

You really do need a professional caterer. “I hired

someone from a restaurant I loved to do our food,

but she had minimal catering experience. She

got overwhelmed and left almost everything to

the last minute.” —Kate Lacroix, Boulder, Colo.

Things always cost more than you think they will.

“My husband and I had a rough price in mind for

table and chair rentals, but the actual amount

was much higher. There was a fee for delivery, a

fee for setting up, a fee for breaking down the

tables, and an additional fee for labor off hours.”

—Bethany Blair, Brooklyn

Not everyone will take your DIY projects as

seriously as you do. “I thought I’d save money

by having friends help me do my flowers, but

my ’maids were more into drinking champagne

than arranging bouquets. I ended up having to

hire an assistant.” —Julia Martin-Wrobel, Los Angeles

Always check

references. “We got

scammed by our

photographer, who

turned out to have

a criminal record. Ask

for real people you

can talk to!” —Jennifer

Gilbert*, Charlotte, N.C.

Read the fine print.

“Our shuttle driver’s

contract didn’t say

he needed to stay

until every guest was

ready to leave, and

his shift ended

before our wedding

did.” —Tiffany Ireland

Stream, Mesa, Ariz.

A lot of people

don’t write their

names on their

RSVPs. “We should

have assigned each

guest a number and

penciled it in on the

back.” —Kelly Vives,

Old Greenwich, Conn.

You’re going

to want to cut a

cake. “We had

a doughnut table.

I’m sad I missed

that tradition!”

—Summer Watkins,

Hunting ton Beach, Calif.

We a s k e d r e c e n t b r i d e s

what they wish they’d known

before they said “I do” so

you could learn from their

mess-ups and near misses

BY LAMBETH HOCHWALD

*Name changed

KENNETH WILLARDT/TRUNK ARCHIVE