Brides USA

Pinterest can be addictive. “At first, pinning

ideas to my wedding board was useful, but as
I found more and more things that fit my palette

and style, I started to realize that I could never
pull them all off. Instead of stressing, I picked

a couple of key details that I loved and ran
with them.” —Caitlin De Leonardis, Hoboken, N. J.

No one will sign a guest book they can’t see.

“I ordered one I loved from Etsy. Unfortunately,
the table it was on was covered with a huge

floral display, so only seven guests saw and
signed it! Word to the wise: Know where your

guest book will be placed, and make sure it
stands out.” —Laura Pesin Eder, Ne w York

You can never ask potential vendors too many

questions. “I hired a woman based on a per-
sonal friend’s recommendation, but I should

have grilled her about her process during the
interview. She was careless about getting tasks

done on time.” —Sarah Elison, Seattle

Big bridal parties add up. “When I got engaged,

14 bridesmaids seemed like a great idea. I wish

I’d realized that would mean 14 bouquets, 14
hair and makeup appointments, 14 gifts, and,

thanks to plus-ones, 28 seats.” —Emily Macon Tripp,
Jacksonville, Fla.

Your friends and family are going to want

to help. “Even if their taste or skills don’t align
with yours, there are a zillion details you can

delegate. I put a two-year-old to work punching
out paper flowers for my invitations.”
—Mariana Leung, Ne w York

Give your photographer all the info she needs

to take great pics. “We thought our job was

done when we booked our dream photographer.
Then we found ourselves spending a lot of

time mapping out our ‘must-have’ shots and the
timeline of our wedding day. Still, it was worth it.”
—Cat Lucas, Hope Mills, N.C.

Proofreading your stationery is not optional.

“My last name was misspelled on our save-the-

dates, something I didn’t catch until they
were already printed. We rushed a reprint, but—

gulp!” —Marielle Sologuren Kunhardt, Fort Lauderdale

Thank-you notes can make you crazy. “Af ter

the honeymoon, you’ll come back to a living

room full of gifts, but no one tells you how daunt-
ing the task of writing thank-you notes is.

Our solution: Write the notes, one by one, while
opening presents.” —Heidi Black, Arlington, Tex.

When it comes to dress shopping, stick with

a small entourage. “Bring just one or two advi-

sors who will be honest and won’t ooh and

aah you to death.” —Lindsay Boos Tarrant, Ne w York

You can’t put a price on memories. “I wish we’d

budgeted for a higher-end photographer. We

went for the option with the lowest rate, and

while our photos are good, they aren’t as spec-

tacular as the party was.” —Kim Luban, Ne w York

Unusual envelopes can equal extra postage.

“We wanted our invites to be unique, but we

didn’t realize a button closure would add

weight. Be sure to ask your post office about

stamps and shipping before you order.”

—Erica Mutschler, Chicago

Being married by a stranger might bum you out.

“We hired a justice of the peace who’d never

spent time with us. I wish we’d known the officiant

instead. It would have made it more personal.”

—Megan Gaffney, Boston

Ignore Yelp at your peril. “If there’s a common

thread in a vendor’s online reviews, it’s probably

true. I loved my venue, so I turned a blind eye

to complaints about the service. Big mistake!

The security guard never showed up, and the

valets charged guests twice.” —Andrea Berkman

Donlon, New York

RSVP CARDS ARE GOING TO TRICKLE IN—IF THEY

COME AT ALL. “GIVE GUESTS THE OPTION TO

REPLY ON YOUR WEDDING WEB SITE. IT MAKES THE

PROCESS WAY FASTER.” —Mar yam Taheri, San Francisco

THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW HAVE

EXPENSIVE TASTES. “MOST OF

OUR GUESTS PICKED THE PRICIEST

ENTRÉE. DON’T OFFER IT UNLESS

YOU CAN AFFORD FOR EVERY-

ONE TO CHOOSE IT!”

—Roxanne Ierino, Ne w York

Everybody loves a

postwedding brunch.

“Looking back, it

would have been

awesome to spend

the next morning

recapping our

wedding day with

family and friends.”

—Lindsay Gurak, Ne w York

Dwelling on the

“regrets” list is a

waste of time.

“Accepting that cer-

tain friends couldn’t

attend was hard, but

the people who did

come made it extra

special.” —Kate Scully

Krebsbach, Chicago

A dress requiring

major alterations is

a big gamble. “I let

myself be convinced

a good seamstress

could make my too-

tight gown fit. Not

the case!” —Brittany

Lerch, Winter Garden, Fla.

Cut guests out of

the seating negotia-

tions. “Asking peo-

ple who they’d like at

their table made the

seating chart even

more of a nightmare.”

—Christine Comey Lewis,

Medford, Mass.

Your florist isn’t

just your go-to on

flowers. “Mine had

as much insight on

event design as my

wedding planner

did.” —Radford Thomas

Whitney, Atlanta

Hiring a planner

is worth every

penny. “Two

months in, I got

so overwhelmed,

I nearly told my

fiancé to take

back his ring. I’m

so glad I decided

to invest in a

professional. She

more than made

up for the cost

by using her

connections to

negotiate dis-

counts from

other vendors.”

—Brittany Mirvil,

Ta ll aha ssee , Fl a.

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