In the modern age, weddings come in all shapes and sizes. Couples can personalize their ceremonies, crafting creative and unique weddings that stray from traditional church weddings. There are more ways to legally marry than ever before.
While this leaves tremendous room for originality, it also presents plenty of opportunities for things to go awry, even if expertly planned. Despite your best efforts, your wedding ceremony and reception can become rife with common wedding mistakes.
This magical day marks the beginning of the rest of your lives as a couple, and you and your spouse need to take extra care to ensure your day is impeccable.
For that reason, we have created a list of common wedding mistakes and how to avoid them. Even the most meticulous planners can forget essential details, so use this list to double-check that every step of your wedding day goes flawlessly.
If you and your spouse need more help finding affordable wedding locations, check out our list about city hall and courtroom ceremonies.
1. Not Preparing for Your Wardrobe
How often do you wear a veil? Especially in the modern era, it’s likely you never have before. For that reason, you have to think ahead about how your wardrobe might malfunction.
If your ceremony is outdoors, ask your wedding coordinator for tips on how to secure a veil so wind and natural elements don’t cause it to blow around – or even fall off. Practice walking down the aisle with the veil during the rehearsal to ensure there are no last-minute issues.
What about the high heels you’ll wear in your wedding dress? Even the most experienced high-heel walkers might be thrown off by a new shoe, especially if the hall you walk to the altar in is made of slippery material, like marble. Bring your heels to the rehearsal and practice walking down the aisle; if your shoes are too slick for the environment, consider finding ways to give your heels more traction, like roughening up your leather soles.
2. Forgetting Your Vows
Everyone loves the idea of spilling their beautiful vows straight from the heart. However, this introduces the possibility that you forget your vows in front of everyone!
Take notes with you if you want to attempt the romantic gesture of saying it all from memory. No one will look down on you for forgetting your vows, as remembering everything in front of all your closest friends and family members can be nerve-wracking.
So, make good eye contact, annunciate, and bring a backup list of vows in case your memory fails you. Your written vows will double as a cherished memory, from which you can read and recount the events for years to come.
3. Talking During the First Dance
While sharing a few words is fine, don’t spend the entirety of the first dance talking, even if it’s one of the few moments you’ll get entirely alone for most of the night. From a photographic perspective, a couple chatting does not look as romantic as two locked in each other’s arms, smiling and dancing to the music.
Smile at one another, kiss, and use this moment to create some of the most lovely photographic memories of your special day.
4. Not Having Dropped Ring Protocol
The most important thing to do when someone drops a ring is to remain still. Make sure your wedding planner keeps everyone from scrambling around, as the more people move, the more likely the ring will be moved around and harder to find.
It’s often the best man’s job to pick up the ring unless you specifically designate another person ahead of time. Prepare for this situation in advance, especially if your wedding is in a grassy or sandy outdoor space. The more organized you are, the quicker the ring will be found, and the ceremony can continue.
5. Not Looking at Each Other During the Ceremony
Make direct eye contact. Cameras and onlookers can pose distractions, but your photos will look even more precious if you two keep your eyes locked lovingly. You will have plenty of time to look at and converse with others later – use this moment to create the perfect shot.
6. Placing Rings Without Meaning
Like looking at each other, you want to place your ring on your partner’s finger with meaning and grace. Take your time and place the ring on slowly. Make eye contact and savor the moment as you first put your wedding band on your to-be spouse.
The worst thing you can do is rush the process. Remember what a precious symbol this ring is; you will never have this moment again.
7. Getting Worked Up Over the Small Stuff and Trying to Control Everything
Despite best efforts, the ceremony is off to a late start. A member of the bridal party is violently ill and has to cancel at the last minute. The groom left his best socks in the hotel room.
But who cares?
Often, no one will notice all that’s going wrong but you. Further still, these are but minor interruptions in the glorious day that is your wedding. Please make sure a coordinator or other party is in charge of the minute details so you can spend less time worrying about them.
Expecting everything to go perfectly will only ruin your day. Instead, focus on enjoying all that is going well, and remember that your wedding does not have to be – and, realistically, cannot be – perfect.
This day is about the journey you and your partner are beginning as a couple. If you keep this in mind every step of the way, it’s unlikely any small detail will ruin the day. Smile, remain happy, and enjoy the moment; your guests are sure to follow your lead.
8. Having a Lecture-Based Ceremony
Everyone knows what a marriage is. The last thing you and your guests want to sit through is a sermon that sounds more like a PowerPoint on what a wedding means.
Use your ceremony as a time for your speaker to offer beautiful anecdotes, boiling down the essence of marriage into bite-sized, symbolic stories. Out of all common wedding mistakes, this will often make your ceremony boring, causing many audience members to tune out.
9. Forgetting to Enjoy Yourself
The most essential part of any marriage is having fun! This is your day, and you should wear it proudly.
Forget your months of planning, as you’ve done everything you could to get you and your fiancé to this point. Look confident, smile, and trust in your coordinator that everything will turn out alright. If you follow this list of common wedding mistakes to avoid, you should be more than prepared for your special day.
If you and your spouse are interested in an Atlanta city hall wedding ceremony, contact City Hall Wedding today. We will get you on the path to your dream wedding and help you every step of the way.