Weddings are filled with emotions such as happiness, joy, and love. The last thing you’ll want to experience on your wedding day is regret. Even when meticulous planning is done, mistakes can still occur.
Many people wish they could change something about their wedding. Junebug asked Junebug readers about their biggest wedding regrets as well as the lessons that they learned. The Junebug readers also shared what they would do differently if given the chance.
Junebug readers share their wedding regrets.
“I wish I hadn’t stressed as hard about the preparation, but it might not have been as perfect if I didn’t. I don’t look back at my wedding and wonder if there were things that could have been done differently. All the details are going to go out of fashion, but I’ll always remember the feeling I had on my wedding day and the joy I felt being surrounded by all my loved ones (including Nama, my dog) and marrying my best friend.
I did the planning all by myself. From calculating drink quantities to designing invitations. It was a lot of work to do with a full-time position. It didn’t seem like work at all because I was enjoying every moment. One thing I’d do differently would be to have a coordinator to ensure everything runs according to schedule. It was unfortunate that I had to deal with this on the wedding day. My advice is to plan but to have a dedicated, well-briefed event manager on your wedding day.”
“My advice to couples planning their weddings: Hire a coordinator for the day of your wedding! It’s my only regret. I was so busy setting everything up and making sure the day was perfect that I missed precious moments I would never be able to take back. No amount of cash is worth it!” – Noelle & Darryl.
Enjoy every moment! It is not worth it. It is the main thing I wish I had done differently. I should have started small and increased my expectations as I got closer to the wedding date. My mistake was that I was too excited to plan all the big things, and I insisted on sticking with them. We ended up spending way more than our budget.
I wanted to feel comfortable and free on my wedding day. I also wanted a look that looked boho and glamorous. My favorite part of my wedding look was the cathedral-length pink veil with a four-foot blusher. It was only worn for two seconds. One of my regrets is that I don’t wear it anymore.
We are both very proud that our wedding was exactly what we wanted, and we did not compromise on anything for anyone else. It was also a beautiful ceremony. The only thing I regret about our wedding is that we didn’t invite Drag Beyonce. “That was a missed chance”. Courtney and Cherae
We screened orchestral/string-quartet versions of songs together as a fun activity for wedding planning. We regretted not hiring a live flugelhorn when we drank and danced along to Chuck Mangione’s “Feels So good.”- Mandy & Costanza.
“I have (slightly) wedding regrets for not being more composed in the photos. I was a hot and crying mess! “But in the end, I’m happy our true emotions were captured.” – Janice & Kevin.
“The most important thing I would do differently is to organize the timeline and to try to adhere to it. The sun sets in Nicaragua by 6 pm. Kevin and I did not have a first glance, but our photographer insisted that the ceremony be held at 4 pm for the best lighting. This left us with only one and a half hours for photos. We didn’t even manage to get a picture of both families together. My advice is to ensure that the timeline allows you to do all of these things.” Pamela and Kevin
Hire a videographer. No service meant that few people were using their phones. “I regret not having captured our special day on film.”
If you’re unsure whether or not to video on that particular day, do it. It’s my only regret.”
You will regret not hiring a professional videographer. They’ll capture all the important moments of the wedding day because it happens so quickly. You won’t be able to see everything.
“I would have used my bridesmaids a lot more. To make sure everything looks the way it should. I would have assigned someone to double-check the bars and tables, foods, etc. Many things were missing or not set up the way I had envisioned. I would have liked someone to know what was expected and make sure it was right.
“I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t get involved in idle chatter, which is not like me. I wanted to have fun and do what I l You can’t dance at your wedding, so when can you do it? Ryan was a good, attentive husband. I appreciate that he made the rounds, but I regret not dancing on his wedding day.
Don’t overschedule your day. Allow time to spend with your guests. “That’s a huge regret for me.” Aravinda & Mason
Taylor and Noah: “We regret not spending more time with our loved ones before our wedding, between our out-of-town guests visiting and all our family members being in the same place.”
Everyone has regrets about their wedding. Even if you plan meticulously, mistakes will always be made. These mistakes shouldn’t detract from the importance of the event. Focus on the positives and what your wedding day represents.
You can still handle the day well, even if things don’t work out as planned. Refer to this guide. If you are unsure about something during the planning phase but you want it, go for it.
