We’ve all heard of The Murphy’s law – the worst that could happen will happen. Despite having gone through everything a million times, wedding snafus are unfortunately – common. So, here are 10 of the most common wedding hiccups, how to avoid them and what to do take place.
01 Unexpected Guests
Some guests may assume that a ‘plus one’ was included in their invitation and brought along a partner or child. Or perhaps, your family informally invited someone and forgot to update the list. Having said that, dealing with unexpected guests can be awkward but if they do come, here’s how to handle them politely. If you have an extra table, seat both the expected and unexpected guests there. Otherwise, wait till the place is filled up, and assign them to the tables that’s half empty. If it is just one person or a child, the other solution is to seat them where the expected guest was originally placed, making up a table of 11 individuals.
02 Forgotten Rings
There are certain items at a wedding that is simply indispensable. To start, make sure to assign the task of keeping your wedding bands to the most reliable person in your bridal party. And if this unfortunately happens, there really is no way around it but to send someone to fetch it. Get the emcee to entertain the crowd while stalling for time, and send your most trusted friend to get the rings. Go ahead and start the ceremony once they’ve gotten a hold of it and are on the wat to you, especially in a Christian ceremony, where there is multiple agenda in the programme before the act of ring exchanges takes place. And if you’re ok with using backup or fake rings then remember to pack an extra set.
03 Broken Heels
As a contingency, always carry a pair of alternative white heels in the bridal car. In the event that you don’t have such a pair prepared before hand, look for someone in the bridal party with similar shoe sizes and wear theirs instead.
04 Dinner Banquet Mishap
In the unfortunate event that you or your guests experience food poisoning, electricity issues, bad service or anything of the like, don’t shy back. Voice out your feedback and don’t be afraid to ask for a discount or some sort of reimbursement.
05 Wardrobe Malfunction
Assign someone in your bridal party to carry with them a basic sewing kit and safety pins for situations such as these. If your dress or suit is truly beyond a quick fix and the damage will not go unnoticed, consider putting on one of your other outfits for the day.
06 Flower girl or Pageboy Acting Up
Laugh it off. Your guests will understand that kids sometimes have tantrums, so don’t get too upset about it. Besides, these incidents always makes for good memories later.
07 Drunk Friends Making a Scene
We all know from whom the potential trouble may arise from. Before the reception, remind a reliable mutual friend to keep an eye out for whoever you think may create a ruckus, perhaps preventing a scene by keeping an eye on the amount they drink. If they do get too rowdy, get them escorted out quietly. This is also a good reminder to not start serving too much alcohol too early to the start of your reception.
08 Immediate Families Dressing Similarly
Something that is easily overlooked is the potential of having newly minted in-laws dressing alike. This is especially true for the female members of the family, especially when a colour theme is given. To avoid this embarrassing coincidence, remember to check in on everyone’s choice of outfit way before your big day.
09 Last Minute Requests
This is one of the commonest wedding mishap, last minute request to bring an extra guests or change in diet or guest forgetting to mention a certain allergy they have. When it comes to allergy, there’s no way around it then to address it to prevent disastrous consequences in the middle of your celebrations. This is something you can talk to your banquet team about, by asking them how they would handle such a situation. Knowing how to navigate these snafus is why an experienced vendor would be worth your buck. By taking some important precautions you can make sure last minute requests don’t ruin your big day.
10 An Emotional Wreak
It’s your special day and it’s inevitable that your emotions will get the better of you. When you feel like tears are starting to flow, take a deep breath and look upwards so that your tears wouldn’t smear your makeup. Have tissues on hand and dab gently beneath your eyes instead of rubbing them across your face.
11 Vendor Cancellations or Delays
Working with reputable wedding vendors will ease your worry about cancellations and delays. Having said that, there are still things beyond our control such as last-minute travelling complications, illness or personal emergencies. To prevent this from happening, start off by hiring vendors with a stellar reputation. Ask how they would manage if they were unable to provide their services on the day itself. Either they would have backups in their team to cover the wedding or they will look for a replacement, which is a clause you will find in your wedding contract.
12 Awkward Speeches or Performances
Be careful with who you select to deliver speeches and make sure to remind them on the amount of time allocated for the speeches. Understand, also that everyone would be very excited over your weddings and sometimes you may find yourself with a rouge performer or speech giver. Rope in your emcee and live band or DJ to help with the transition, using music to diffuse the situation and quietly escort the unexpected guests off stage. If your family or close friends are planning a surprise performance, make sure they run it by the coordinator and emcee who can then be empowered to vet the appropriateness of what is presented.