Top 5 Wedding Mistakes to Avoid

                When it comes to planning your special day, there are SO many things you have to remember to do. Hire a caterer. Pick out your flowers. Find the perfect dress. There are countless time lines and check lists online to help keep you on track of what to do, and when to do it. It's so easy to get caught up in the things that you should do, and forget the things that you shouldn't do.
                                       Top 5 Wedding Mistakes to Avoid

1. Making your guest wait too long to eat.
      Huge mistake for so many reasons. First of all, if you are serving drinks before you serve food, you will end up with a TON of very happy and very tipsy guest. Remember, always serve dry when you serve wet! Even if it is just cheese and crackers, give your guests something to snack on. Also, any parent knows that a hungry child is a cranky child. So, if you plan on having children at the wedding, having an early meal or at least an horderves  hour will help to keep the little ones from getting cranky and stir crazy (at least for a little while).  

2. Letting the dj pick all the music.

          We don't care how cheesy or ridiculous you may think "your" song is. Play it. We have all heard Etta James' "At Last" played a million times at weddings. And, yes, it is a beautiful song. But.... if it is not your song DON'T DO IT! Your wedding day is a only going to happen once (hopefully), make it YOUR day. Make sure to give your band/DJ  a list of songs that you would LOVE to have played, but also a list of songs that you don't want to hear. The more personal touches you include in your wedding, the more memorable and entertaining it will be.

The Knot has a great list of songs to avoid on your special day. Here are a few topping the list:

 1. Cool and the Gang "Celebration"    

2. DJ Casper "Cha Cha Slide"           

3. Sledge Sisters "We Are Family      

4. Nelly "Hot In Here"                       

5. Black Eyed Peas " I Gotta Feeling"

3. Not having a cash bar.

          Money is tight. We get it. But, money is tight for everyone. And while this is your special day, you are throwing the party. Your guests are coming to your party, gifts in hand, to celebrate you. And their expenses don't stop there. From the gift that they give you, to the flights that they pay for just to get there. Your guests are putting out a lot of money. If you are looking for a few ways to cut the bar costs, I have a few tips:

1. Have an open bar for the first few hours of the reception. Your guest just sat through a 45 minute ceremony. Yes, it was beautiful. But it is time to liven things up. A drink or two will definitely make your guests happy and get the part atmosphere going.

2. Have a limited selection. Having an open bar doesn't mean you need to stock it with top shelf liquor. Offering your guests wine, beer or a signature cocktail is much better than nothing at all.

4. Not taking a moment alone with your partner.

            Your big day has finally come. After prepping and pampering, you are finally about to see you love at the end of the aisle. Before you know it, you say your vows, shed a few tears and finally kiss as man and wife. The ceremony is over! Now its time to party, right? Well, almost right. Your wedding day is going to FLY by. And we know that after a serious and often tear filled ceremony you and your love are ready to let loose and have some fun. This is a celebration after all! But don't forget to give yourselves a few minutes alone to take in everything. You are finally married. This is a big deal! You have been planning this for months, most likely even longer. Tomorrow you will wake up and this will all be over. Take a few minutes . Sit together. Love each other. Be still with each other. Enjoy these few moments alone together, because other than when you two are in your honeymoon suit, these might be the last few moments alone you get. On the other side of those doors is a room filled with family and friends ready to party the night away with you. Remember that today is about your commitment to each other, cherish it.

5. Cutting the hotel room out of your budget.

           Weddings are expensive. There is no way around it. Even if you have help from family and friends, it is still expensive. It's always a good idea to look for ways that you can cut back. But look for ways to cut back on things that won't affect you or your experinece. Booking a hotel room for your wedding night is a MUST.  It doesn't have to be the fanciest, but I highly recommend saving up for a nice room. The weeks before you wedding are filled with stress and worries. Chances are, you house is covered in tool and glitter from all those DIY centerpieces you created. Going home to a cluttered mess is not what you need on your wedding night. Your wedding night should be filled with love and romance. This is when you two celebrate alone. You just paid tens of thousnads of dollars (or more) so that everyone else could have a fun time celebrating with you. Make sure you invest in you two having a good time. 

       When you look back on your special day 20 years from now, you're going to be thinking about the memories that were made. You're not going to think about how you should have served the steak instead of the chicken. Or how you should have went with the calla lillies instead of the roses.You are going to remember the dancing, the smiles, the first tender moments you shared as husband and wife.