The larger part of all wedding budgets is spent on catering and asides from the music, the food is the one thing all guests will remember. Taking the time to sample their wedding day feast before making their choice allows brides and grooms to avoid unwelcome surprises.
Every reception venue has different specialty dishes; the veal may have been an excellent choice at the last wedding you attended, but for your chosen reception hall the duck may be the better option. The only way to know for sure is to try it out yourselves; you’ll find that more often than not, caterers will offer a free tasting (but even if you have to pay, the peace of mind it brings is well worth it).
Be wary of banquet managers that dazzle you with stylish pictures of well presented food while refusing to allow you to sample it – we live in the Photoshop Era and “buyer beware” means a lot more today than it did in the past.
We all dream of a fairy-tale wedding but sometimes wanting it too much is detrimental to how things will turn out. Involvement in each part of the preparations is important in order to maintain quality control, BUT!, it is even more important to not become overbearing.
The vendors you are dealing with are professionals and have been in the industry for many years. Be it a photographer, DJ, caterer or florist, they've had dozens of weddings before yours, and will have dozens more to come. They've seen weddings from an angle you will never see them at and have a good understanding of what works and why they work. Trusting them, once they've understood your vision, is crucial in order to receive the best possible service.
The key is finding vendors you can communicate properly with. Once you're on the same page and you've clearly set the direction you wish to pursue, it's time to let go. Constantly watching over their shoulders and second-guessing all of their decisions will hamper their work and lessen their enthusiasm (and has a good chance of earning you the Bridezilla label!)
Keep in mind however that not every bride/vendor combination is meant to be. Some vendors are very traditional and will always suggest the safe route while others tend to be more eccentric. If you find yourself in a position where you dislike everything a vendor suggests, then no amount of micro-managing or trust will have a positive outcome. At that point, you're better off dealing with somebody else.
It is often tempting to fall into the competition trap when it comes to planning our wedding – this is our moment and we wish to have the most lavish wedding of all.
During her preparations for world wedding domination, a bride should keep in mind that getting too caught up with outdoing her friends can easily make her lose focus of what this moment is really about: a reflection of her personality and a celebration of her relationship with her significant other.
Getting creative, going all out and aiming for the sky are all perfectly acceptable (and encouraged!) - just remember to keep the focus on you and your new life with your husband instead of making this day about your friends.
Planning the perfect wedding takes a considerable amount of time and energy and can be a daunting event. If a bride is not careful she could end up being consumed by the process. No matter how perfect her wedding turns out, a stressed-out bride won’t enjoy it to its fullest.
Preventing relationships form faltering is also important; friends and family still need to be catered to (as does sanity!) and should not be cast aside. Staying in touch with the people that matter most and involving them in the preparations will lessen the workload, make room for creativity and reduce stress levels all around. Taking a night out with the girls (with no marriage talk aloud!) will further ensure a relaxed state of mind come wedding day.