The Worst Mistake Couples Make When Planning Their Wedding

What is the worst mistake couples can make when planning their wedding?

Oh My! There are so many opinions on this topic.

Research has been done … experts share their wisdom, and couples tell their stories. From my experience of officiating weddings and working with couples since 1987 (over 1,000 weddings, in fact), I have my own opinions and well… I’m right on this.

One of the most common opinions is that couples often don’t make a clear and realistic budget for their special day. And yes, weddings can be outrageously expensive. According to the KNOT, an excellent Source for Wedding Planning, the average overall expense for an American wedding is a cost of $30,000., down from $33,931.00 pre-covid.

But this is not the worst mistake.

Another common mistake couples make is not budgeting the time necessary to make all of the, what feels like, millions of decisions happen.

This can cause stress, confusion, anxiety and disagreements. I have come to realize that how couples do their wedding planning is how they will do their marriage.

So much more on that at a later date, and yes, this can cause undue pressure, but it is not the worst mistake couples make.

A third common “mistake” on the Worst Mistake Couples Planning a Wedding Make list is neglecting Self-Care. As an officiant, standing at the Altar, watching the bridal party enter from my Eagle-eyes perspective, one of the saddest things I ever witness is the look of stress, strife and exhaustion on the bride’s face.

Or feeling the tension of the groom, as he stands next to me, watching his beloved as she makes one of the most important walks of her life.

So…the number one mistake? Hiring an unskilled or trained Officiant!

Because in the end, after all the decisions have been made, the moment has arrived and there is the bride and groom, standing before the Officiant, in front of all their family members and friends, he or she determines the quality of the wedding ceremony. Period.

A lousy officiant or an excellent officiant make or break the 20 to 45-minute ceremony that the couple (and family members) have worked so hard to create.

Every couple needs to make sure that their officiant is able to give them exactly what they want Because in the end, on their thirty five years anniversary, the couple will remember the “feel” of the wedding, not all the details.

Every wedding is unique and is often referred to as “the most memorable and special day of my life.”

Make sure, as the Officiant, you know exactly what the couple wants.

Jody Hill Stevenson

Wedding Day Wisdom

PS: If you want to learn how to assist your couples in avoiding the #1 mistake made in wedding planning, check out my How to Create the BEST EVER Wedding Script Online Program .