The top 11 things I would do again for my Wedding and the top 11 Regrets

‘ Je ne regrette rien ‘ – ‘I regret nothing’ –are words from a wellknown song , but anyone who has organised a wedding knows this isn’t always the case.
After planning for months , listening to advice from girlfriends , family members of all ages, devouring lots of magazines and wedding directory websites you think you can now create the perfect day.
Could it be that we confuse ourselves with all these options ?
Here are the top 11 things one honest bride says she would do again for her wedding + the top 11 regrets
Things I would do again
1. Take dance lessons – we had such laughs learning the steps.
Choosing the samba surprised everyone – and it showed how we can work as a team
2. Hire a wedding car – the best part was having a driver who was not involved with the wedding so was not stressed like the rest of us. He kept everyone calm so we arrived relaxed
3. Having a goldfish bowl with live goldfish as a centerpiece on each table – we love our pets and this centerpiece reflected us rather than a boring floral arrangement.
4. Writing our own vows – this meant our vows were unique and reflected our feelings for each other. ‘ For better for worse , for richer for poorer till death us do part ‘ sounds so clinical and lacks our true love for each other.
5. Taste test the menu at the reception – parents were included in this, which was fun for them and it gave us all confidence that our guests would enjoy the food – always something they will talk about afterwards if it is not enough or not
6. Having a theme – helped bring all the elements together. The bridesmaids flowers and the groomsmens vests matched in colour and the photos looked colourful and stylish.
7. Having a wedding cake professionally made – meant the dessert was easily taken care of and looked quite impressive. We even could continue the theme in the style of the wedding cake.
8. Having a video booth – llowing our guests to record their personal video messages to us and then having DVD of them all gives us a unique way to remember the day and those who are there.
9. Having a professional photographer – the photographs were amazing. The albums were works of art and I like the digital album.
10. Have my aunt make the wedding dress – my mother’s sister is a great sewer. It saved thousands.
11. Have all the girls wear the same coloured dress – my bridesmaids are different shapes and sizes so we decided to choose one colour and let them choose the design. This way they would look their best.
Regrets
1. Take dance lessons – it cost a lot and lasted only 2 minutes on the night.
We could have just watched ‘ Dancing with the stars ‘ , practiced the moves in our own home
2. Hire a wedding car – made me feel abit special , though wasn’t cheap. I definitely would have enjoyed some champagne whilst we were driving to the photos.
3. Having a goldfish bowl with live goldfish – was a distaster ! Guests couldn’t resist pouring alcohol in the fishbowl which promptly killed the fish !
4. Writing our own vows – I thought I could memorise them but the excitement or nerves got the better of me and I froze. Best to give a copy to the celebrant !
5. Taste test the menu at the reception – the food on the night I’m sure wasn’t the same as we tasted ! Best to photograph what you tasted so that you are sure to get what you expect . Sends a message too to the reception venue that you are on the lookout if they take any shortcuts.
6. Having a theme – this got abit out of hand – to have the groomsmens vests the same colour as the flowers meant they looked abit cheesy and they said they would never wear them again !
7. Having a wedding cake professionally made – cost a lot and didn’t’ look it. Half the guests didn’t have any so it was wasted. Better to have individual cakes and some bags to make it easy for guests to take them home and enjoy them later
8. Having a video booth – doesn’t take long for guests to see this as an opportunity to be star – ended up being mostly guests looking at themselves on the screen and whilst they occasionally did express personal messages to us, they got sillier as the night wore on.
9. Having a professional photographer – costs thousands and I wonder how often we will look at them. At times it was irritating to be asked to pose when we wanted to just enjoy ourselves. Maybe will appreciate it in years to come.
10. Have my aunt make the wedding dress –- the dress was well made but because she was my mother’s sister I couldn’t tell her that I really didn’t like the bow in the back and the train ! There was a lot of stress dealing with the making of the dress which I could have done without.
11. Have all the girls wear the same colour of dress – leaving the control of the design of the dresses to the bridesmaids meant that they looked really odd as a group – some with long sleeves, some with none, different lengths of skirt !. Should have had set some rules on the design.
Hope this helps you create your own unique style of wedding.
The ceremony is an important part of your celebration and there are some great tips I am happy to share with you – from wedding vows, to readings to rituals. More helpful tips on my website too. Happy wedding planning !