6 pieces of wedding planning advice you should ignore

We’re all for relaying wedding advice; in fact we share our learnings and tips weekly on Daily Hive.

That said, if you’re planning a wedding you’ve probably had unsolicited advice thrown at you from everyone in your life including your mother and know-it-all coworker sitting in the cubicle across from you. It can be challenging to separate trustworthy advice from that which can be taken with a grain of salt or completely thrown out the window.

Here’s some of the worst wedding planning advice we’ve encountered:

1. You shouldn’t have a long engagement

Shorter engagements leave less time to secure your venue and vendors. We recommend engagements of at least a year to ensure you’re able to lock in your dream venue and vendors and allot for a more relaxed planning work-back schedule.

It’s not like your fiancé is going to change his or her mind if you delay a little longer. And if they do, then the marriage probably wasn’t meant to be anyway.

2. Don’t worry about spending money, you only do this once

It is an important milestone and weddings are expensive, but if it means delaying buying your first home or giving up something else important to pool as much funding as possible, it’s probably not worth the sacrifice. Determining your budget is a crucial first step in your wedding planning and will help you keep your spending at bay.

3. Don’t bother having a rain plan, it won’t rain, think positive

It’s great that you have optimistic friends but let’s be real, it’s always important to have a contingency plan when it comes to the weather. Planning for it not to rain doesn’t count as a plan!

4. Axe the assigned seating, it’s old fashioned and overly formal

Even if your wedding is a more casual affair we always recommend assigned seats or at least assigned tables. This can be a tedious job but it will ensure that your immediate family gets prime seating at your reception and will even help those guests that may not know anyone else.

It also gives you the control to seat them with guests that you think they’ll mesh best with.

5. It’s your wedding, this day should be all about you

First of all, your wedding is about you and your fiancé. Secondly, if you’re going to all the effort of planning a celebration with your family and friends, you’ll want them to have a fantastic experience too.

Prioritizing your time and budget on your gown and shoes while neglecting  food, drinks, and decor is not a good idea.

6. You don’t need a wedding planner

Most brides and grooms need some wedding planning support, whether that’s provided by friends and family or a professional wedding planner.

Planning services can vary from itinerary planning and day-of management to full planning where the planner becomes your partner for the entire wedding planning process. The latter can be especially helpful for couples that may not feel they have the time to plan a wedding or just feel like they need more guidance.