Your wedding is the day you’ve been dreaming about for a lifetime. But here’s the truth: no matter how perfectly planned your celebration might be, there’s probably going to be at least one minor hiccup along the way!
From wet weather to disorderly guests, your wedding day might throw you a curveball or two, so it’s important to have a plan of attack. Keep reading as we share 6 of the most common challenges you may encounter on your wedding day, exactly how to handle them, and our tips for avoiding them in the first place.
Wedding Day Mishap: Wet Weather
Wet weather is every bride’s worst nightmare – but unfortunately, the forecast on your wedding day is completely unpredictable!
How to avoid it: You can’t guarantee clear skies on your wedding day, so focus on the things you can control instead. Make sure you have a well-organised plan B (including undercover options for both your ceremony and reception) so that you’ll have total peace of mind for rain, hail, or shine. Then, in the week leading up to your wedding, try not to check the forecast every 5 minutes obsessively!
How to handle it: If it does end up raining on your wedding day, don’t stress. Your venue and/or wedding coordinator will be able to implement your plan B, and your guests will be just as excited to celebrate with you. There’s nothing you can do to change the forecast, so break out the umbrellas and embrace it! Plus, think about the positives: rain on your wedding day is actually considered a symbol of good luck and can deliver the most incredibly romantic photos.
Wedding Day Mishap: Running Late
So you’ve planned your wedding timeline right down to the last minute – but what if you find yourself running behind schedule on the big day?
How to avoid it: The last thing you want to be responsible for on your wedding day is managing your schedule, so make sure you delegate this task to someone trustworthy – for example, your wedding coordinator or maid of honor. This person should have a copy of your wedding day timeline and keep an eye on the clock to ensure everything is on track. It’s also a good idea to give yourself some buffer room when creating your wedding timeline in the first place, to accommodate for any minor delays.
How to handle it: If you do find yourself running behind on your wedding morning, keep calm. It’s not the end of the world (and in fact, your guests are probably expecting you to be fashionably late!). The key here is communication – simply have your wedding coordinator or maid of honor contact your celebrant and venue with an ETA, so nobody is out of the loop.
Wedding Day Mishap: Skin Blemishes
Waking up on your wedding morning with an unexpected skin breakout is definitely not ideal, but it doesn’t have to ruin your big day.
How to avoid it: Don’t start using any new products or implementing a brand new skincare routine in the week leading up to your wedding. Instead, stick to your tried and tested products to avoid any last-minute reactions.
And when it comes to facials and professional skin treatments, it’s a good idea to start your pre-wedding beauty regime a few months in advance, so your skin is prepped for the day. Make sure you’re also drinking plenty of water, eating well, and managing your stress levels. Read our pre-wedding beauty timeline here for more tips on preparing your mind, skin, and body!
How to handle it: If worst comes to worst and you wake up with a blemish or two, don’t panic. Instead, trust your makeup artist! Remember, these guys are professionals and know exactly how to work with a range of different skin types and conditions to make you look amazing. They’ll use their expert skills to cover any blemishes and can provide tips and products to help you touch up during the day if needed.
Wedding Day Mishap: Dress Dramas
You’ve probably forked out a decent amount of cash for your dream wedding dress, but what happens if it rips or gets dirty during the day?
How to avoid it: It’s important to think practically when choosing your wedding dress in the first place. Ideally, you should choose a dress that makes you feel beautiful and comfortable. While you might love the look of a long, dramatic train, are you going to spend the entire evening worrying about someone stepping on your dress? You can also consider a removable train, or having a second, more practical party dress to change into for your reception.
How to handle it: An emergency bridal kit will be your best friend in the event of any dress dramas! Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with everything you might need to fix a ripped or dirty dress – think scissors, a sewing needle and thread, spare buttons, safety pins, and instant stain remover.
And if you do find yourself dealing with rips or tears on the day, don’t try to fix it alone! Grab your maid of honor, wedding coordinator, or craftiest friend to help you repair any issues.
Wedding Day Mishap: Disorderly Guests
Weddings are a time for celebration, but what happens if an intoxicated guest takes the celebrating too far?
How to avoid it: If you’re worried about drunk or disorderly guests causing a scene at your wedding reception, it can be a good idea to have an upfront chat with your venue. What are their policies for serving intoxicated guests? Do they have steps in place for handling unruly guests discreetly without causing a scene? Your venue will likely have procedures in place for this exact situation and can put your mind at ease before the day.
If there’s someone on your guest list that has a reputation for taking things too far, it may also be worth having an honest conversation with them beforehand to set some firm expectations. Or, if it’s causing you serious stress, reconsider their invitation. If someone can’t behave on your wedding day, do they really deserve to be there?
How to handle it: If any disorderly guests do start causing a scene on the day, don’t feel like you need to get directly involved. Instead, let the bartenders and/or venue coordinator do their job, or send in a trusted loved one to diffuse the situation. Dealing with disorderly guests on your wedding day is not your responsibility, so don’t be afraid to delegate this task to someone else!
Wedding Day Mishap: Inappropriate or Lengthy Speeches
Speeches are often one of the best parts of your wedding day – but lengthy or inappropriate speeches can really ruin the vibe!
How to avoid it: Plan ahead by giving your speakers a clear time limit (for example, 3-5 minutes) for their toast, and let them know your reception will be running on a strict schedule to allow time for dinner and dancing. Or, if you’re worried about any speakers sharing inappropriate jokes or stories, remind them that you have family members joining you and that you’d appreciate it if they could keep things G-rated. And if someone has a reputation for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time? It’s probably best not to give them the mic in the first place!
How to handle it: A couple of extra minutes is no big deal, but if any of your speakers start running overtime seriously, your MC will be the best person to handle it. Give your MC permission to step in and gently wrap up any speeches that are going for way too long – they can blame your wedding timeline to avoid any hurt feelings. Just make sure you approach the speaker at some point during the night to thank them for their kind words and give them the opportunity to share any final sentiments with you directly!
Keep Calm and Carry On
The good news? Even if things do go wrong, you’ll still have the best day ever (we promise). Try to let any last-minute hiccups roll off your back, and focus on enjoying each and every moment instead! Because when you look back on your special day, all you’ll remember is the amazing memories shared with your favourite people – not the teeny tiny things that didn’t go to plan.
Looking for more wedding planning tips? Read our guide on managing wedding planning stress and anxiety on the blog here!
