8 Wedding Planners Share the Worst Advice They've Heard About Wedding Planning

And why you should leave the planning to the professionals.

By: Jen Glantz

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Not All Advice Is Good Advice

When you’re in the thick of planning your wedding, advice seems to cling to you from many different sources, all of the time. Your friends and family members will have opinions on everything, from the color palette you pick to the frosting on your cake. You might even hear some strong recommendations from your own wedding vendors, who might mistakenly forget your own personal preferences along the way.

While it can be hard to find good advice that’s practical for you and your wedding vision, it’s important to at least be able to eyeball and ignore not-so-good advice along the way.

Let’s take a look at what these 8 wedding planners say is the worst advice they’ve ever heard about wedding planning.

"Find a Venue, Then a Wedding Planner"

When it comes to the order of how to book your venue and your vendors, Melissa Gabriel, the owner of Honey Bee Weddings & Events, says that a lot of people make the mistake of booking their venue before hiring their wedding planner.

"The worst advice people give is telling couples that they should secure a date and a venue before hiring a wedding planner. We receive so many inquiries where clients feel pressure (or ashamed) to approach us without having solidified a wedding date and venue," says Gabriel. "As planners we’re here to assist in every aspect of the planning process and that includes helping you find the perfect venue and the perfect date."

"Work with Friends or Family to Save Money"

While not everyone has a budget for a wedding planner, Andrew Roby, the founder of Andrew Roby Events, says that some of the worst advice a person can give is that friends and family can take the place of professional help.

"It may seem like a great idea at first, but ultimately having friends and family help you plan your wedding in lieu of professionals may not offer the results you want," says Roby. "Things like asking a relative who just purchased an expensive camera to serve as the photographer may be inexpensive, but do you want to risk the outcome of your photos for a lower price? Additionally, friends and family mean well, but they are not as invested in the success of your wedding as anyone who signs a contract."

"DIY Everything to Save Money"

If you’re eager to save money, taking a DIY approach is one way to help do that, but Jennifer Prince of Hill City Bride, recommends considering how that can lead to some big mistakes.

"One bad piece of overall advice is that couples should DIY their wedding to save money. Why? Because if a couple doesn’t have a particular skill set, doing it all themselves can lead to frustration," says Prince. "Many things can be done ahead of time, such as making wedding favors or constructing a photo booth, but there are time-sensitive things that need to be done right before the wedding day. If a couple is managing the catering, baking the cake, decorating, and constructing the floral arrangements, it can leave them feeling frenzied instead of relaxed and ready for their big day."

"Do a Tented Wedding to Save Money"

When picking your wedding venue, Jen Newman, the co-founder of The Joy Standard Events, says that it can be a mistake to skip a traditional venue for a tented wedding instead.

"The worst advice I’ve heard about wedding planning is to save money by planning a tented wedding instead of considering a venue," says Newman. "I can’t tell you the number of times potential clients have come to me asking to plan a wedding in their backyard because it will be less expensive than at a venue. I can tell you they are usually more expensive than weddings at a venue. The reason this is true is because of all of the add-ons people need to get the look they are going for, as well as rentals needed to control the temperature to make it comfortable for your guests inside the tent."

"Just Use Your Credit Card"

If you’re trying to figure out how to cover the cost of your big day, Samantha Goldberg, a wedding planner, says that the worst advice she’s heard has to do with using your credit cards to support your wedding budget.

"The worst advice I have heard is to use your credit cards for bigger purchases like your venue or florist to take advantage of the year of 0% interest," says Goldberg. "The deals such as points or cash back are there to pay off in a short period of time. If you cannot pay off these charges within 30 days, you're starting a new life in debt."

"The Venue Will Handle Everything"

When booking a wedding, some couples think their wedding venue will take care of more than they actually do. Shelli Stelmak, founder of Partyn’box, says that it’s important to ignore the myth that your venue is full-service with everything.

"Venues don't help with color choices, wedding themes, invitations, logos, monograms, hotels, swag or favors. They do not make sure all your needs are being addressed," says Stelmak.

"It’s Your Wedding Only"

One of the most common pieces of advice people give you, when planning a wedding, is that it’s your wedding, do what you want. Stephanie Teague, founder of Teague Events, says that’s a big mistake.

"The wedding is about the couple. But the reality is, you are bringing together your closest family and friends who have helped shape you into the person you are and have led you to this person you want to spend the rest of your life with," says Teague. "You’ve brought these people together to celebrate with you. You can’t celebrate when the food is horrible, the music sucks and the whole day is boring."

"Seat Your Guests with Strangers to Mix Things Up"

As you’re planning your seating arrangements, Jaclyn Watson, Principal Planner at Jaclyn Watson Events, says it’s best to ignore the advice that you should purposely seat your guests with people they don’t know.

"This piece of advice is not good, because it is super stressful and awkward for your guests sitting with strangers that might not be like them. It is also a sure-fire way to make your guests feel unwelcome and unwanted," says Watson.

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