If you’re planning your wedding, you’ve likely consulted social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram as well as family and friends to determine which traditions to include, but have you thought to ask a professional? Even brides and grooms-to-be who aren’t considering using a wedding planner for the entire event can benefit from some expert advice here and there.
As a portable toilet supplier, we’ve certainly set up at our share of weddings, which means we’ve seen it all. In talking to the pros, these are the top wedding don’t on their list:
Social Media at The Altar
Pulling out your phone to change your Facebook status from engaged to married at the altar after saying “I do” is just tacky! Wait until later to take selfies and update profiles. Your wedding day should be about celebrating with the people who matter most in your life, not trying to earn a bunch of likes.
Obnoxious Dances
Ask any DJ and he/she will corroborate this one – the funky chicken, macarena, and cha cha slide are just out. In fact, some may even refuse to play them. The only appeal to these songs is that they’re easy to dance to and appropriate for all ages. However, this can easily be accomplished with other (much better) songs too. Get guests on the dance floor with a good mix of fast and slow songs that will appeal to different age groups.
Too Many Flowers
Flowers are a hallmark of weddings, but don’t go overboard. Just because the florist suggests a ton of different places where flowers can be incorporated doesn’t mean that you should take every suggestion. Huge arrangements and sprays to line aisles, block off outdoor spaces, and draw attention to the head table are particularly passé.
The same can be said for too many wearable flowers. Boutonnieres are still fine, but flower crowns and gawdy corsages are a thing of the past. Save your money by skipping these outdated wedding trends.
Inconvenient Favors
Favors for guests should be cutesy, but also desirable. Don’t give guests something that they really don’t want or that will be inconvenient to take home. Remember that some guests may be driving long distances or flying home, so gifting anything fragile will make their trip harder. Skip anything made of glass or too delicate.
Definitely don’t give guests favors that are alive. Succulents might be cute, but guests aren’t going to want to keep them alive. And don’t even get us started on animals like goldfish or baby chicks as favors – that’s just cruel!
Irrelevant Themes
Having a themed wedding is fine, but make sure that the theme means something to you two. Selecting a theme simply because it’s trendy or cool online won’t be as special as expressing yourselves with elements that are meaningful.
Signs for Everything
Signs that welcome guests and direct them to sit on a side. Signs that tell guests where to park. Signs that indicate where the gift table is. Signs that walk guests to the bar. So many signs! Save your sanity and just skip these. People will follow each other to figure out where to go and what to do. Only use signage for things that are important like displaying the bar menu or specifying food selections.
Mismatched Details
Think of your wedding as a brand. You want consistency among all communications and aspects to create a solid brand. Don’t use different fonts on invitations and programs and menus. Select favors that are related to your theme. Create place settings that match the aesthetic of the venue and theme. Otherwise, your wedding will just come off as sloppy.
Non-Cakes
Guests expect cake, so don’t disappoint them by skipping the sugary delicious cake in favor of something savory like cheese or something healthy like fruit. Some couple choose to have cupcakes instead of a cake, but this trend has become really overdone in recent years. Cupcakes can also come off as too immature for a wedding since they are traditionally served at kids birthday parties. Lastly, select cake flavors that will have mass appeal instead of bizarre and obscure flavors that could turn people off.
Over-Complicated Bar
Don’t offer too many cocktail choices. Stick to classic beer and wine choices and if you want to offer cocktails as well, choose one or two signature drinks to offer guests. Otherwise, the bar menu will get too long, slowing service down and leading to long lines. (No one wants to spend the entire event standing in line!) It can also encourage over drinking by tempting guests with lots of combinations to sample before leaving or run the risk of missing out something col and new.
Sneakers
Yes, some formal shoes are uncomfortable. However, this is not an excuse to wear overly casual footwear. Unless your wedding is on a beach and everyone is in flip flops, you should have shoes that match the formality of your attire. Sneakers are meant for the gym – leave them there! Instead, opt for dress shoes that are properly sized to allow maximum comfort. Or, wear insoles if needed. Remember that it’s just one day – your feet will forgive you. And if you really need to don some sneakers, do it for some silly picture ops after the wedding, not during the ceremony or reception.
Too Rustic
Having your wedding outdoors is a great way to find a natural beautiful venue that your guests will love. And barn weddings have been all the rage for the last five years or so. However, guests will still expect modern accommodations even when outdoors. This means that there better basic necessities like running water, shade in the summer, and heaters in the winter. Oh, and bathrooms! Your guests will not pee in the woods, nor do they want to walk a mile back to the farm to use the bathroom. Equip your venue with luxury restrooms to provide aesthetics that are in keeping with a wedding no matter where you have the ceremony and reception. Bathroom trailers bring climate-controlled peace of mind to weddings by offering the flushing toilets and running hot/cold water that guests expect. They also double as a place for members of the wedding party to get ready before the event or freshen up during the event. As a bonus, they can be used year-round, which means that you don’t have to be limited by the calendar.
Kerkstra Luxury Portable Restroom Service Inc. provides portable restroom service across Michigan and luxury restroom trailers for all of the states surrounding the Great Lakes. Take a look at our mobile restroom trailers and request a quote today!