Personal Conversations To Make Sure You Have ZERO Wedding Regrets
The summer days are getting hot and that means fall is just around the corner. For me, it always makes me think of my wedding anniversary. Ashley and myself were married on October 4th, 2003 and in so many ways…it really does seem like yesterday. Without any doubt or any hesitation, it was one of the greatest days of my life. I laughed and I smiled all day. However, it would be a lie to say I had no wedding day regrets. Maybe these regrets are biased from what I do for a living (entertainment business), but I can tell you these are similar conversations we have been sharing with clients over the last 6 months and I wanted to share the Top 5 Wedding Regrets shared from our clients.
#1. We really wished we had spent the extra money on quality video
This is one I could easily relate to from our wedding experience. We had a friend of ours use his “high end” camera for our ceremony and sure enough…the batteries died before Ashley even made it down the aisle. The other footage we were able to locate from friends and family was average at best. The majority of the footage was up close faces trying to see what setting the camera was on along with the standard floor shot. Every October rolls by and I would love to watch my bride walk down the aisle. I would love to relive our first dance experience. I really want to see all of the people on the dance floor in action…but unfortunately that is not an option. We work with great videographers all of the time and I hesitate to even list them with the fear I will unintentionally leave one out, but here is a list of trusted partners we have used in the past and we know they will produce video images that will leave you wanting even more. In no particular order:
#2. The venue looked great, but lighting would have pulled off the look we desired
For my wedding, I was relatively lucky that the venue we had chosen happened to have at least string lighting in our reception area and that added to the look, but it did not have an option to be dimmed. Why is that important? Without most people knowing what is happening, lighting always sets the mood for the event. When the lights are brighter, it is welcoming and comfortable for your guests to eat. Let me ask you this, how often have you went to the dance floor when ALL of the lights were on and stayed out there? My guess is probably not very often. When the lights dim and the focus goes away, it encourages dancing. Roughly 90% of our clients who decided against lighting will tell us after their events they wish they had chosen lighting. With uplighting and wireless capabilities, lighting is a big game changer. It creates an ambiance, a feel and really sets the stage for your event. All these years after my marriage and I am still thinking how cool it would have been to take advantage of all the dance lighting and decor lighting capabilities that exist. A relatively small expense for such a big experience. Go ahead and light up your venue, I promise you will love the results. Snyder Entertainment offers full service lighting consultation and design for your events. We can provide uplighting, monogram lighting, dance lighting or even simple string lighting (with dimmers) to any event. We have even bundled our most popular options to our entertainment packages to save you money!
#3. I wish we could have captured what our guest saw at our event
This is becoming a consistent wedding regret as technology is now allowing us constant information from just about any perspective. Nearly every wedding we participate with now creates a #hashtag for everyone to use when posting pictures or videos to social media. The #hashtag allows for everyone to see everything posted to that particular #hashtag instantly or later. It is a fantastic way to see your event through they eyes of your guests. We have worked extremely hard and partnered with some of the best players in the social media industry to be able to deliver our very own Instagram Print Station. We can set up in advance any #hashtag you choose and have those pictures available to print within moments of posting online. This allows for immediate gratification and the opportunity to interact with your guests. An extremely unique way to capture your event from the perspective of your guests. We have two Instagram Print Stations in our inventory and they have been an absolute home run at events.
#4. If I could do it all over again, I would have hired a wedding coordinator
I recognize this is difficult to justify when you go through their job description out loud. Clients often say something along the lines of “I do not want to pay someone to take calls on my behalf”….all I can say is trust me, they do SOOOO much more than make calls on your behalf. A great planner/coordinator will be your advocate, you guide and your sounding board. They will ensure all of your vendors are working cohesively and that you are getting everything you should be getting. If you have not planned a wedding, I can assure you it is like taking on a part time position on top of your current day to day responsibilities. Often times they will assist with budgets, payouts, manage contracts and much more. The key is to recognize it is okay to delegate out control over your wedding. Share your vision, share your thoughts and select a planner who is willing and wanting to work to create that same shared vision. Then, step back, breathe and let them do their work. Anyone can be a party planner, it takes someone special to be an event professional. Do not let this be a regret, too many good people in town that will create an awesome event. Again, in no particular order.
#5. I wish our reception lasted longer
This is completely personal opinion, but I still believe a four hour reception is a pretty long time! When I normally hear this wedding regret, there is something else behind it besides time. For example, we recently had an event for roughly 350 people and the client chose no lighting, no additional entertainment options such as a photo booth or instagram print station. The client was also determined not to spend money on a coordinator for the event. Our client created the timeline and had some push back from several vendors in regards to the structure but she was determined this was the best route. After having their guests wait for approximately an hour before arriving and not serving food…anticipation was building. After we announced the newest couple into the ballroom, dinner was then served. Think about how long it takes to get 350 people through a buffet line and then to sit down and eat…and they had already waited an hour as the couple was taking photos after the wedding. After dinner was the toasts, the cake cutting, the formal dances and the dance floor was then opened. Nearly one hour was left and certainly an easy fix could have been to add more time, but people were beginning to leave. After their honeymoon when we were talking her first words were, “Brian, I should have had some more help”. She knew the timeline created some challenges and just did not recognize that until the moment the reception was taking place. My recommendation to make your reception last longer is this…work with a coordinator. They will maximize your time and keep vendors on that same tight timeline. It creates a flow that is needed for any event to succeed, not just weddings. Impress your guests with lighting and decor when they come in versus only sitting for an hour. Have a cocktail hour ready to go, use additional entertainment options like a photo booth to generate excitement and buzz. By utilizing these options and condensing more into a smaller amount of time, you can get the best of both worlds. Time & Value!
Your wedding day is a day to remember, not to regret. Setup a consultation with any of our team members and we can talk HOW details matter and by using even some of our entertainment options, you will walk away with a better event. Like any other company out there, we could talk about how many events we participate in and how long we have been doing this; but those are just numbers. We want to use our experience make your day absolutely one to remember and without any wedding regrets!
