Two Myths and a Truth: Wedding Edition – Part 4

Guess who’s back, back again? Another installment of “2 Myths and a Truth: Wedding Edition”. Tell a friend. But really, I learned to rap that entire song in middle school… dare me. It was a great song for a 13/14-year-old to be continually singing. And if you don’t know which song I am referring to, listen to all of Eminem’s music until you can decipher it. Go! Anyways, if this is the first “2 Myths and a Truth: Wedding Edition” you are reading then… welcome! I am happy you are here. And be sure to click over to the plethora of additional blog posts once you are finished reading this – including 3 others with similar structure to this one. I like to use these particular blog posts to help myth bust a couple of wedding cliches (or statements) you will probably hear a lot when going through your planning process. And to confirm a statement that you may already know in your gut to be true but want to hear it from another source.

Wedding day signage is always a great addition, but not always necessary. FALSE. I want you to picture this. The beautiful wedding you have been planning for the past year is in the back 40 on your grandparent’s gorgeous property with little to no cell phone service. You have given your guests so much detailed information… the address, directions, notes about the cell service, but unless you are planning to draw out a map with big red circles indicating where everything is happening on the property, once your guests arrive it is highly likely that they will be wondering where to go. In this situation, and situations similar to this, parking signs, arrows, and a welcome sign will help ease the unnecessary stress that can be added to your guests if they show up and don’t know where to go. Signs for your guestbook, cards & gifts, how (if any particular way) you want your guests to sit at the ceremony, a reception seating chart, etc. will just continue to direct and create a sense of ease for your guests as they enter each space of your wedding venue. People – especially wedding guests – want to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing at a hosted event, so in situations like this NEVER assume your guests are just going to know what to do or where to go. Think about it from Michael Scott’s perspective and, “explain it to me like I’m five”.

If parents are paying (or helping to pay) for the wedding, you need to take their opinion into account during every part of the planning process. FALSE (to an extent). Okay, phew, this is a big one. Lots to unpack here. And I am only talking to those couples who are having financial assistance for the wedding coming from an outside person other than yourself as bride and/or groom. Whether that assistance is a lot or a little, remember, this is still your wedding day, and you deserve to have it flow and look the way you have always envisioned. Depending on the parental relationship and individual situation it is absolutely always polite to hear the opinions of other financial contributors and take that into consideration but does not mean you suddenly have to turn into a people pleaser and compromise your vision for the day. Decide early on what your “non-negotiables” are going to be. Whether that is incorporating a certain décor element or color, hiring a certain vendor, going very traditional with the ceremony, or throwing the book out the window and going very non-traditional with the day. If something comes up in conversation where a major financial contributor has a differing opinion about an item on this non-negotiable list, then very politely let that person know you appreciate their opinion, however, you feel very strongly about this topic and the direction it is going to go on your wedding day. With that said, there also has to be a compromise list – and it needs to be longer than just one or two items! This is the list where you are willing to hear out differing opinions and decide as a group what is going to work best to help the day run as smooth as possible and look the best it possibly can. These conversations absolutely do not need to get heated and turn into arguments. Everyone’s goal is the same… to GET YOU MARRIED! Mutual respect between all parties goes a long way in keeping the peace and ensuring a fun and (relatively) stress free planning process.

It’s free booze, guests will drink what is available to them. TRUE!! This is 100% a true statement. Please do not agonize over what beer to serve. Or if you should serve two white wines or three for “variety”. Or what your signature cocktail will be that is going to please everyone. If a guest comes to your wedding, eats for free, but then leaves because you aren’t serving the type of alcohol he/she drinks then maybe they shouldn’t have been invited in the first place. I know that may come off as harsh, but honestly you are going to be the ones taking home all the leftover alcohol or figuring out what to do with it at the end of the night, and if it is something you will regularly drink at home anyways then there are no issues! You are inviting the most important people in your lives to join in celebrating your next great adventure. You are feeding them and providing libations. In exchange, most guests will gift you with something to help start your next chapter. That does not mean you are obligated to try to find alcoholic selections that are going to please everyone. As long as you have one or two wine selections (of both red and white) and two or three beer selections, your guests will find something that pleases their palate. A signature cocktail and alcoholic seltzers are just icing on the bar selection cake.

Well, that brings a wrap to the third installment of “2 Myth and a Truth: Wedding Edition”. Did anything surprise you this time around? Anything you want to add? Be sure to join the conversation below and give me your thoughts. And if you are ready to become party of the Piece of Harmony Events client family click on the contact button to get in touch!!

See the below links for other “2 Myth and a Truth: Wedding Edition” posts:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

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