The bride wore an elegant Galia Lahav wedding dress to swap vows with Jake Bongiovi in Tuscany.
Updated Oct 02, 202410 Ways to Prepare Ahead and Dodge a Major Wedding Crisis
From guest drama to wet seats, here's how to avoid a meltdown.
Photo: Prostock-studio | Shutterstock
No matter how long you've spent planning, there's always the chance that a wedding crisis could pop up at the last minute. But, as with all things in life, the best way to avert a major meltdown is to prepare ahead, have a contingency plan in place, and be ready to avoid a wedding mistake that could have you running the other way back down the aisle.
From melted cakes to broken bustles, wedding planners have seen it all. They've managed guests who hit the bar a little too early, officiants who are making their public speaking debut and pouring rain on a wedding day. And, while a wedding disaster is never ideal, these planners know nearly anything can be handled with preparation and a good backup plan. Here's how the experts recommend you make sure you don't end up with wedding regrets on your big day.
1. Going Over Budget
It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of planning your dream day and, before you know it, you've gone thousands of dollars over budget. At that point, you're not sure where to cut, and you're afraid that any changes could negatively impact your vision of the perfect wedding. Luckily, planning ahead and understanding expectations is the easiest way to avoid a last-minute budget increase.
- How to Handle: "Always understand where you are getting married and the unique aspects that will impact your budget, so you have a true understanding of your actual budget," says Chelsye Harp, owner and designer at Intrigue Design & Events based in Charleston, South Carolina. She notes that she's careful to manage expectations with clients who may not realize how location-specific wedding expenses can be. She also recommends checking any taxes or service fees that could unexpectedly balloon the cost.
2. Bad Weather
You can't control bad weather on your wedding day but you can prepare for it. This is where your backup plan is on full display. Even if you're expecting a gorgeous, sunny day, you can't predict whether an afternoon rainstorm is going to decide to make an appearance or late April flurries are going to make their debut.
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- How to Handle: Make sure you're prepared for rain on your wedding day by having a contingency plan for both the ceremony and reception. "If aspects of your wedding day are outdoors, always have a plan in place to uphold the aspects of the design in the event of wind and/or rain," Harp says. She also suggests being flexible with the timeline in case it looks like the rain might pass. Most guests won't complain about an early trip to the bar for a glass of champagne while they wait. Harp adds, "Invest in styled umbrellas. Clear umbrellas for the guests are a great, aesthetically pleasing way to keep your guests dry.
3. Guest Drama
You can't control other people. That's a refrain you'll hear again and again in life, and it's worth remembering on your wedding day. Lee Ramsay, owner of Lee Ramsay Events in NYC, says, "Whether it's a grandparent who has had too much standing for one day, an overzealous uncle who's had one too many beverages or a rowdy group of friends who refuse to respect the venue's rules, misguided guests can quickly disrupt the tone and atmosphere of your wedding celebration." But, if you take quick action, they can't ruin it.
- How to Handle: Ramsay recommends communicating expectations and boundaries early to all guests, whether that's through the wedding invitation, informational emails or a welcome speech. She also recommends having a point person in place for people who you know may need assistance throughout the day. "Appoint a trusted member of your family, wedding party or a professional coordinator to be the point person for handling any guests who may require special accommodations," Ramsay says. "Establish a plan for how to handle any misbehavior, such as having a designated area for guests who need to cool off or having a list of local taxi services for guests who may have had too much to drink."
4. Forgetting to Have an Emergency Kit
So many little things can go wrong throughout the wedding day, and, while they may not be big hiccups, they can still disrupt the flow of the day. But, a small stain or a missing place card is quickly resolved if you have an emergency kit in place.
- How to Handle: Harp says her team always has a large, extensive wedding emergency kit on hand. "The kit includes items that we would need in case of a production issue, as well as items to help with wardrobe or other issues—including stain remover, an extra bowtie, cake serving set, extra table numbers and sewing supplies," Harp says.
5. Melted Cake
Cakes are one of those line items that always cost more than you expect. And, if you have a summer wedding, that sugary investment can quickly end up in a puddle of icing and melted flowers.
- How to Handle: "Summer outdoor weddings can wreak havoc on cakes. I've had cakes start to melt and had to shift the cake-cutting time earlier just to get photos done before it became a frosting puddle," says Ashley Boykin, owner and lead wedding planner at Social Conceptions based in Greensboro, North Carolina. To avoid having a disaster wedding cake, Boykin coordinates with the baker to deliver the cake as close to cutting time as possible.
6. Not Having Wedding Insurance
While the show can usually go on in spite of bad weather and other mishaps, there are wedding catastrophes where there's no option but to call off the wedding. Hurricanes, ice storms and other natural disasters, as well as fires or floods, leave the couple with no choice. And, in those situations, you want to find some peace of mind.
- How to Handle: "Whether you have a planner or not, all couples should get wedding insurance, particularly fall couples because hurricane season is always a concern. This insurance will help cover any non-refundable or non-transferable details from vendors, but also from fights, hotel rooms, etc.," Harp says.
7. Issues With the Bustle
Most people don't encounter many bustles before their wedding day, and one wrong pull could leave your bustle in a bundle. Don't miss a minute of your cocktail hour due to bustle blunders and, instead, have a plan in place to figure it out (even if it's not exactly right).
- How to Handle: Harp includes a sewing kit in her must-have supplies for situations just like this. "Bustling wedding dresses can be a huge challenge and the weight of wedding dresses can often cause the bustle to break. A sewing kit will help repair the bustle in a pinch," Harp says.
8. Not Hiring Professionals
When you're trying to stick to a budget, it can be tempting to try to DIY aspects of the wedding or hire those who aren't quite professionals. But that can leave you in a pickle when you realize your caterer has never cooked at scale, your band isn't sure how to engage with the crowd or your planner isn't experienced in coordinating vendors.
- How to Handle: The key is to hire professionals from the beginning rather than trying to retrofit them into a half-planned wedding—which has happened to Chris Weinberg, founder and CEO at Chris Weinberg Events in North Miami, Florida, more than a few times. "Without a professional planner, a client would typically not know to ask specific questions that would inform them of how complicated and costly this could be. The last-minute damage control can become very stressful in addition to taking clients out of budget," Weinberg says.
9. Inexperienced Officiant
Jeannie Dankowski, director of catering and wedding manager at Pittsburgh Airport Marriott, has seen many couples shifting towards using an officiant who is a friend or family member rather than a professional who knows how to handle a wedding. It can add a personal touch, but it can also lead to a ceremony that drags on or goes rogue.
- How to Handle: "Sometimes the first-time officiant may not know how to manage timing issues, isn't familiar with speaking on a microphone or isn't acting quickly to stay within the run of the show. As wedding managers, we're prepared to smooth things over," Dankowski says.
10. Transportation Gone Off the Rails
Transportation is one of the most common areas for the biggest wedding disasters. Buses will arrive late, take a traffic-packed route or leave before all guests have boarded. If you don't want your ceremony delayed because half the guests are sitting on the highway, there needs to be a backup plan in place (as well as a good sense of humor and a dose of flexibility!).
- How to Handle: Ramsay suggests confirming the transportation details multiple times, making sure to reconfirm the route, timing and number of vehicles. Then, she says, "Appoint someone to oversee the transportation logistics on the wedding day. This person can help troubleshoot any issues that arise and ensure that guests get to where they need to go. We even recommend appointing one coordinator to each bus to confirm it's taking the correct route." Worst case scenario? Ramsays makes sure to identify alternative transportation options, just in case.
