Gosh, isn’t planning a wedding cremony exciting?!
It’s filled with so many decisions that will ultimately shape the day and create the memories you envision in your brain. You get to try on your event planning pants – and with this comes incredible fun – but also an element of the potential to get it wrong.
We don’t want to think about the things that could go wrong – that’s not fun – but there’s also a side to preparing for the worst that can bring a sense of calm, because you know you’ve addressed all of the potential wedding ceremony mishaps, slip-ups, and can breathe a sigh of relief!
So, in order to help you with this kind of strategic preparation, let me, Editor of One Fine Day Wedding Fairs and authorised marriage celebrant, share with you 4 big things that can go wrong on any wedding day.
1: Forget rain, it’s the sun that can cause a big issue
Yep, you don’t know how many times people have been caught sitting down at the ceremony, waiting for the bride to arrive, and the sun decides to make a BIG appearance. You’ll find that guests become hot and bothered (and not in good way) FAST, and don’t end up taking in any of the ceremony because they’re so concerned with feeling faint, or getting burnt.
The workaround here is to obviously check your forecast carefully, but also if your ceremony is scheduled for the hottest part of the day in the warmer months, ensure your seating is set up in the shade, and that you provide water – and if you can, fans!
2. Incorrect pronunciation of a name
Whether you are enlisting the help of a civil celebrant or a religious celebrant for your wedding day, it’s so important to ensure they have a copy of all names spelled phonetically. This ensures there won’t be any wedding ceremony mishaps around weird pronunciations that could see people laughing in what is supposed to be a serious moment. It’s also the only thing people are likely to remember, which isn’t great – is it?
3. Forgetting a prop you may need
I have seen this happening first hand, and if it wasn’t for a quick-thinking bridesmaid, it could have been quite uncomfortable. A bride organised a Scottish quaich ceremony to honour her father’s side of the family. He was called up by the celebrant, and she started performing the part of the ceremony. Soon after she asked for the quaich to be brought up – but the Bride hadn’t brought it, and the celebrant hadn’t thought to check!
Needless to say it was awkward for a moment, until a bridesmaid spotted a waiter she could chase down and snatch a champagne glass from. This was used to sip the malt whisky from, instead of the quaich – so thankfully, it worked out okay in the end!
4. The music man (or woman) isn’t paying attention when they should be
Of all the weddings I perform, 9 out of 10 couples opt to ask one of their friends or family members to be the button pusher for the music as they walk down the aisle, as they exit and potentially for the signing of certificates.
If this is the route you’re taking, making sure you do a rehearsal before your ceremony is so worthwhile to avoid any potential wedding ceremony mishaps. You can then organise prompts to look for, and discuss timings, rather than having a very nervous person with their finger poised over the buttons looking at the celebrant with wide eyes and ultimately pushing play too early or too late, which results in a really disjointed entrance or exit.
// Written by Olivia Mackinnon
