10 Major Wedding Planning Mistakes Brides Are Most Likely to Make

My friends were telling me about the wedding from hell.

They had been invited to a wedding that was run by what might just be the worst bridezilla in our circle, and that was just judging on the $2,000 wedding party dress that she insisted the bridesmaids buy. The wedding itself was held in a polished venue, and had beautiful floral arrangements, too.

Unfortunately, it didn't have any food. No prior warning was given to the guests, and everyone bailed the moment they realized that the reception had nothing to do with food. It was a nightmare.

Truth be told, she made a very rare wedding planning mistake that culminated in a total disaster. However, you don't have to be a putz who doesn't offer dinner to wedding guests to make lethal wedding planning mistakes.

Every single day, well-meaning brides end up making major gaffes that turn their dream weddings into nightmares. These common problems, for instance, are things you should avoid.

Turning into a Pinterest Queen

Wedding planners around the world mourned when Pinterest was invented—but not for the reasons you'd think. Rather, they knew they would have armies of brides who planned everything for them and insisted that planners go the DIY route.

Newsflash: It won't work. Unless you have a fully-hired staff to help you carry out your Pinterest desires, this will lead to half-finished projects that fall apart, and overworked bridesmaids that struggle with gluing things together while still in their dresses.

Getting Pressured into Extra Invitations

There is nothing wrong with a small wedding, but that doesn't mean that people will see it that way when they find out they're not invited. The pressure to invite everyone is very real, and sadly, one of the worst wedding planning mistakes is bending to that pressure.

Inviting people you don't care about or don't want there will do nothing but cost you extra cash, and possibly extra drama. Unless you want serious wedding guest drama, you'll keep your wedding guest list to a minimum.

Forgetting to Get Insurance

Yes, weddings can have insurance, and skipping out on this can be one of the worst wedding planning mistakes you can make.

Wedding insurance helps you recover the costs of your down payments, should anything happen during the event. For example, if you go outdoors for your wedding, this kind of insurance will give you your money back so you can reschedule your wedding in the event of inclement weather.

Certain policies can also help recover costs if one or more partners get cold feet. However, these are pricier than typical insurance policies.

Making Unilateral Decisions

Do you feel like you need to keep your plans hush-hush from your spouse; or worse, feel like the planning is your job? Couples need to actually take time to talk things out when it comes to their wedding plans.

Both partners should have a say in the planning process. If you shut out your partner, they can become resentful, or start questioning what the marriage afterwards will be like.

Going Over Budget

Look, I realize I'm a wedding fan, but I need to break some news to everyone. Weddings are just a party. That's it. They are parties that last a day, maybe two if you are incredibly extravagant.

In the long run, the wedding you have will not make as big an impact as the lifestyle you live when you're together. If your wedding ends up putting you into debt, people will remember it, sure, but you will end up regretting it.

The debt weddings can put you in can put a serious damper on your marriage and life thereafter. All that debt does is add unneeded pressure into your lives; and trust me, you can live without that extra chiffon or limo ride.

Getting Complex with Your Plans

Everyone in the wedding party will be thrilled to see you walk down the aisle, but within reason. A three-hour spectacle is a wedding planning idea that will turn into a disaster. It's not going to be good for anyone, especially the newlywed couple who will probably be exhausted by the end of the night.

Overly complex plans are hard to execute and even harder to enjoy. It's much better to just keep things short, sweet, and simple. Your budget (and sanity) will thank you.

Going Bridezilla

We've all seen or heard about the signs you're a bridezilla. You know, the ones that just love to throw tantrums in order to get their way. They are the women (and men, sometimes) who see the year they get married as their year—and somehow, that translates into everyone acting as their personal slave.

This is one of the few wedding planning mistakes that can end up dissolving your relationship before you even walk down the aisle. Trust me when I say you don't want to end up being jilted at the altar over a tantrum involving your favorite flowers.

Getting Too Attached to Your "Vision"

We all have our own pictures of the ideal wedding, and some are definitely pricier than others. Though it's great to have an ideal wedding planning goal in mind, you need to learn when you have to let go of your preconceived ideas.

Honestly, I blame social media platforms like Pinterest for making this such a common problem.

You can't have all the perfect elements you want all the time. Believe it or not, that's okay! Sometimes, it's more about the journey and the marriage than it is about the wedding planning.

Blowing Your Budget on a Dress

That wedding dress you love will only be worn ONCE. Though this seems like wedding dress shopping tips shouldn't have to be this simple, your entire budget shouldn't go solely towards a dress that will not end up being part of your regular wardrobe.

Tempting as it is, don't say yes to the overpriced dress. If you want to look picture-perfect, you will need to set aside money for hair, makeup, spa treatments, and, of course, the accessories you choose to wear.

Forgetting to Tell Your Guests Details

There are details, and then there are details. One of the most common wedding planning mistakes you can make is to forget to tell your guests what's expected of them.

Commonly overlooked details include: the dress code, child policy, wedding registry policy, timing, as well as information about the catering. If you have special instructions that you want them to abide by, make sure that you tell them in the invite!