Interactive food stations are great for small weddings of around 10 people. Guests love them, and they’re easy, but the problem is that it will slow down your wedding. People will get stuck choosing and making their food. A two-hour service may turn into three or four hours for larger weddings.
While it may be a little more expensive to choose a different style of dining, such as plated options, it might be worth considering the time it will save everyone—and the fun your guests will get to have instead of just waiting in line to make a plate of nachos!
Photo booths had their moment, but everyone and their mom are using this theme now. The biggest issue with photo booths is that you have tons and tons of pictures that all look the same with different faces. Natural poses and moments make the images so much better and stand out, especially when compared to the typical “say cheese!” look.
They just aren't as fun and quirky as they used to be. You could revive the idea of leaving disposable cameras on the table for everyone to take their own pictures of the wedding. Or, you could just have everyone use your wedding hashtag so all the pictures are in one place online. People will take their own pictures on their phones no matter what, and if you hired a photographer, they should be taking candids of everyone having fun as well, so a photo booth is just an outdated expense.
No matter what you’re doing, you shouldn’t have more than two fonts at your wedding. In fact, many wedding planners and brides prefer the simplicity of one font. Three or more fonts can look tacky and mismatched. It’s like wearing orange with blue. Something about it is too much, and it’s just too loud.
It's bad graphic design practice as well. While most of your guests won't be graphic designers, they will probably be able to tell that something is off with the invitations. It just doesn't look right. Stick with one decorative font, like a cursive or serifed font, mixed with one sans-serif or more structured font for the designer look if you really want to DIY your invitations.
Chalkboard signs are okay in moderation, but to have one each for the program, drink specials, table numbers, bathroom locations, etc. is just too much. Chalkboard signs can also cost more if you pay someone to write beautifully. It’s a lot easier to make your own signs with fonts and then print them out as a poster.
If you decide to DIY your wedding chalkboards but you don't have beautiful handwriting, it will look DIY, which is not a look that you want on the most important day of your life. Steer clear of any trend that was popular before the year 2015 because it won't be good.
The Royals love to have extravagant weddings. Enjoy it from afar, but don’t spend an insane sum to copy what you saw on television. It’s alright to take inspiration and a few elements from the affair, but you don’t want your wedding to feel like an imitation of the most famous weddings in the world.
Your wedding day is all about you and your future spouse. Trying to pretend to be Meghan Markle, Princess Diana, or even Cinderella makes it look like you want the day to be about playing princess instead of honoring your marriage. Make sure the day is about you as a couple! You can make yourself feel like a princess without copying the look of an actual princess.
Unless your wedding is in December or you’re planning a holiday-inspired wedding, avoid twinkle lights. There are plenty of ways you can light your wedding whether you want elegant or kitschy. String lights with market bulbs, lanterns, and chandeliers are just a few of the options out there.
If you hang too many twinkle lights around your ceremony or reception, you run the risk of making it look like a Christmas light showing or a college girl's dorm room. If you don't intend on having a Christmas-themed wedding or you aren't getting married in a dorm room, think twice before you choose to use twinkle lights.
One or two unique cocktails that represent the bride and groom’s favorite flavors will suffice. Too many beverages are great for guests, but it will quickly slow down the service and overwhelm the bar. While we’re on the topic, there’s no reason to stick with the typical “manly” grooms drink and “girly” cocktail for the bride – unless those are your favorite flavors!
Not to mention that having a fully operating open bar at your wedding is a very pretty penny and a huge dent into your wedding budget. If you really value having this kind of setup, go for it! But always remember that you have other options besides an open bar. The one or two signature cocktails along with some beer or wine will serve everyone very well and not overwhelm the bartenders, wait staff, or your budget.
Novelty cake toppers are funny once or twice, but buying one to put on a cake is another thing. Referring to your new marriage as a “ball and chain” isn’t the best way to start the union. In fact, model cake toppers are boring. Instead, opt for flowers or even go without a cake topper! Some cakes look beautiful without anything on the very top.
Also, what are you going to do with the cake toppers after the wedding anyway? If they are made of edible materials like fondant, you could eat them, but if you get custom plastic or wooden ones, that's a lot of money to spend on only a giggle from a couple of your guests. Whatever you choose for your cake, choose wisely.
Wedding favors are ridiculous. Guests will ultimately lose them, break them open, or just forget them at their table. The worst type of favor is the non-edible kind because they’re required to carry it around with them until they leave.
Not to mention that if you go with really nice wedding favors like candles, cigars, or custom made sweets, the cost of your overall wedding could go up thousands of dollars. Wedding favors are often not sustainable for the environment, either, so it would not only hurt your budget but also the planet to buy all of those wedding favors.
Complex seating charts are the worst. Simple is best, but most of what you see on Pinterest can turn into a complicated mess. Large weddings suffer from this the most as each person attempts to navigate to the table and the reception.
Having the Pinterest-perfect setup complete with the cute little name cards at each place setting may look pretty, but when put into action can not only be pricey but may also cost you your sanity. It may sound like a great idea to start, but then you begin thinking about how your fiancé's divorced parents can't stand to be near each other and where to place your third cousin once removed or that one childhood friend you invited only because they invited you to their wedding. Needless to say, it's a lot easier for people to just fend for themselves in regards to the seating arrangement.
Signs are necessary at weddings to let the guests know information without saying it a million times. However, that doesn’t mean you need a sign just to have a sign. Try to keep signs to a minimum. Guests aren’t going to read a little blurb you wrote. They’re looking for where to go and the order of events. Little poems on wooden pallets are unnecessary.
If you have a big venue where you will have your ceremony and reception in different parts that guests will need help navigating, or if there is a specific spot you want your guests to park their cars, signs are the best idea! But if your venue is small and compact or if parking is obvious, there really is no need for signs.
Rice is terrible for tossing. The whole birds exploding thing is a myth. What’s true is that it’s impossible to clean and a waste of food. Confetti isn’t easier to clean unless you get an eco-friendly paper. If you want to shell out extra for the eco-friendly paper that degrades, then toss away!
Granted, the biodegradable confetti does look amazing in pictures and adds to the sense of overall joy, but keep in mind that you don't have to have it if you don't want to. It is just an extra expense for more money and more of a mess to clean up. Also, it takes all but two seconds for this moment to be over. It doesn't make you any less married to not have confetti.
If you want something non-traditional and casual, donuts were the go-to choice, but it’s becoming more common. First, it makes your wedding seem more like a plain event. Second, why not choose cupcakes? Donuts seem cheap and offer fewer flavors than cupcakes.
If you don't want the traditional wedding cake, expand your options beyond donuts! There are a thousand different pastry options out there, so instead have an assortment of options. Macarons, tarts, and cream puffs are all fancier than donuts, offer more variety, and are off the beaten path when it comes to wedding desserts. It's time to expand the horizon.
Flower crowns were once an amazing addition to weddings, but every bride that wants a rustic or “boho” theme wears them. To make matters worse, many people can’t pull it off. Sure, the pictures make flower crowns look amazing, but those people rarely wear the flower crowns for hours. They end up wilting and looking sad if they manage to stay in place.
Also, flower crowns are starting to go out of style and will do nothing but date your wedding and make it look trendy. It's like the puffy sleeves and poofy hair of the '80s and '90s. If you can't imagine your big day without a flower crown, you go ahead and do you! But don't decide on a flower crown just because it's popular.
Wooden pallets are too common, in general. Pinterest seems to love wooden pallets for every DIY from home décor to wedding ceremonies. Not only do you not know the history of the rescued pallets, but many are loaded with formaldehyde and can have bugs. That isn’t something you want for your big day.
If you can pick up your wedding decor from the discards pile in the back of a home improvement store, then you probably shouldn't use it. They definitely aren't the most refined of decorations, and the reason why they are so popular in wedding and home decor is beyond us. This is just a weird trend.
Fondant isn’t new, but Pinterest has encouraged brides to seek out smooth picturesque cakes. While it may look good, it tastes horrible. Most confectioners will tell you that fondant is gross, and good ol’ buttercream is where it’s at. Weddings can still have an Instagram-able cake without having to taste gross.
Fondant looks like it should taste good, because it is on a cake and all, but what it really tastes like is icing that has gone hard and didn't have enough sugar in it. It's really disappointing, and everyone will end up picking it off of their slice of cake and throwing it away anyway, so is it really worth all of that extra cash?
Champagne towers may look great in photos, but they’re a problem in waiting. One little bump and everything can come crashing down. Then, you’d spend most of your wedding facilitating a cleanup rather than enjoying the day.
You aren't living in The Great Gatsby, and your guests most likely aren't as coordinated as you think they are. One drunk uncle taking a slight misstep could ruin your evening. Also, champagne is expensive, at least any kind of champagne that is worth drinking.
We get wanting to satisfy everyone, but it isn’t going to happen. When your guest gets ready to eat, the last thing they want to eat is something weird like salmon and mac and cheese. It may leave your guests wanting classic pairings that leave them satisfied. Plus, uncommon food combinations may make guests less likely to eat the food.
Just because you like a certain food combination doesn't mean that everyone else at your wedding will as well. This is why options are important. If a food that others find strange is your absolute favorite and you want to eat it on your wedding day, make sure there are classic options like chicken as well for people that might not want what you're having.
Never use blankets as seats at your wedding. Even if your guests aren’t wearing dresses, people don’t generally like to sit on the ground. If you must have a boho-chic wedding, use regular seats with seat covers or accouterments that tie in the theme.
At your wedding, you will most likely have people from a variety of age groups, and do you really want to make your Great-Aunt Sally sit on the ground with her 80-year-old knees? Not to mention, sitting on the ground can get uncomfortable even for the most agile of your guests. If you must have floor seating at your wedding, have a couple of real chairs for the elders and keep the ceremony short for the sake of everyone else!
Tons of balloons at weddings have to stop. Seriously. Balloons are for birthday parties and events for children. They’re not tasteful at all. The worst part is cleaning up after the deflated rubber at the end of the night. Plus, the inflated ones are in the way of everything. Few things are worse than having your guests bumped in the head by balloons, and their faces are hidden because of a floating ball of helium.
Also, latex allergies are super common, and some of your guests might have an allergic reaction to even breathing the same air that is near the balloon without you even anticipating it. Go for something more classic like lots of greenery that you could even pick up from clippings around the venue instead of possibly toxic balloons.
Wedding ideas are always abuzz with burlap. Why this coarse, brown fabric seems so popular, no one knows, but it’s overdone to death. There’s a way to do rustic without using burlap. Try using a softer fabric that uses browns and greens. If you have to do burlap, try to keep it to a minimum.
Let's not forget the classic linen or silk fabrics that are more elegant to adorn our wedding tables. If you must have burlap, please don't overdo it. Burlap is not a fashion statement, it should be an accent piece. And please, for the love of everything good, do not pair burlap with mason jars.
We already discussed fondant, but black cakes deserve their own place. Whether fondant or frosting, black wedding cakes are a mess. They can stain everything they touch, including your guests. When it’s time for pictures, your guests will have teeth that look like they’re about to fall out of their head.
If you must have a black cake, we guess fondant is the best way to go because your guests won't be eating it anyway. Also, make sure that you take all of your pictures beforehand or have mirrors all around so guests will know to wipe their mouths off. Either way, don't do that to your guests.
Pinterest DIY rarely goes well. Even if it looks easy, there are a million different ways that it can go wrong. After all is said and done, you may end up spending more money on the DIY version. Weddings are already expensive enough without adding more money and time on a project that is unnecessary.
Instead of trying to DIY everything, choose a professional to do those things instead. Many professional florists, photographers, and wedding planners have great budget options, and if the exact vendor you want doesn't have an offer in your price range, choose someone else! The wedding industry has grown a ton over the years, and many that are just getting their start would love to help you on your wedding day for a discounted rate.
Barn weddings can have a purpose if you grew up or live on a farm. However, if neither side of the family has anything to do with a farm or barns, why have one in a barn? Something about it feels wrong. Too many city dwellers are getting hitched in barns, and it feels artificial. You don’t want your wedding to feel artificial.
Your wedding is an expression of yourself and your future spouse and your love for each other. You should choose a wedding venue and style that feels like an extension of who you are in everyday life. If your everyday life does not involve barns, then maybe consider something that hits a little closer to home.
Rose gold is beautiful, and it’s super elegant, but it’s so overdone right now. Going all-in with rose gold also makes your wedding look dated years later. If you opt for touches of rose gold, it’ll make the color pop and seem less overwhelming.
A really elegant way to use rose gold would be to have your table full of flowers and greenery with the occasional thin candlestick in rose gold. Or, you could have the dinnerware have little specks of rose gold. Just don't overdo it. Rose gold can be classy and beautiful, but only if done in moderation.
Dance entrances have been used for quite a while, and that’s too long. While you want the ceremony to be memorable and fantastic, but at the end of the day, the wedding is for the bride and groom. Plus, guests are getting tired of seeing someone dance toward the altar. It already takes long enough for the bride to get there without hopping to “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake.
If you absolutely must have a fun dance entrance, try to do that at the reception to start off the dance party. However, even that can be accidentally cringe-worthy and make your guests feel uncomfortable. If both you and your new spouse aren't 100% comfortable getting your groove on in front of everyone, choose something more low-key because there are enough wedding videos on YouTube of couples dancing with zero confidence in their skills.
We’re all for flavors that are different, but not everyone likes matcha. It’s the bride and groom’s day, but there’s no point paying a ton of money for a non-traditional cake flavor if hardly anyone is going to eat it.
If you must have carrot cake or coconut cream cake as your wedding cake, make sure there are other options for guests. Have your smaller cake and supplement the guests with cupcakes or a sheet cake that is cut in the back and brought out in slices, or if you have several layers to your cake, make sure the bigger layers are classic flavors like chocolate or vanilla.
Mason jars can still be used for great things around the house, but the phase should disappear in weddings. Drinking out of them was never appealing because spilling is pretty common. Not to mention, no one wants a mason jar as a wedding favor. Instead, go for traditional stemware. If you want something less conventional, beer glasses are another great alternative.
And yes, to add on to all of the hurt the mason jars can bring, burlap usually accompanies these atrocities. Mason jars were sort of "cute" when they were a big trend, but they have since had their moment and are now back to being what they are: a jar. Why would you want to have jars all over the most expensive party you will ever throw? It just doesn't make sense.
Candy buffets are delicious…in the beginning. Nothing is worse than cleaning it up at the end of the day – trust us. Everything gets sticky and clumped together. Everyone also gets clumped up around the candy buffet, which can slow down the process of your wedding.
Also, the candy that looks pretty usually doesn't taste very good either. And what happens if you have all of those leftovers? Are you just going to throw it all away or are you going to try to eat it all yourself? That's what we thought. Instead go for a sweet that your guests will thoroughly enjoy, not just something that looks pretty.
We’re not against being comfortable, but tennis shoes and cowboy boots during a wedding? That’s just too much. If heels are too much, you can get a classy pair of flats that don’t kill your feet. In fact, we suggest flats since the bride and groom will be standing for hours on end without a seat in sight.
It's not quirky anymore to wear converse or boots with your dress instead of a more traditional shoe because tons of people do it and have done it for years. But when all is said and done, it is your big day, and you can wear whatever shoes you want, but please keep all of this in mind before you decide.
We’ve all seen those viral videos of the cute little dog all dressed up in flowers being the ring bearer or one of the groomsmen and it just works out perfectly and is so cute. However, this does not mean that you should have your dog in your wedding.
For every one of these weddings that goes right, there are fifty others that go really wrong. The dog doesn’t understand what is going on, so they could easily go potty right in the middle of the ceremony, knock down decorations, or simply not follow directions at all. Save the trouble and leave your pooch at home.
Wedding hashtags were a great idea when social media was new, especially on Instagram. At that time, not everyone was using every possible hashtag in the world, and you could easily make a cutesy hashtag that was personalized, easy-to-use, and a great way to access wedding pictures from other peoples’ perspectives.
However, now there are just too many of the same hashtags being used, or you have to choose something really obscure and hard to remember so that no other wedding is using your same hashtag. It’s outdated and no longer functional. We wish it wasn’t true, but it is. Instead, just save the pictures that people have posted to an album on your phone to have an easier time accessing them.
Why do we have to discuss in the 21st century why the garter toss isn’t okay to do anymore at weddings? While it may be tradition, it is also unnecessarily sexualizing of the bride (in front of her whole family and friends, which yes, includes her grandparents) and it just makes everyone uncomfortable.
Most importantly, it usually makes the bride uncomfortable, which shouldn’t be happening! There is no need for the sexual objectification of a woman at any time, but especially on her wedding day. She is not a sexual object, but a human who should be respected.
While it might be fun to print your hashtag, your favorite saying, your monogram, or whatever else very personal to you and your spouse on napkins, wedding favors, signs, and everything you could think of on your wedding day, don’t. Personalization isn’t worth it.
Personalized things are very expensive, are usually only good for one day only, and none of your guests will appreciate them as much as you probably do. You might get an “oh that’s cute!” from guests, but are $1,000 personalized napkins really worth it for that one comment? Think about it.
Did you know that the average wedding nowadays costs $30,000? $30,000!! That’s as much as a down payment for a very decently sized starter home! Also, this price is only for things you will use for maybe a few days, but more likely only a few hours.
Venues, dresses, cakes, dinners, and photographers for weddings can be really expensive. Everyone has been told that their wedding day is the most special day of their lives and should spend all the money to make a fairytale come true, but that is just a marketing scam. You don’t have to spend $30,000 for a beautiful, magical wedding day. Choose what is most important for you to spend good money on, and go cheaper on the rest.
