What do you wish you had/hadn't done at your wedding?

[awkwardusername]

Right down to the tiny details!

Don't know where 'problem' came from 🙄

@TheDuchessOfBeddington

Sorry hit post too soon.

Rude of the guests, not something you should regret.

It was rude of them, and not all of them went wandering -- a lot stayed put, and we had a great night taking turns playing iPod deejay. all in all, it was a fun, slightly offbeat party, and I got to marry my DH.

but I had no idea the restaurant would mark up drinks prices that high either! Had I known, I would have spoken to them and tried to work something out. I have a feeling a more experienced wedding planner, or wedding venue, may have brought that up to work out beforehand. So it goes.

@MummBraTheEverLeaking

Put some money behind the bar. We had no idea how flipping pricey the drinks in our venue were, at least the first couple would have made the difference for our guests 🤦‍♀️

And that I'd have been less focused on running around making sure everyone else was having a good time and trusted that they were!

Yep, I should have done this too! Lesson learned (but hopefully not one I'll ever have to apply, unless my DDs get married someday and throw a big party).

I’d second the put some money behind the bar. My father in law did this for us - very generous - and suffice to say it really got the party going. I don’t think anyone actually paid for a drink.

Wish I’d got a videographer.
Wish I’d lost weight.
Other than that it was perfectly us

We didn't put money behind the bar - we'd provided sparkling wine while photos were being done (though it sounds like tea/coffee and cake would have gone down better :) ) and half a bottle of wine per head with the meal and then for the toast. If people wanted more after that, it wasn't unreasonable for them to buy their own.

What was I glad that I did: banned videos. Although two people still brought their video cameras and it ended up causing an argument as my mum tried to get me to watch their videos and I didn't want to. There was a very good reason for not wanting videos there, I look awful on them! At least you can throw away/delete photos that you don't like. Harder to edit a video.

Now it would be too difficult because everyone would have their phones.

Been pregnant/married him

very pricey champagne that was just for us

Oh dear, I can't imagine ever doing this, giving your guests cheaper bottles and keeping the best back for yourself.

Who does that ?

@paniniswapx3

Sorry, posted too soon!

Also wish we'd paid for a professional videographer - we tried to save money by getting a friend to do it but the result was just awful and pretty unwatchable. I can't say that I'd watch it much, but it would be nice to have video of the day, especially for those who are no longer with us.

We did spend a lot on a photographer though so have great photos and don't regret that one bit.

This. My grandmother's friend did our video, and it's all just footage of my grandma and very little of us, none of the speeches or the dancing or even us coming into the meal.

DH insisted on a professional photographer. I wasn't keen and hate having my photo taken.

I hardly noticed him all day and night but his photos were brilliant. He got one of each group of people arriving and lots of candid ones through the events. When I think about the event now, I remember it through his photos.

Everything was arranged at quite short notice for a wedding, about three months. There wasn't much choice of hand vi really wanted live music for dancing. The band were not got at gauging the mood of the floor, as a DJ would. They just played their usual songs in the usual order. Every time a good log of people got up to dance, they would change to a different song and everyone sat down again.

I ended up having to ask them to turn down the volume so people could chat.

@FinallyHere

very pricey champagne that was just for us

Oh dear, I can't imagine ever doing this, giving your guests cheaper bottles and keeping the best back for yourself.

Who does that ?

Maybe read the tonnes of other posts on this, the champagne was for the B&G to drink separately when it was just the 2 of them, and not in front of other guests. Would you object if they'd taken it to their room and had it there after the ceremony?

I wish I’d had a nicer wedding and a real wedding dress.
It was still a lovely day but we just couldn’t afford the dream wedding I had always hoped for.

Got married

@MovingtoOz1Day No it wasn't, that was a suggestion made by other posters.

Said I do!

@TheDuchessOfBeddington

I wish I had recorded the speeches.

Me too. My dad did a lovely speech and I only remember a few words of it.

The only issue with the Champagne is if you drink it in front of the guests - sounds like this was not the case. It was a bottle to take away whilst they were on their own having photos. Can't see anything wrong with this at all.

It would be very crass for a 'top table' or the B&G to be served different wines/champagnes to everyone else whilst at the venue.

@VeilofWinterFog

The only issue with the Champagne is if you drink it in front of the guests - sounds like this was not the case. It was a bottle to take away whilst they were on their own having photos. Can't see anything wrong with this at all.

It would be very crass for a 'top table' or the B&G to be served different wines/champagnes to everyone else whilst at the venue.

They were going to drink it in front of their guests. It wasn't for taking out to do photos of just them at all.

@HopingForOurRainbowBaby er, I can attest that yes it bloody well was, we simply forgot to remind them to serve it to us when this was going on and it got put in with the general lot. don’t know why this has caused so much aggro for people.

@SmidgenofaPigeon fair enough I apologise for misunderstanding, but in all fairness it does read as if you 2 had bottles of expensive champagne for yourselves at the top table and the rest of your guests just had to make do with cheap wine or Prosecco. Not that it was to have photos done with

Probably a good job your champagne got lost.
Two bottles while you had your photos taken, you'd have been pissed as farts and not very photogenic.

Eloped to one of the most romantic cities on the continent. Only guests were a couple we count amongst our closest friends and their children.

Afterwards spent a month touring the area and cruising around the Mediterranean and Black seas. It probably cost less than a huge wedding with every detail precision-planned for a year. We planned ours in less than three weeks, including the dress, and we ordered flowers on arrival in the city with four days to spare. I found a hairdresser the day before.

His family kicked up a fuss, but they are the sort who would have found fault no matter what we did, and this option put us nicely out of reach: not that this was the reason we chose it. It suited us, and was exactly what we wanted. Everyone else was thrilled for us.

We've been together 23 years. I'd do exactly the same thing again, with the same man.

I think we did as well as we could considering it was a Covid wedding with just 30 guests, but I wish we'd splurged and got the nice car.

My dress barely fit in my dad's and I think my husband would have really enjoyed it.

Seems like the big lesson here is to make sure you get the right photographer and only do the things you want to, not the things other people expect/want you to do.

Great thread.