It's possible something might go wrong on your wedding day, but you can get a leg up on these common big-day glitches so they never see the light of day.
By: Jennifer Lazarus-
Stay away from the smoke. "Stay away from old-fashioned smoke machines on the dance floor—humidity can cause people to slip and fall," says Samantha Goldberg, owner of Gold Events Planning, in Bridgewater, New Jersey. - Stay wired. "DJ missing? Have your iPod & connection wires just in case," suggests Sasha V. Souza, a California-based event planner.
- Prevent alcohol-induced problems. "Ask the bartender to short pour any relatives that may imbibe too much," says Souza.
- Beware of cake colors. "If you think your groom is going to smash that cake in your face, make sure your icing doesn't have a lot of color in it" warns says Kathi R. Evans, event coordinator for All the Best Weddings and Celebrations, based in Toms River, New Jersey. "It could stain your dress to the point where even Shout wipes won't get it out."
- Avoid allergic reactions. "Make sure to fill bathroom baskets with Benadryl if you're serving any kind of fish or shellfish or nuts," said Goldberg.
- Map it out. "Make sure you know where you are going to get your hair done if you are in an unfamiliar city and are using a salon that you don't know," warns Lonna Ponce of Ponce's Portraits based in Sacramento Valley, Calif.
- Protect your feet."Bring a comfortable pair of flats to store under your seat at the reception," says Evans. "Once your first dances are over you can change shoes and no one will be the wiser."
- Freeze out frizz. "Frizzy hair can be a real problem in humid weather," adds Ponce. "Don't panic. A trial run before your wedding day will eliminate most surprises, but can't ensure perfect weather. To get hair smooth, simply apply an anti-humectant (anti-wetness) product. If the rain or humidity causes your hair to droop, for an emergency fix, use a volumizer spray at the roots," says Judy Lewis of hudsonvalleyweddings.com.
- Keep ‘em clean"Keeping white bridal shoes white through rain, mud, slush and on grass, can be tricky," says Ponce. "The solution is to take two medium-to-large sized "baggies" and split them front and in back for easy walking. Put about two inches of Scotch tape in front and back so the plastic bags won't slip off. The maid of honor can easily slip the "bootie-baggies" on and off over the bride's shoes . . . and the bride needn't even bend over!
- Get Coverage. "With the price tag of weddings so high, couples are opting for wedding insurance, says Ponce. "Coverage varies with different companies, but can include such things as bad weather, wedding professional no-shows, the bride or groom getting sick and can extend to damaged property and gifts. The price also varies, but runs in the vicinity of 1% of the total cost for the wedding."
- Prepare for seat snafus. "In order to avoid complications with having to seat "surprise" unconfirmed guests, or those who might have been left out of the table assignment report by mistake, always have a pair of extra chairs with place-settings at several tables," suggests says Haydee Randa of A Date To Remember Events, LLC, based in Naples, FL.
- Order extras. "With boutonnières, always order at least one more of each," says Evans. "It is inevitable that you will forget to order a boutonnière for a valued family member or member of the wedding party."
- Avoid flaccid flowers. "Stay away from flowers that require water as some flowers that are not in water won't last," says Goldberg. "For instance, hydrangeas have to be in water until one hour before ceremony."
- Back-it-up! "Have a back-up CD of all your chosen songs," suggests Goldberg.
- See it sparkle. "Ask the limousine company if their car will be freshly washed that day," suggests Christopher Kight of Christopher Kight Photography, based in Sacramento, California.
