Your big day is coming up and, lo and behold, while you have everything set up and prepared, there are a number of wedding reception and wedding ceremony fears circling your head.
What if the air conditioning gives out during your July wedding? Or what if your sister goes too far and brings up personal information you’d rather not be reminded of—especially on your wedding day?
The good news is, you don’t have to be a slave to those fears and can enjoy your wedding. Learn what you can do should those fears become a reality.
1. The Air Conditioning Breaks on Your July Wedding Day
You are having a July wedding. And, unless your wedding is in Alaska, chances are, the weather is going to be in the high 80s, 90s, (or even 100s depending on where you are located).
Making sure your guests are comfortable and having a good time is at the top of your list. Given the chances of the hot weather, you fear that should the air conditioning break, your guests will be miserable and your wedding day will be remembered not as the beautiful day it was but as an uncomfortably hot time where irritation was high, and guests looked forward to leaving to someplace cooler.
What Do You Do If This Happens?
Guests will look to you at how you and your spouse handle this situation. If you are calm and collected, it will make the situation run a lot smoother. At the same time, talk to your wedding planner and/or venue event manager to see if the air conditioner can be fixed as soon as possible.
If that is not possible, ask the event manager if they have any open venues at the moment. Also, given that your wedding planner has been in the industry for a while, see if she can pull some strings and ask one of her contacts to let you and your party celebrate the rest of your wedding at their venue.
2. The Rude Comment
Yes, you have heard of the mother-in-law making a snide comment to her new daughter-in-law. Or, a drunken relative talking about your past relationships.
The comment may change but at the end of the day, you fear the rude comment—that moment where a family member or friend goes one step too far.
What Do You Do If This Happens?
Depending on the context of the situation and the comment, you have a number of options. If the commenter accidentally went too far a simple “ouch” or jokingly telling them to keep that to themselves may suffice.
If the commenter is drunk and won’t be able to understand, let alone respect what you are saying, it may be best to either ask them to get fresh air or ask a friend or family member to help escort them home, should the behavior escalate.
3. Another Guest Wearing White
Traditionally, only the bride wears white on her wedding day. All other guests—men and women—refrain from wearing any shade of white, out of custom and respect for the bride.
You appreciate this tradition and yet you are concerned that a guest will white on your wedding day. You have attended weddings before and, in some cases, this has happened.
What Do You Do If This Happens?
So, on your big day at your wedding reception, you see your cousin wearing a white dress. It happened; someone else wore white too. What do you do?
In all honesty, there is not much you can do. Feel annoyed for a moment and then continue enjoying your wedding day and celebrating this moment of love.
Of course, if your cousin is not wearing an off-white dress but something that almost resembles a gown, it may be wise to confront her after your wedding. And, hopefully, she wears another dress for the next wedding.[1]
4. The Food Is Undercooked or Overcooked
While weddings are a celebration of love, being that it is a special event, the food is important. You are worried that the catering may be undercooked or overcooked. Your guests will walk out either feeling ill or wanting to run to the nearest restaurant to have a tastier meal.
How Do You Solve This?
First off, it is important that you hire experienced caterers with a good reputation and a slew of high online reviews. If this is the case, you have to nothing to worry about.
But let’s say your friend has just gotten into cooking and want to cook a dish as a gift to you and your new soon-to-be spouse. Perhaps kindly tell your friend you’d love it if she brought the dish to your home warming or post-honeymoon get-together.
5. Guests Taking Pictures with Their Phones
You love the idea that your guests want to capture the moment as much as you do but cannot help but be a little worried that the flashes on their phones may affect the professional pictures the wedding photographer is taking. Even without the flash, the camera phones could become a little distracting.
How Do You Solve This?
Before the big day, ask if everyone can refrain from taking pictures. Have the maid of honor or the best man remind wedding guests before the ceremony to refrain from taking pictures.
Better yet, have a short but sweet message in your program asking guests what while you love their enthusiasm, you would appreciate it if they turn off their phones and not take pictures.
That or have a sign in front of the entrance that reminds guests. That way, it is less likely that this will happen.[2]
6. The Guest Who Did Not RSVP Still Shows Up
You have sent out the wedding invitations. You have the guest count. You have already made the seating chart. You double and even triple checked to make sure you know the guests who are coming and those who unfortunately cannot make it. Still, what if a guest who did not RSVP suddenly shows up? Do you pull up another chair even though you are not sure if there are enough plates to accommodate them?
How Do You Solve This?
If you have a seating chart, place name cards on the table. If a guest does not see his or her name, he or she can go to the bride, mother, or maid of honor.
The bride, mother, or maid of honor can then respectfully tell them that unfortunately, they had not received their dinner arrangements, that they could stick around and see if a guest did not show up or wait and join them after the food is done for the rest of the wedding reception.
Wedding Reception and Wedding Ceremony Fears: Final Thoughts
Overall, your wedding is your big day. Whether these fears happen or not, remember that this is what this day is about. In general, if you have a wedding concern, voice it to your wedding planner. Most likely, he or she has heard this before and knows exactly what to do to handle it. What other wedding reception or wedding ceremony fears have you had? How did you deal with them and have a beautiful wedding day? Feel free to let us know by commenting on the comment section below.
Summary
- As the big day gets closer and closer, it is normal to have some wedding reception and wedding ceremony fears
- Should the air conditioning break during your summer wedding, immediately contact the event manager to see if it can be fixed as soon as possible
- If not, kindly ask if they have another venue you can use
- To ward off the rude comment, kindly joke to the commenter to stop with the inappropriate comment
- If the behavior escalates ask someone to escort them out
- Should another guest wear white, accept it and continue to celebrate your love for one another
- If you feel it is necessary, you can mention it to the guest after the celebration
- Make sure that you only use experienced and reputable caterers so that the food is good
- Should any guests want to bring a dish, you could kindly thank them for the offer and that you appreciate it if they bring it during their next get-together, etc.
- To prevent guests from taking pictures with their phones, kindly include the message in the program and/or have sign notifying them of this at the entrance
- If a guest who did not RSVP shows up at the wedding, you can tell them that unfortunately, you did not receive their dinner arrangements so you are not able to accommodate them
- Know that you do not be apart from the celebration; they can always come back once dinner and dessert is done for the rest of the festivities
To learn about Electra Cruises wedding reception venues, catering, and all-inclusive packaged deals, contact us.
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[1] Brides: How to Deal When Someone Wears White to Your Wedding
[2] Huffington Post: Attention Guests: Stop Ruining the Wedding Photos!
