To lie, or not to lie. That is the question.
If you are planning a wedding, you will be tempted to lie. It's a fact. You'll think, "If I tell them it's a family reunion instead of a wedding, we will save thousands of dollars"!
It's important to know how a simple lie has the potential to make your wedding planning more challenging and more costly!
Check out the common lies couples tell and the impact it could have on your big day!
The Lie: We don't have a budget.
The Truth: You do have a budget but haven't figured it out yet.
Saying you don't have a budget can impact you in a couple of ways.
If you're telling vendors you don't have a budget, they will gladly give you the information for their "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" option! Creating a budget and doing research before contacting vendors goes a long way. Service providers appreciate upfront honesty in regards to your budget. It saves time because they are able to share exactly what they can provide for the amount you've set aside.
The other problem with this lie is, you start to believe it! You don't want to be thoughtlessly choosing your vendors and venue while disregarding overall costs. That's why doing research and setting a budget is imperative. Your wedding is one very expensive day! And although it's great to have all the things you want, you must be sure you have money for all the things you need moving forward!
The Lie: I think your invitation got lost in the mail. I'll send another one.
The Truth: You never invited them.
This can be tricky! It would be great to invite everyone to your wedding, but that's not always possible. However, this lie, close to the wedding date, could be a challenge! What if your newly invited guest decides to bring a plus one? Or their family of five? This could be a logistics nightmare if you choose to lie! Lying in this situation may require you to add more chairs and tables to the floor plan, reprint the seating chart, and increase the amount of food you're serving (all things that cost more money)!
If you're unable to invite people to the wedding, try to get out in front of it before mailing invitations! It's okay to let someone know there are space and budget constraints. If the uninvited person is your friend, they'll be understanding.
The Lie: We will only have 100 guests.
The Truth: You're expecting 200.
Be careful telling this lie to vendors! Although figuring out the exact number of people that will attend is nearly impossible, you have to try! Besides the obvious reasons (venue space and safety issues), you could potentially lose vendor contracts as a result of this lie! Often, caterers and venues work closely together to ensure numbers are accurate! If you've told your venue 200 people are coming (to make sure there are enough seats), but only purchased food for 100 (to save money), you could be looking for a new caterer and a new venue!
RSVP changes happen throughout the planning process and even on the day of the wedding! Do the best that you can to anticipate the number of guests to avoid additional charges or additional headaches!
The Lie: We don't need a professional.
The Truth: You do.
Don't put the most important day of your life in the hands of a friend or family member with no experience.
Although you can save money using family and friends to provide services for free, you might just get what you pay for!
Keep in mind, "professional" doesn't always mean expensive. If you're looking for budget-friendly professionals, consider working with vendors that are just starting out! Although they might have a little less experience, they will do their best work in order to gain experience and build their business!
By the way, I know a very professional planner who's been in business for almost two years. She can assist with vendor research, budget management, mailing invitations, and tracking RSVPs! Let me know if you want her information!