There’s lots of decisions and stress involved in planning your wedding.  Since a wedding is something you hope to do only once, you usually don’t have a chance to learn from experience.  So, here’s a list of what I consider to be the Top-Five Wedding Planning Blunders.  They are in ascending order of “blunderness.” Meaning #1 is the worst, in my opinion, and as you go down the list the ability to recover declines.

5. Not Proofing Your Wedding Invitations – This may sound like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised! You may have read your wedding invitations 50 times and you are sure you got it right. Don’t go final yet! Buy a sample wedding invitation and have it reviewed by a few more people. Common errors include, forgetting to put an RSVP date, having the wrong wedding date, forgetting to include information about the reception, forgetting meal choices, wrong addresses, and a big one n…the wrong postage on the response envelope!

4. Buying your Wedding Dress too small in Hopes of Losing Weight – sure you have high hopes. You are going to work out, watch what you eat and be a different person by your wedding day. Don’t count on it! You will be stressed, you will be testing wedding cakes, menu items, having a bunch of get togethers with friends and family. So don’t plan on dropping a few dress sizes for your wedding. It you do, it’s easier to take the dress in than let it out so, go with you size at your fitting. Don’t have your dress bursting at the seams on your wedding day!

3. Not Trying out your Wedding Hairstyle until your Wedding Day – If your wedding day is the first time your hair stylist tried to make that special “updo” may lead to problems! Stress levels will be high for both you and your hairdresser. And, if things don’t work out as planned on the first try, the stress level will rise. So, here’s my advice, take your veil and headpieces to your hairdresser ahead of time, while you have time to experiment. Once you find the right style, take pictures, and then bring the pictures to your hairdresser on your wedding day so he/she gets it right!

2. Throwing away your Flowers and Extra Food ‘ Weddings can be a big drain on the environment. Everyone wants to out do the other in decadence and extravagance. Well, the least you can do is make a positive impact on those less fortunate. Don’t throwaway your flowers! Donate them to a convalescent home or a homeless shelter help brighten up their day. Don’t throw away your extra food! This too can be donated to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen in your community. In many places there are organizations that will come pick these items up for you. It’s not only good for those who receive but it will also make you feel good too! While the outcome of this blunder won’t necessarily ruin your wedding but you are missing an opportunity to really make someone else’s day which I think is pretty important!

1. Having a Wedding Invitation B-list – I consider this to be the ultimate of low in the etiquette department. Let me explain. In an attempt to save money by limiting seats, but trying to fill those seats to maximize gifts, some couples send out their A-list invitations to those they really want coming to their wedding. But, if they get more regrets than expected they will send out the B-list invitations to those who they really don’t care that much about but would like to fill the seats and maybe get more gifts. Okay, do I need to explain what’s wrong with this picture? This is not only hurtful to those people on the B-list (when they find out, notice I didn’t say if) but it can also hurt the bride and grooms reputation with the A-list guests too!

For a bunch more wedding planning ideas check out my wedding planning blog at Our Wedding Plus Blog or for a great selection of wedding invitations or to automate your planning process get one of our personal wedding websites at Our Wedding Plus.