Brides, no matter how much we plan for our weddings to play out perfectly, somehow mayhem always finds its way to the wedding. I know we all hope our special day will pass without flaws. But trust me. Every wedding has its issues.

At weddings I’ve recently attended, I’ve certainly seen my fair share of blunders.  Fortunately, rather than destroy the specialness of the day, these little blunders usually give weddings a unique flair. It’s a characterizing moment that becomes part of a couple’s love story. In fact, here are a few of my favorite mishaps:

Wedding #1: During windy outdoor ceremony, bride’s jeweled veil sucker-punches groom in his mouth at the crux of his love proclamation at the altar.

Wedding #2: Freak snowstorm causes outdoor destination wedding to freeze guests, bride, and groom who arrive at the venue to find four feet of snowfall in the ceremony area.

Wedding #3: Bride and groom host wedding during Sunday Night Football, and all the groomsmen’s attention is glued to the bar’s television set.

cake smash
But you said, "No cake smash!"

Wedding #4: D.I.Y. wedding neglects to hire butlers to distribute delivered reception food, and I find myself with four other friends daintily serving champagne for the toasts and assembling the buffet.

Wedding #5: Bride accidentally smashes cake up groom’s nose, sends shoe flying towards a friend who dives for cover on the dance floor, rips dress on the aisle, and tosses her bouquet so far she missed the entire group of single ladies. Yep, that bride was me.

Brides, yes, every wedding will have its little mishaps. It’s good to plan as much as possible to avoid complications. But it’s also good to consider how you’ll handle an issue when it arises. With this approach, you won’t be caught off guard when The Perfect Plan goes awry. Then you’ll avoid the biggest wedding blunder of all: becoming the Bridezilla.

To dodge that Bridezilla beast who leaves bridesmaids crying and guests trembling at their tables, be prepared to handle mishaps well. When faced with a tough situation, try these Las Vegas wedding tips.

  • Stay calm. You’ve spent so many late nights planning, and you’ve been dreaming about this day as long as you can remember. It’s easy to be upset when well-laid plans fail. When an issue arises, stay calm. If you can, laugh about the situation. Let that stress go, relax, and stay focused on having a good time.
  • Let your vendors do their jobs. The wedding coordinator can find safety pins to fix your gown. The emcee can stop a guest-wide panic if someone pukes on the dance floor. The photographer will transform inclement weather into an opportunity for striking photographs. Rather than micromanage professionals, let them help you. Las Vegas wedding vendors are trained to deliver the best customer service, and that’s exactly what they’ll do.
  • Choose professional vendors over friends. While friends might offer their skills free of charge, instead let them enjoy the wedding as guests and hire professional vendors. With plenty of industry experience, professionals have seen it all and they know how to handle a crisis. Often experienced professionals manage situations so well, you won’t even know anything went wrong. Now that’s worth the price!
  • Keep your wedding day in perspective. It is an exceptionally special day. But it’s not your only special day! Your wedding is just the beginning of a lifetime of special moments you’ll share alongside your groom. Enjoy all you can, and take it all in stride as every detail becomes part of your story!

Brides and vendors, share your stories too. Post a comment with a wedding mishap you’ve seen at a wedding, or share your secrets to handle wedding problems well.

Author: Allyson Siwajian © 2012

Photograph: Jamison Frady of Quiet Art Photography © 2010 (Used by permission.)