Take a deep breath and don’t let wedding disasters spoil your special day. Image via Glendlough Manor.
There are “disasters” and then there are real disasters. To a bride, even small mishaps can take on monumental proportions, but really as long as no one ends up in the E.R., most wedding day problems can be resolved. Find out how to survive wedding day disasters.
A late officiant can be a major wedding day headache. Image via I Spy a Wedding.
The Officiant is Late: Every once in a while, the wedding officiant does not show up on time. I actually had this happen for my wedding rehearsal, but luckily we were able to track down the priest in his office and get things underway. However, if it is not the dress rehearsal but the real thing, it would understandably be very stressful to have a no-show officiant. If you are able to reach him by phone, find out when he expects to arrive. Then have the best man make an announcement to let the assembled guests know what is going on and about how much longer it will be. This avoids the speculated whispers that the bride got cold feet! If you have no luck locating the officiant at all, still have the best man make an announcement, and then start calling around to see if you can track down a j.p. or clergyman to fill in.
You bouquet can be used to hide a spot on the front of your wedding dress. Image credit: Stockphoto via TLC.
Your Wedding Dress Gets Dirty. You are all set to walk down the aisle when suddenly you notice a mark on the front of your wedding dress or a big footprint on the train of your gown! Panic begins to set in, and you feel like you might just pass out right then and there. But don’t panic, because there are solutions. Ideally you will have a little spot remover kit in your wedding day emergency bag. But even if you don’t, there are things that can be done. For a smudge of dirt on the hem or a footprint on your train (who has been stepping on the bride’s gown, anyway?!), a pencil eraser can be used to gently remove much of the smudge. Use a clean white eraser so you don’t get pencil marks or pink dust on your gown. If the spot is on your bodice, strategically position your bridal bouquet to camouflage it as you walk down the aisle. Depending where the spot is you might also be able to borrow a pretty brooch and pin it over the mark. The one thing to avoid is using water to spot clean your silk gown because you can end up with a huge water mark than looks worse than the original problem.
Make the best of whatever happens, even if you have to order in pizzas to the reception!
You Run Out of Food at the Reception. Hungry guests are grumpy guests, so it is vital to have plenty to eat at your reception. If for some reason you run short, you really need to dispatch someone to get more. If it means ordering in twenty pizzas or dashing out to grab dozens of donuts to make up for a cake shortage, do it! Your guests will appreciate that you would do anything to take care of them, which will more than make up for any less-than-elegant menu substitutions. Besides, casual food is very popular for weddings right now. Have a good sense of humor and get some pictures of you in your fabulous gown and opulent bridal jewelry sharing a slice of pepperoni pizza with your groom. One day you will laugh about it, I promise.
Wedding band a no-show? Maybe the groom could play a few tunes at the reception! Image credit: Melissa Jill Photography via Ruffled Blog.
The Band Doesn’t Show Up. Without music it is pretty hard to have a party. So if your band or d.j. is missing, your best bet is to find other ways to bring in some music. These days your best bet is to get an iPod and hook it up to the speakers at your venue. Even if it is not exactly what you had in mind, some music is better than no music. If you live in a big city or near a college with a music department, you could put out an urgent s.o.s. on local Internet boards and see if you can round up a few last minute musicians. Let your guests know what is going on, and they will be understanding if the music situation is less-than-ideal. Above all, keep your spirits up, because when the newlyweds are in a celebratory mood, it lifts the atmosphere of the whole wedding, no matter what disasters may come along.
