Every girl dreams of the perfect wedding….the dress, the location, the cake, the decorations….but what gets lost in all those daydreams and plans are the things that can go wrong. Being prepared for anything that might come your way is the best way to ensure that you stay calm and sane on your big day. Here are 10 common mistakes brides make that can ruin your wedding day….and how to avoid them.

1. Uninformed Guests – Make sure your guests are prepared and informed so they know what to expect when they arrive. If you are planning an outdoor ceremony your guest will want to know so they can dress appropriately for the weather. Also let guest know if you are planning to have a cash bar. There is nothing worse that showing up to a wedding expecting an open bar only to realize it’s not and now you have no way to pay for your drinks.

2. Starting Your Hair and Makeup Too Late– It might be tempting to save your hair and make-up for last so it doesn’t fall or fade before your big moment, but wait too long and you might run out of time. Choose a stylist that specializes in wedding day hair and make-up to ensure that she can create a look that will last all day. Schedule your hair and make-up before your bridesmaids so you can relax and enjoy your day without feeling rushed.

3. Speeding Through Photos – Speaking of not having enough time, one of the most common complaints I hear from brides is that they wish they had reserved more time for pictures of just the the bride and groom. I suggest no less than an hour for a portrait session; an hour-and-a-half is closer to ideal because you’ll look more relaxed in your pictures (and those first few never come out as well as you hope). The best option is to schedule a first-look with your fiancé prior to the ceremony. There are several reasons for doing this (read this post) but a big one is that you are able to get 90% of your photos done before the ceremony which means you won’t be trying to squeeze them in while your guests are waiting for you at the reception.  If you refuse to see your groom before the ceremony, take pictures separately beforehand so the only shots left to take after the ceremony include both of you and plan on at least an hour after the ceremony for family pictures as well as ones of just you and your groom.

4. “Hiring” A Friend Instead of a Pro – Sure, your college friend was the king of the mix CD back in the day, but that doesn’t mean he’ll make a great wedding DJ. Same goes for your cousin who won’t leave home without her GoPro — this doesn’t make her a videographer! Even on a tight budget, you’re much better off paying a vendor with experience to take care of the biggies, like the music and the food. Don’t you want your friends to enjoy your wedding instead of having to work through it, anyway?

5. You don’t delegate – Your wedding day is busy and stressful enough without adding a million other things to your plate. Let your wedding party, family and friends help you. Assign them to do small tasks for you like fixing you and your groom a plate of food at the reception, collecting gifts at the end of the night or organizing family members during photos. Simple tasks that could stress you out can easily be handed off to someone else that wants to help.

6. Spending too much time on Pinterest – If you are like most brides these days you already have a Pinterest board full of ideas for the perfect wedding day. Pinterest can be a great place for ideas and inspiration, but it can also become unrealistic and overwhelming. Once you’ve made up your mind on something, stick to it. You’re always going to find new ideas, but you’ve got to draw the line somewhere.

7. Trying to please everyone-  This is YOUR day ( and your fiancé’s too) so don’t let other people’s opinions or ideas derail you from the vision you have. It can be really easy to get caught up in what your mom, best friend or grandmother think is a good idea, but at some point you have to (politely) tell them that you appreciate their input but that you are going to create a wedding that you want.

8. Not letting your vendors do their job – Hopefully you took the advice from # 4 and hired a  professional caterer, DJ, photographer and florist rather than friends or family. You are most likely paying a lot of money for these people to do their job so get out of their way and let them do what you paid them to do. Let them take care of their department and you just relax and enjoy your day.

9. Not accounting for travel time – If you are able to book a venue that is all-inclusive then this won’t be a problem. But if you are planning to have your hair and make-up done at a salon, get ready at a hotel, married at a church then reception at a different venue you will need to factor in travel time. It is always better to have extra time than not enough so plan your wedding day timeline carefully

10. Putting off too many things until the morning of – On the morning of your wedding you should be at the center of a calm storm. Everything and everyone swirling around you, doing their thing, while you are guided serenely from place to place by your wedding party, wedding coordinator, and your photographer. You shouldn’t have to be making decorating decisions, you shouldn’t have to roll up your sleeves and put together the centerpieces. Do as much as possible and get it all ready BEFORE the morning of your wedding. Anything else should be delegated to someone else.

In the end you and your fiancé will be husband and wife by the end of the night and that is all that really matters. All the other details are just icing on the cake. Don’t forget in all the planning craziness to relax and enjoy the process. The less you stress about thing the more you will enjoy the process.

Are you recently engaged? Check out some of these other great resources:

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Bridesmaid Dresses

10 Things Your Wedding Photographer Wants You to Know

5 Things That Will WOW Your Wedding Guests