There are so many details that go into planning a wedding. Naturally, every bride wants to be sure that each of them is just perfect on her special day. Of course, no matter how carefully you plan, sometimes mishaps occur. The key is to take them in stride, and do not let them ruin your enjoyment of your wedding. Sometimes accidents just happen. At my wedding, the priest backed into a floral arrangement on the altar, knocking it over (fortunately, it did not knock him over!). Although, I could see it happen clearly from my position on the altar, I figured that since the priest was standing in front of the fallen display, no one else was likely to notice.
The only person who commented at all was the florist, who felt just terrible. I assured her that it was not her fault, and the whole thing was forgotten. However, if I had rushed over during the ceremony to fix the flowers, everyone would have noticed sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all.
One thing that every bride worries about is tripping as she walks down the aisle. If you are worried about it, there are two things that you can do to avoid that embarrassing fate. Firstly, have your dress hemmed to be about a half inch off of the floor so that you do not catch your feet in it. It is quite alright if your shoes peep out a little as you walk ��” presumably they are quite fabulous, so why not give your guests a glimpse of them? The other thing, is to avoid using a runner for an outdoor ceremony. The fabric can conceal holes in the ground, causing the bride to loose her footing. I actually knew a bride who had this happen ��” fortunately, her father had a good grip on her arm, and prevented her from landing face first in the aisle.
There is only one thing more mortifying than falling flat on your face during the processional, and that is popping out of your dress. The popularity of strapless gowns has resulted in a rising number of brides accidentally baring it all to their wedding guests. This humiliating mishap usually took place when the bride lifted her arms over her head, either while dancing or tossing her bouquet. Something this embarrassing can only be handled by laughing at yourself (and maybe a glass of champagne). There is no chance that your guests will ever forget it, but at least they will be impressed with how well you took it. Making a scene will only make it ten times worse.
The strapless dress fiasco is entirely preventable, by the way. A good seamstress will not let you leave her shop until you have demonstrated that you can raise your arms without losing the top of your gown. If you fail the test, the bodice of your gown needs to fit more tightly (yes, even it it makes a little armpit bulge!). Double stick tape is not a secure substitute for a well fitting gown. If all else fails, have tiny spaghetti straps added to the dress. The last thing that you want is for pictures of your wedding to be circulating on the internet for strangers to laugh at!
Some wedding mishaps are the result of good intentions gone awry. Sometimes a bride’s family is so eager to contribute to her special day that they take on tasks that are beyond their abilities. The mother who attempts to make her daughter’s gown without the necessary skill is one example. One bride I knew had a sister in law who considered herself very crafty. She insisted on creating handmade wedding jewelry and a headpiece as a gift to the bride. When the bride finally got a look at the handmade wedding jewelry her sister in law had made, she was in tears. Although her sister in law’s heart was in the right place, her fabrication skills were terribly subpar. It was painful, but the bride had to very gently let her sister in law know that she would be wearing jewelry made created by a professional.
Certainly, a bride should do everything in her power to make her wedding a smooth operation. However, when little glitches arise, the best thing to do is let it roll off your back. Some of the things that go wrong are so minor that nobody but the bride will notice, unless she pitches a fit about it. In the end, everyone will forget about your wedding mishaps, but they will always remember if the bride conducted herself graciously or acted like a Bridezilla.