I have just attended a wedding as a helper for a photographer I know. 

The couple was arriving aboard a cruise ship. Their plan was to have a ceremony followed by cake and champagne.   The venue was a beautiful tropical garden setting which eight inches of rain the previous day, had made the grounds wet and soggy.

The Wedding was scheduled to begin at 11 am.

What the couple didn’t know was that their cruise ship line stays on Eastern Standard Time.

The Island is on Atlantic Standard Time an hour earlier.

What should have been a relaxing morning getting ready, turned into a series of frantic calls to vendors changing the time of the wedding. 

What the couple didn’t know was that the transportation they reserved to move guest from the ship to the venue was not large enough to carry 15 guest and 3 handicap scooters.

What should have been a leisurely ride from the ship to the venue turned into three trips back and forth.   This resulted in additional money for transportation.

What the couple didn’t know was that the money they paid for the scooter rental and their transporting was wasted. The venue had a no scooter rule due to width of paths.

What the Bride didn’t know was how to get into a wedding dress, and no you do not put it over the head if you just spent two hours getting your hair done.

What the Bride didn’t know was that packing a Brooch bouquet in your suitcase would break it apart.  It was too late to order fresh flowers.

What the groom didn’t know was that being the last person to arrive would set the ceremony back even more, waiting for him to get dressed.

What the couple didn’t know was that if you give Uncle Joe a video camera, he is going to use it, even if it means getting in all of the professional photographers pictures.  Kind of hard for even a professional photographer to shoot around him.  Which cost more?  Uncle Joe or the professional photographer?

What the couple didn’t know was that when hiring vendors for an one hour wedding, the ceremony length has to be discussed with Aunt Jane who is officiating it.  Otherwise it will run on and on and on.

What the couple didn’t know was when the ceremony is stopped in the middle, so that an attendant can retrieve forgotten rings, it just adds more time to the vendors already overtime clock.

What the couple didn’t know was that all the times the professional photographer was delayed so that guest could take pictures cost them money and lost pictures.

What the couple didn’t know was that all the delays and miscommunication would cost them in overtime they had to pay to vendors.

What the couple didn’t know was that when planning a destination wedding outside of the U.S. there is sometimes cultural difference in business and vendors.

What the couple didn’t know was that it would have been more enjoyable, less stressful and less costly to have a Wedding planner.

They know it now.