Real Brides Share Their Biggest Wedding Day Regrets

Of course, the wedding was perfect but if you had it to do over, what one thing would you do differently? Twelve brides share their biggest regrets from their own wedding days.

"The wedding was amazing. But while I had an amazing photographer, I didn't hire a professional videographer. So many wonderful moments were captured frozen in time, but there are no moving images." —Sheila

"What I regret is spending so much time worrying about little details—the seating plan, the music, the bridesmaids' dresses...In the end, all the stress I put myself through leading up to the big day was avoidable. Your wedding is perfect regardless of whether certain details don't work out the way you planned." —Ruth

"Ok, I admit it—while my bridesmaids and I were getting our hair and makeup done we demolished a pitcher of margaritas. The drinking continued through the photos and at the reception. So while I enjoyed the wedding, I don't remember as much of it as I would have if I hadn't been several sheets to the wind." —Amy

"In retrospect, I wish my bridegroom and I had toasted our parents. They put so much into the wedding, not to mention all the years of raising us, they certainly deserved a special shout-out." *—Dana *

"Instead of leaving for our honeymoon the morning after the wedding—which ended at three in the morning!—we would have waited a day to take off for Costa Rica. The whole first day of the trip I was exhausted and hungover." *—Tina *

"We felt compelled to invite a lot of people to the wedding we weren't really close to. If I could do the wedding over, there would only be people celebrating with us who were truly part of the journey for my husband and me." —Kim

"We didn't spend enough time with our guests—the people we loved—because we kept getting pulled away for pictures, tossing the bouquet, first dance, eating. It was great but I really wanted to spend time with friends and family." —Ivy

"My husband and I chose a destination wedding in Jamaica. It was raining the morning of our wedding. I was so upset about the potential of having to be married under a pavilion at the resort, that I let it upset me for hours. Now that I look back on it, my perspective should have been that I was marrying the love of my life that day, and that the weather isn't really what matters. As it turned out, the sky cleared up, and we had a beautiful wedding ceremony on the beach after all. I could have spared myself the memory of being crabby and upset the morning of my wedding if I'd have just gone with the flow." —Jessica

"My biggest wedding day regret was not trying on the veil before my wedding day. I hated it! I wasn't comfortable wearing it—the lace kept going into my face—and after our wedding vows, before I arrived at the reception, I tore off the lacey veil part and just left the crown on my head. A definite princess look, I thought!" —Martyne

"On your wedding day the most important thing is how you look and feel and if you don't look your best, you won't feel your best. I wish I'd done enough makeup trials with different people. I went with the first person I tried, and my makeup could have been better." —Sadia

"I cared too much about making everybody else happy—parents, grandparents, bridesmaids, siblings...Whose wedding was it anymore? My fiancé and I should have satisfied ourselves first and foremost." *—Meg *

"I wouldn't have broken my leg the morning of my wedding day." —Julie

Sherry Amatenstein is a New York City-based marriage therapist and author.