Real Brides Share Wedding Budget Regrets and Must-Haves

It's the most wonderful time of the year – engagement season! Nearly 40% of all couples get engaged between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day every year. As the new brides and grooms-to-be get a jump start on wedding planning, Zola surveyed over 750 newly-engaged and newly-married couples about their spending regrets and what really made their wedding day unforgettable.

Biggest Newlywed Do-Over Wish: Hiring a Videographer Over 35% of couples surveyed wished they had hired a videographer for their big day. While nothing can compare to the feeling of first being announced the new Mr. and Mrs., hiring a videographer will allow you revisit and relive the day over and over again.

What Makes the Big Day Unforgettable? Zola asked all participants of the survey what would make/made your wedding day unforgettable. With the venue and the photographer claiming the first and second spots for both newlyweds and newly engaged couples, Newlyweds reported that their wedding planner, officiant, wedding cake, and the after party all had a bigger impact on their wedding day than is prioritized by engaged couples. On the other hand, engaged couples ranked hair/makeup and invitations high on the list of importance. However, both newlyweds and engaged couples agreed that the after party was of more significance than the rehearsal dinner.

Biggest Budget Regrets While some couples wished they had spent less on certain vendors, others surveyed by Zola expressed regrets in not spending enough in other areas of their day. 22% of couples surveyed by Zola wished they would have spent more on their photographer while 20% wished they had hired a wedding planner!

Over 500,000 couples have used Zola, the wedding company that is reinventing the wedding planning and registry experience with free wedding websites, a dream registry, and more. Style Me Pretty Contributor – Maureen Cromer is a wedding planner, blogger and public relations professional from Baltimore Maryland, where she lives with her fiancé and kitten. When she isn't working, you will find her running through the scenic trails of Maryland or sailing around the Wye River with her water-loving family.