WHEN SHOOTING OUTDOORS...

"I thought I'd love an outdoor shoot surrounded by greenery, but when it finally came, I wasn't so enthusiastic. It was super hot, I was sweating in my gown and there were bugs everywhere!" - Eileen, 26

GOWN SHOPPING

"I fell in love with a gown with a V-neckline but this was way back in the 80s when everything was more conservative, so my mother-in-law deemed it too revealing. I opted for a poofy high-neck gown I wasn't particularly crazy about. Looking back, I should have stuck to my choice. Never let anyone have too much influence on your special day!" - Jenny Fong, 56

Image: Elena Nichizhenova/123rf.com

THINK TWICE ABOUT DIY-ING EVERYTHING

"We overestimated ourselves by trying to DIY so many things. We should have hired a wedding planner and a professional emcee, so our friends could thoroughly enjoy the party as guests. 

As for my gown, although my husband feels I was right to go with a custom dress since I couldn't find one on the racks that spoke to me, I have no idea what to do with it now!" - Aster Foo, 35

PICTURES ARE IMPORTANT

"Going with a cheap photographer. The only things that remain long after the wedding are your memories, wedding rings, and the photographer/videographer. My wedding photos weren't horrible, but they weren't fantastic either." - Low Hwee Leng, 28

WEDDING DRESS WOES

"Changes to your plans can be time-consuming and expensive. I wanted to wear a cheongsam for my wedding day but couldn't find anything suitable, so I signed a package with a bridal salon that had oriental-looking wedding gowns - but no cheongsams. 

When we were about to confirm our gowns and suits from the salon, I found and bought the perfect cheongsam elsewhere. We ended up not using the bridal package, but still had to forfeit the 50 per cent deposit." -Ng Wan Ting, 32

MORE TIME PLEASE!

"I loved it all, but I wished we'd had more time to catch up with all our guests. I missed out on proper conversations with a lot of my long-time friends." - Jessica Tan

DON'T JUST CONSIDER THE PRICE

"Going with a gown package (here's how to get the most out of your package) because it promised a destination wedding shoot at a cheap price, and also because I was told a new collection was on the way. When I turned up at the bridal salon to choose my photo shoot and actual day gowns, I had a hard time finding a dress I actually loved. Do more research and comparison!" -Kerine Tan, 26

WEDDING PLANNING ISN'T QUITE THAT EASY

"We should have hired a wedding planner instead of organising it ourselves. Nothing prepared us for all the things that needed sorting out." - Eunice, 31

TO MOM & DAD

"When it was over, I was so happy to be married. But if I could relive the day, I would've thanked my parents a little more during my speech. They deserved more credit for bringing me up so well." - Yina, 28

BRING ON THE VIDEOGRAPHER

"I wish we had hired a videographer too. Our photographer was fantastic, but there were so many priceless moments like our vows and speeches we could have recorded." - Katrina Stehle

DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE

"I actually let my fiance sign a package with the first bridal salon we checked out. I know - big mistake! It didn't have a lot of options for gowns, and I didn't like how our pre-wedding shots turned out too." - Esther, 26

This article was first published in Her World .