"I would've had a second dance!": 12 things real brides would've done differently for their wedding

Be less nervous!

1/12

"I wish I spent more time admiring my fairylights. I didn't have much decorations at the wedding, but I especially hired a vendor for this. Before the wedding, I was imagining myself enjoying every bit of it during our march-in. But because of my jitters, and my gown (it was very difficult to walk gracefully in it without tripping), my attention was not spent even a second on my extra expenses! So wasted!" - Siau Jiahui, who married Mr T in a blush pink wedding. 

See how fairylights can be used to magically transform your venue. See also: , as well as personal practical advice here.

Wedding speech

2/12

"I wish my speech had been more elaborate. I'd written it down but lost the paper on the day itself. I regret not having thanked everyone as I couldn't remember all of them offhand." - Felicia Tan, who married Darren Ho in a winter-themed wedding.

See 5 tips to pull off a memorable wedding toast, what to avoid in your wedding vows and speeches, and useful pointers to note for your speech.

More time in Bali

3/12

"I would've liked to have more time in Bali because it is absolutely stunning and it really is one of the most spectacular places in the world." - Denise Keller, who married Robert Gaxiola in a stunning Balinese celebration

See also: 7 Bali resorts with breathtaking wedding venues for solemnisations and receptions

Indoors and more food, please!

4/12

"If I could do it all over again, I probably would've opted to get married in an air-conditioned place, and ensure there were enough desserts for our guests! They ran out pretty quickly." - Emmeline Low and Kenneth Ong

See also: indoor wedding venues with alfresco vibes.

Photo-taking time!

5/12

"I would have spent more time taking photos with my close friends and families. As the day was packed with activities, I didn't had enough time to capture more moments with my loved ones." - Jenny Tay and Darren Cheng. 

See the most touching wedding photos with parents and grandparents here.

Photo wishlist

6/12

"I would have taken more photos with our wedding entourage, especially the 'sisters'. They looked so pretty in their silver dresses. My advice to all brides-to-be: A photo plan or checklist will come in handy!" - Li Yuling and Anders Gustafsson.

See the list of must-have photos for your wedding photographer.

Dinner, instead of lunch

7/12

"If I could do it again, I would've possibly opted for a dinner instead, since my wedding banquet the following year was also a lunch event." - Lee Xin Hui and Keith Wang. 

Love the idea of having lunch instead? Here're 8 reasons why it's probably better.

Hiring a videographer

8/12

"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 and Cory Gallagher. 

See 7 tips to note when booking your wedding videographer.

Separate celebrations

9/12

"On hindsight, we might have held separate celebrations for friends and relatives. We wanted to have more friends at our wedding, but could not, due to the venue’s space constraints." - Koh Pei Li and Symond Lim

See also: 7 things brides often overlook for rustic weddings, 10 ways to manage your guest list, and 5 guest list dilemmas to note.

Second dance

10/12

"I wish we could've had a second dance after the first one (we picked up the foxtrot for the occasion), especially when our guests asked us to do a second number! But as we had limited time, we carried on with the programme as planned." - Clara Chua and Lawrence Koh.

See: all the things you need to know about the first dance, 7 ways to avoid first dance jitters, beautiful first dance pictures from real couples, and modern love songs for your first dance.

Just one dress

11/12

"If we could do it all over again (we're also having a second celebration in France for Pierre’s family!), I would've had the one wedding dress for the occasion, instead of having multiple changes during the reception, so I would've more time with my loved ones!" - Celia Chen, who wed Pierre Pinault in a French-Chinese ceremony 

See also: 7 wedding dress shopping tips from celebrity stylist Randy Fenoli, dreamy and romantic princess wedding gowns, modern lace wedding dresses, and sexy feminine illusion dresses.

Body massage, included

12/12

"I would have included a full body massage in our wedding schedule after the celebrations. After all, we were in Phuket!" - Natalie Lim and Timothy Tan. 

Check out these idyllic islands to head to near Phuket for beautiful shoots.