Any bride who has spent even just one afternoon wedding planning likely regrets skipping Excel classes. With dozens of decisions, both big and small, on your horizon, creating a fine-tuned budget, well-planned timeline and paying extreme attention to detail are key. And since this is likely your first time organizing such a large scale event, it's easier than you'd think to fall prey to the pitfalls of wedding planning.

So where should you begin so that your planning starts on solid footing? “Once your budget is established, you can make smart decisions on hiring the right team of vendors that work best with your personalities and will execute your vision for the day,” says Sarah True, owner and creative director of Madison, CT-based True Event. “By having these discussions early, it will set the tone for the overall planning and result in less stress as you go through the process.”

Still, even the most vigilant bride can be steered off-course. As you pore over Pinterest, try on gowns, sniff flowers, choose invitation suites, sample cake selections, scout venues and book your honeymoon, refer to this list of the 50 major mistakes brides seem to make while planning their wedding courtesy of expert planners and vendors. From mistreating your wedding jewelry to overdoing it on beauty products or failing to approximate the right budget, find out the most common wedding planning errors brides-to-be make.

Photo: Kristyn Hogan