A veteran wedding planner has named the most annoying behavior guests can display on a wedding day: texting the bride with day‑of logistics. Robin 'Birdie' Yarusso, a Minneapolis‑area planner, says such messages—like 'where do we park again?'—rank at the top of the list for disrupting a couple’s moment. 'Texting the bride the day of over little stuff like "where do we park again?" is the most annoying thing a wedding guest can do,' she told the Daily Mail. 'She's busy. There are so many ways to figure it out without stressing her out.'
Robin Yarusso, 43, from Lakeville, Minnesota, has spent nearly 25 years helping couples prepare for their big day, planning more than 100 weddings. She also traces her path to the work back to family: 'I come from a very large family. When I was about 18 I started stepping in to help my aunt whenever a cousin was getting married,' she explained. 'And I quickly found this was my creative outlet and have been doing it since.'
Beyond the text burdens, Yarusso also slammed late arrivals, saying walking into the ceremony late can interrupt the flow and distract other guests. 'Walking into the ceremony late is distracting, especially while you find your seat.'
She identified another frequent misstep: overspending on the wedding itself. 'Going into debt to plan a day is not worth it,' she warned, noting that debt adds stress and can erode the relationship. A related cue for couples is to avoid costly party favors. 'Please stop buying favors,' she said. 'I make sure venues are cleaned out at the end of the night and 99 percent of the favors are left behind. Every time.'
National data also illuminate the financial stakes of planning a wedding. The average wedding in 2024 was about $33,000, according to data from the wedding planning and registry site Zola, as shared by Fidelity, though the amount varies by state. In California, the average rose to roughly $36,000, while in Alaska it sits around $14,000. Other high-cost states include Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C., and Wyoming.
The breakdown of those costs typically follows a pattern: venues account for about 25 percent of the budget, catering about 18 percent, photos and video around 12 percent, a DJ or band about 9 percent, flowers about 8 percent, and outfits roughly 7 percent. The figures illustrate how quickly expenses accumulate and why some couples feel pressure to chase trends rather than focus on meaningful moments.
Yet, even as budgets loom large, Yarusso emphasizes a deeper aim for the day. 'Make it meaningful. Having a beautiful wedding isn’t just about gorgeous flowers and stunning decor. It’s about the emotional connection for everyone,' she concluded. 'Leave people feeling moved during the ceremony, emotional during the speeches, and energized during the party.'