How to solve the top wedding-day diseasters

You wedding will be amazing no matter what. "But," says Kelly Heyn, owner of SociaLife Event Planning in New Jersey, "it's important to keep in mind that even after the months of planning something will go wrong." Keep disasters from ruining your big day with these expert-approved action plans.

Bad weather

No one wants rain on her wedding day. "But should there be a thunderstorm," says Heyn, "be prepared with your Plan B." And make it a plan, she advises, that you love just as much as you would love sunshine and blue skies on your wedding day. Check on cost, too, as many venues charge for a back-up space, says Amy Nichols, owner of Amy Nichols Special Events and co-founder of The Poppy Group. "Tents are surprisingly expensive, and you usually need to make the decision if whether to use it by the Wednesday before a wedding," she adds

Come prepared to your venue with extra umbrellas, Heyn implores, "so you can keep your wedding party dry. Pair some funky, photograph-ready rain gear "with a couple of rain boots and even the ducks will be jealous," Heyn says. And in case of cold weather, "have your bridal party bring coats or even wearing leggings under their dresses," advises Heyn. They're easy to slip on and off between posed photos, she says, and the added, momentary warmth "will keep everyone happy and minimize the complaints."

Wardrobe malfunctions

A split seam, a popped button, a stain that takes hold center-stage on your otherwise pristine white wedding gown — these are all obstacles brides and their wedding parties face on the wedding day. So keep by your side a kit filled with a steamer, stain remover, small sewing kit, scissors, fashion tape, safety pins, baby powder, and white chalk, both Heyn and Nichols suggest. Nichols adds that it's a good idea to reach out before the wedding day to see who has sewing skills and could be at-the-ready to repair clothing items.

It's also smart to ask the men of your wedding party to pack an extra shirt — "they usually get sweaty," Heyn explains — and a tie, because someone will inevitably forget his. "Pack everything the week before the wedding as if it were the actual day," she says. "Even if it means trying everything on one last time. Keep everything together and properly labeled.

People problems

"It's inevitable that someone will go missing during the important family portraits," Heyn says. So "make sure you put someone in charge on both sides of the family — someone who can keep track of the people included in the photos." And you know that trick you use to get always late friends to show up on time? You can use it with your family, too. "If an aunt is notoriously late to events, tell her to arrive 15-minutes early to be safe," Heyn says.

But it's not just family members who could cause problems. "Uninvited guests showing up to a wedding is always a possibility," says Nichols. Have your caterer make a few extra meals and your rental company store a few extra place settings and seating options in case someone shows up with a plus-one for whom you weren't prepared. The money you'll pay is worth the cost of your sanity!