What to do in case of wedding emergencies

No, I don't mean getting cold feet and running away on your wedding day.

I mean certain situations and events that happen in weddings beyond our control. Rain, hail, snowstorms, floods, earthquakes, military uprising, and the most common emergencies -- a wedding dress with a broken zipper, the entourage member who got lost going to the ceremony, the bridal car with a flat tire, a flower girl who refuses to walk the aisle, the ring bearer who refuses to surrender the rings or a drunk guest hogging the microphone to deliver a speech of epic proportion.

Yes, they do happen and if you are one of the lucky ones, not all at the same time :-)

So how can we avoid situations that may potentially ruin our wedding day? Simple. We plan. Thoroughly. Use common sense. Or avoid the situations that may become potential problems.

For example, if there is only one boy in your family who can be the ring bearer, but he is only 1 1/2 years old, I suggest that you find an adult, usually the best man, to carry the rings. Children below the age of four are the most unpredictable creatures on earth, next to pets that is (even if they're well-trained). I'd strongly discourage using pets unless you want your pair of rings to end up in your chihuahua's intestines.

If you're planning an outdoor wedding, have tents on standby. Save for the months of February till April, it could rain with the Philippines' unreliable weather forecasts. To avoid broken shoe heels and ankle injuries, you might want to find ways in making the ground more heel-friendly with carpets, movable flooring or mats if you are planning a garden wedding.

If you are inviting elderly guests, make sure your ceremony and reception venue have ramps or elevators.

I've read about weddings that were delayed by five hours because of floods that prevented the officiant, photographer and entourage members to get to the church on time.

I've heard about a wedding whose ceremony and reception venues were moved to a different location due to really bad weather. It was probably a wedding planner's nightmare, having to call all the guests and wedding vendors to inform them of the new venues. Because of the change in reception venue, the couple had to improvise with what a nearby restaurant could offer them. They had no wine or champagne to toast with or even a cake they could cut as part of the wedding program. But at least, the wedding did push through and they were with each other :-)

There was a wedding about two years ago when a couple of military men decided to storm a 5-star hotel in Makati (Metro Manila's business district) so the wedding reception had to be moved to the next door hotel. Again, a wedding planner's nightmare.

So you see, crinkled wedding dresses can be solved by a steam iron. A host who suddenly becomes ill can be replaced by an eloquent or witty friend or cousin. A fainting future mother-in-law can be relieved with some smelling salts.

My advice? For every plan A, have a plan B ready. Except replacing the bride or groom, that is.

Yes, spontaneity is fun, but planning saves us from a lot of possible wedding emergencies (and stress).

Happy planning!