The One Thing Remi Cruz Parsons Regrets About Her Wedding—And How You Can Avoid It

You’ve probably dreamed about your wedding day since you were seven, Pinterest boards overflowing with inspo, vendor meetings scheduled months out, and a timeline planned down to the minute. Then the big day arrives and you’re asking everyone for “just a few more minutes” while secretly spiraling because everything feels rushed and overwhelming.

If this sounds like your worst nightmare, you’re not alone. On Pretty Basic, host Remi Cruz Parsons shares the one thing she’d change about her picture-perfect wedding day—and it has nothing to do with the dress, the venue, or even that one guest who definitely had too much to drink.

“My main regret I think would be the schedule and timing,” Remi reveals, explaining how being low-key stressed on what should have been the happiest day of her life taught her a lesson every future bride needs to hear. “I wish that we had had more time to get ready. I wish we had had more time at the actual wedding. I wish that we had more time for kind of everything.”

Turns out, Remi is not the only bride who’s felt the crunch. According to a 2024 survey, nearly one in five couples—19 percent to be exact—agree that their biggest wedding regret was running out of time.

So, why do wedding timelines always run behind?

Wedding timelines are basically suggestions that the universe loves to ignore. Hair and makeup takes longer than expected, Uncle Bob can’t find the venue, and that “quick” family photo session turns into a 30-minute coordination nightmare. Remi puts it perfectly when she explains how “a few more minutes” here and there stretches into major lost time throughout the day.

“I kept asking for like a few minutes, a few minutes, and then obviously that throughout the day just like stretches out into time that you’re losing,” she shares. What starts as five extra minutes for touch-ups becomes 15 minutes behind for photos, which pushes back the ceremony, which delays cocktail hour—you get the picture.

But here’s the science that makes it all make sense: When you’re stressed, your brain literally warps how you perceive time. That “quick” lipstick fix feels like it takes two seconds when you’re rushing, but it’s actually eating into your buffer time. Add decision fatigue from making a million tiny choices all morning, plus the adrenaline rush of your big day, and your internal clock becomes completely unreliable.

The truth is, weddings are controlled chaos by design. You’re coordinating dozens of people, multiple vendors, weather, emotions, and a million moving parts—all while wearing a dress you can barely walk in and trying to look camera-ready. Even the most Type-A planners among us can’t control every variable.

How to keep your timeline on track

Weddings might be magnets for delays, but you’re not powerless against them. The trick isn’t creating a flawless minute-by-minute agenda—it’s building in enough breathing room so small hiccups don’t snowball. Think of it as future-proofing your day: you plan for the pretty parts and the messy ones. Here’s how to give yourself that cushion.

Build buffer time into literally everything. Not just five minutes, we’re talking real, substantial padding. Remi’s biggest takeaway was wishing she’d given herself more time for makeup and the ceremony itself. A smart rule of thumb? Add 20% more time than you think you’ll need to every single block. If glam is supposed to take two hours, schedule two and a half. If photos are planned for 30 minutes, make it 40.

Don’t shortchange your own prep time. This is where Remi really got real about putting herself last. “I wanted the guests to have the best experience obviously, but I do regret not allotting a little bit more time because I was so overwhelmed on the day,” she admits.

Your guests will be fine waiting an extra 15 minutes in air-conditioning if it means you’re not stress-crying while your liner wings go crooked. Protect your prep time like you’d protect your cocktail hour—it sets the tone for the whole day.

Delegate like your sanity depends on it. The reason Remi kept asking for “a few more minutes” is because she was juggling decisions herself. Assign people to handle the micro-stuff. One bridesmaid manages texts from vendors, your cousin is on boutonnieres, your coordinator handles late guests. And pro tip: share your timeline in Google Docs with clear roles. That way you’re not the default project manager while also trying to get your hair curled.

Actually schedule moments to breathe. Build in 10–15 minute “blank spaces” where nothing is happening except you existing in the moment. Before walking down the aisle, after photos, mid-reception—those little pauses keep the day from feeling like a sprint. Think of it like intentional rest stops. You wouldn’t drive cross-country without bathroom breaks, so don’t expect to go 12 hours in heels without catching your breath.

Remember what Remi says: “Weddings go by so fast no matter what.” But the difference between a day that feels rushed and one that feels magical often comes down to giving yourself permission to take up space in your own timeline. You’re not being dramatic or high-maintenance by wanting buffer time—you’re being smart.

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