Perfection. It’s what every bride strives for on her special day, but as a veteran of the wedding industry, I am here to tell you, you have to let it go. Weddings have always been surrounded with the unrealistic expectation of absolute perfection, and these “reality” TV shows don’t help at all. They show amazing weddings where everything just falls into place. What they aren’t showing is the kitchen running out of filet, the florist getting stuck in construction traffic or, heaven forbid, the dress ripping and a few well-placed safety pins becoming your new best friends.

Yes, the reality of weddings is not always the perfect picture. But what you don’t know won’t hurt you. That’s why you have professionals at your disposal for one of the most important days of your life. We know that these are just part of the wonderful world of weddings, and the mishaps don’t faze us.

Below is a behind-the-scenes look at a few wedding day hiccups. [First, a disclaimer: In both of these situations, no one else knew what happened until a few weeks after the wedding. Now, with a little distance and a lot less emotion, these mishaps are funny stories to tell the kids some day.]

Losing it over linens

We are one week out from the wedding, and the linen vendor calls; there’s been an equipment malfunction, and the fabric for our one-of-a-kind linens is damaged. Sorry, there is nothing we can do. Time to freak out? You think the whole wedding is ruined because the linens that match the flowers, which coordinate perfectly with the bridesmaid dresses, are unavailable. Nope, stuff happens. This just meant a week of calling other companies and arranging for someone else to make your dream linens and have them shipped for your big day and grand entrance.

Ringmaster

The ceremony is about to start. The bride and groom are taking their last pictures with their family when a white-faced best man approaches. “The ring is gone.” There are a lot of things that you can do without, but the ring isn’t one of them. After retracing the best man’s steps, about 50 phone calls and a search, literally on hands and knees, the ring is found and rushed to the church. No one is the wiser, but you have to admit it’s a good story for the rest of their lives.

Choosing the right professionals to surround yourself with is among the most important decisions you are going to make for your wedding. With the right people running interference and solving problems sans emotion, your big day will be, dare I say it, dangerously close to perfection.

Leanne Naeger is the sales director at Columbia Country Club. Although she is in charge of all things sales, her true love is wedding planning. She has 12 years of event-planning experience, and she is your go-to girl when he puts a ring on it. From Pinterest to wedding trends and classic bridal do’s and don’ts, Leanne has a wealth of knowledge to share.