One wedding, four dresses for Smyrna mother-of-the-groom

A beaming mother-of-the-groom from Smyrna walked into Lady's Image boutique recently, searching for a dress for her only child's big day.

After trying on 16 gowns at the north Wilmington store, she narrowed it down to four finalists.

Then she got to thinking: What if it's hot and muggy? What if it's chilly? What if it rains?

And what if I feel fat?

"When I came back, each one was categorized," remembers store co-owner Janice Venema, who couldn't recall a similar case in her 36 years in business. After several hours debating, the woman bought all four gowns and another outfit for the rehearsal dinner.

Through Venema, she declined to be interviewed because her husband didn't want his work colleagues to find out about her splurge.

With each dress marked down 30 percent off, the woman spent about $1,500, including accessories for each look, according to Venema. Marveling at her haul, she vowed to return soon to shop for upcoming bridal showers.

As wedding season kicks off next month, local planners say backup plans are necessary, but not always to that extreme.

"That's ridiculous," said wedding planner Nicole Bailey, when told of the buying spree. Had the woman been the mother of the bride and stuck with the wedding tab, Bailey added, she wouldn't dream of buying four dresses.

The owner of Elevee Events in Rehoboth has worked with brides who will buy a constricting, heavy ballgown for the ceremony only to change into a short and kicky dress for the reception. But that's only two dresses.

More common, says Bailey and others, are backup strategies for unpredictable weather.

In some ways, a nor'easter barreling down on the venue is a blessing because you're forced to move indoors, according to Bailey, who has three weather apps on her smartphone. The situation gets more complicated if there's less than a 50 percent chance of rain.

When an aisle could be flooded or a tent could be toppled, be prepared to activate Plan B, according to Katina Dawson, owner of A Sweet Affair Weddings and Events in Bethany Beach.

Recently, some of Dawson's brides have declined beach weddings altogether because they couldn't deal with the stress.

But if you're dead set on pounding surf in the distance, experts recommend not wearing your hair down or parading around in a feather-light dress in case of wind gusts. Real plates and silverware are also a plus.

Other backups to consider: Last-minute seating changes if friends are no longer on speaking terms, gluten-free and vegetarian meal options for guests who forgot to notify you, a generator for a home tented wedding and a justice of the peace on speed dial.

After an officiant got stuck in Washington DC traffic and nearly missed her couple's ceremony, Bailey became a licensed stand-in when needed.

Over her 18 years on the job, she can tick off only a handful of vendor no-shows. When a string quartet couldn't navigate flooded roads for a Winterthur wedding, Bailey grabbed a classical music CD. When a baker accidentally filed a wedding under the wrong month, she scrambled a few hours before start time to find a replacement.

She gave the couple two options: Deal with the cake being assembled during the reception or go with a no-fuss dessert buffet. They chose the buffet.

In another cake mishap, one of Bailey's brides hired a no-name bakery. When the cake arrived, it was the wrong pattern and color.

"It was the ugliest thing I have ever seen," Bailey remembers. She used a bag of flower petals to cover it up with a cascading design.

In the end, if you've hired professionals you should expect them to have Plans B, C and D, she says.

That, and buy wedding insurance.

"Stuff happens, Bailey admits, "but if you're a real professional, you have lists and lists of colleagues you can call with a Hail Mary."

Samantha Diedrick, owner of Secretariat Wedding and Event Planning in Wilmington, recalls only one vendor who had to bail in her 15 years. The vendor's husband had died the day before, but they were able to find a substitute.

Most brides don't have elaborate backup plans because they come with a hefty price tag, she says. Reserving an alternate venue often requires full payment upfront, as does a tent.

Instead, brides rely on their wedding planners to jerryrig the event at the last minute if it's a royal mess. Dawson is now working with a couple whose baker, a relative, bowed out of her duties to take care of a sick family member. With the wedding only a few weeks away, the team is scrambling to find someone who can pull off a full dessert bar and inventive cake.

In 2012, bride Danielle Ortman was devastated after her venue, a bed and breakfast on Kent Island, Maryland, canceled less than a month before her wedding due to a legal dispute.

"I had backup plans for many other things," recalls Ortman, including seating arrangements for guests who didn't RSVP, a PA system for the ceremony and extra transportation for guests who missed the hotel shuttle.

"The thought never even occurred to me to worry about my venue canceling my wedding," she says.

To make matters worse, Ortman's photographer had to find a substitute before the event because her mother was very sick.

In the end, Ortman's father called a friend who owned an estate on the island and the wedding was a smashing success.

Her parents, however, were slapped with several additional expenses, such as a tent, outdoor decor and bathroom trailers. To chip in, Ortman scaled back her food options and nixed the candy bar and photo booth.

Dawson, Ortman's planner, stresses the importance of signing contracts with vendors to avoid major financial losses.

"They're also relying on me," she says. "If anything goes wrong, I can fix it."

But what about the ultimate catastrophe – the bride or groom not showing up?

Bailey has a backup plan for that, too.

"You got two things you can do," she says. "You can sit and cry all night.

"Or you can go to the open bar."

Wedding details that require backups:

Outdoor weddings: A tent won't cut it in a torrential downpour. Find a nearby restaurant as a backup.

Hairstyle: Visit a stylist well in advance for a trial. If you're intent on wearing your hair down, choose a backup updo in case it's humid, rainy or windy.

Shoes: Bring flats or flip flips to wear after the ceremony. If you want to get your money's worth out of those heels, bring gel pads or gel strips to prevent rubbing.

DJ: If you're hiring a professional with references, this shouldn't be a problem. If you've recruited a friend, bring a playlist on your iPod just in case. (This one comes from personal experience).

Finally, ask vendors, especially your wedding planner, about their backup plans. Can a photographer produce glorious images in the rain? What if the caterer is in the hospital that week? Have backup plans spelled out in the contract.