So the day you have always dreamed of as a little girl is now a
reality! Your (Best Friend, Soul Mate), or person that makes you feel
whole has proposed. You feel like you are on top of the world and you
shall. You wonder where you start. If I may suggest the top 10 ways to
help your "Big Day" comes true with little or no problems.

First
- you and your groom to be have to announce your engagement. This can
be as simple as verbally telling all your family and friends or getting
very creative. Some examples would be to make engagement announcement
cards on your computer, or start a web page to keep your family and
friends on top of the current plans of your wedding day.

Second - You and your significant other will have to agree on the cost
you are willing to spend. This will be one of the biggest finical costs
you will encore together. Remember to stick to your budget; you may
want to allow for a 2% adjustment either way for expense. What is the
most important thing you want for your wedding day? It could be the
cost for the hall... or the florist, In any event you get the point.
Most Brides and Grooms will receive back most of the money spent on the
cost of the wedding from the gifts and or money received at the
reception.

Third - Pick your wedding date. I would advice to check with your
clergy to find out the available dates then book your hall around that
date. It's also customary to give the Clergy performing your ceremony a
donation for his or her services. Most Churches and Halls are booked a
year in advance. So pre planning is the key to an uneventful day. Then
either make your wedding invitations on your computer or check the
prices at your local print shop, now days you can even go to a office
supply store and they offer these service.

Fourth -Pick your Best Man and Maid of Honor. Generally the person that
is the closest to you in your life the one you can confide in for
anything. Now the question how many do you want to be in your Bridal
party? The average amount is 5 of each. Also consider the financial
obligations that your wedding party will have for the cost of the
formal wear they have to buy. Remember this is a time to celebrate the
union of your love and commitment to each other for the rest of your
life and many couples have many other finical obligations and can not
afford the cost of the formal wear.

Fifth - What Color and Theme do you want? How about a Fairy Tale
Wedding with a carriage and white horses. or a Beach wedding with the
elegance and simplicity that will be a lasting memory. What ever your
preference may be it's your day!

Sixth - Book your Hall... You will general have to put down a minimum
deposit that will be non refund if you cancel your date. I would
suggest asking the manager at the hall what their policy is, and get it
in writing. Also a lot of halls now days require you to use their
catering service which can range from $28.00 a plate and up. Which can
be very expensive if you have a lot on your guest list? You will also
have to consider if you want to serve alcohol. Most halls have open
bars that will charge you for what the use. Unlike the remaining food
that you can take home you can not take home the remaining open bottles
of alcohol.

Seven - Contact your florist or do your floral arrangements yourself.
Your local craft store is the closest to wholesale you can get and have
many how to ideas to make your Flower Bouquets, Boutonnières and center
pieces. You can use votive glasses with cracked ice (colored) if you
prefer with a floating candle. Be advised to check with the hall some
have policies of no open flames. In that event you can get flickering
candles at the craft store that use batteries. Or if you prefer use
silk flowers and vases.

Eighth - The Cater I would get references and price shop. You will need
to know what you want on the menu. Most caters offer (2) two different
types of meat, vegetable, bread type, and potatoes, and desert.
Remember you have a Wedding Cake as a desert also. I would inquire
about the left over food most caters will package what is left in
containers for you to take home.

Ninth - What type of music for your guest entertainment? I would
recommend a DJ. Than you have more control of the music being played. I
would suggest for the first 2-3 hours of the reception a softer side of
music... Remember a large amount of your guest are middle aged and do
not relate well to new modern music. Also tell your DJ what you
consider appropriate music for your event.

Last but not Least..........

Tenth - The Cake, the Photographer, and the Limousine. Your local Baker
is a good start, or ask around a lot of women do cake decoration for a
much lower dollar amount. Ask to see their work. Ask how much, most
bakers charge per slice. The Photographer this truly is the most
important of all the three. This will be your memories for the rest of
your life... Tell the photographer what type of pictures you expect to
have. Examples Parents of the Bride and Groom.
The Grandparents, Wedding Ceremony, Cutting of the cake. The Dollar
dance etcetera....You make the decisions, now the transportation you
may hire a Limousine or just use family and friends cars. I want you to
remember what you want to spend your budget on. One more thing it's a
nice jester to invite the event planners of your wedding to the dinner
at the reception.

The only advice other than what I have described to you would be...
It's not all about the wedding day, but more about sharing one of the
most important days of your life with your family and friends! So
remember to enjoy the whole journey of planning and the actual event of
your special day.

About the Author

I'm a 42 year old bussiness woman. I have be married for 4 years and
my husband is my bussiness partner. We have learned alot along the way.
I also specialize in Gift Basket Designs for corporate bussiness and
the general public. I also do wedding planning and floral designs.