There is no more perfect a day for a complete disaster than your wedding day. A day when everything is planned to the split second, every person in place, every action choreographed – that will be the day when all hell breaks loose.

So, how can you plan for the worst and hope for the best? In other words, how you can you establish a “Plan B” for everything? Begin by creating a list of “What If’s”.

What if… the caterer notifies you a week from the wedding that they can’t deliver? Make sure you have a back-up caterer or alternative means of delivering food. Don’t be ashamed – it’s not your fault. No wedding guest would ever fault you for your caterer being irresponsible.

What if… your wedding is outside and the forecast calls for rain (or snow!)? This is a “what if” that must absolutely be planned for! Anyone who plans an outdoors wedding has to have an alternative that can be chosen at a moment’s notice.

What if… your wedding dress falls apart? All mothers should have bobby pins, safety pins, needle and threat, duct tape, and glue. That’s a mother’s job!

What if… the cake doesn’t get delivered, or is destroyed during delivery? This happens more than you can imagine. Have a backup! Most large grocery stores will have wedding cakes in stock. If not, call your local bakeries and see which ones have cakes in stock. You may need one of them!

What if… the photographer doesn’t show? Well, first of all, sue him! Secondly, run down to the local drug store and pick up as many disposable cameras as you can find. Let your guests be the photographers. Alternatively, have a photographer lined up “just in case”.

There is always something that will go wrong on your wedding day and you won’t know what it is until the last minute. My husband forgot his shirt on his wedding day and we had to run down the Vegas strip to get him a new one, just hours before the wedding. Don’t worry about it! All that matters is that both of you say, “I do!”

Anyone who has been through a wedding knows the drama that is involved in creating the perfect seating plan for a reception. Aunt Marilyn can’t sit anywhere near her evil sister. John the drunk needs to be seated as far away from the pastor as possible. And foul-mouthed Jeff needs to be kept away from bible-thumping Janet. Yes, the seating plan needs to look unintentional and pleasant.

So, how do you go about putting all of these people in the right place? Of course you need to start with a complete list of everyone who will be attending. Once you have that in place, you can begin finding them appropriate seats.

Your wedding reception venue will dictate much of your seating. Will you have one long table at the front? Will the tables seat 4, 6, or more? How many tables will there be, and how close will they be to each other? It is possible to seat two arch-enemies at one table if the tables are large enough!

Once you know you the tables will be set up, you need to figure out who your guests are – who they really are. Are they childhood friends? Co-workers? Family? Once these people are categorized, decide how you want the tables set up. A table for family only? Or do you want to mix and match? Some brides like tables to be a good mix of people – a friend, a family member or two, a co-worker, etc. By doing this, people get to meet new people, but it can also lead up to awkward moments.

You also need to keep in consideration people who might need a little extra help. Some brides have kids sitting at a separate “kids table” with a separate menu. Some like the kids with their parents. Where will the elderly people go? If they have hearing or mobility issues, you need to keep that in mind when planning where they will sit.

Remember that no matter where and how you seat people, they won’t stay that way. Certainly, by the time dinner begins, someone will have moved at least one of the seating cards. Don’t worry about it! You did the best you could!

Did you know that the average cost of a wedding in the United States is nearly $30,000? According to “American Weddings,” that is the average price of more than 2 million weddings in 2005. The cost has no doubt gone up since then!

So, if you don’t have $30,000 sitting around to splash out one single day, how can you cut costs and still have the wedding of your dreams? Remarkably, there are a number of ways to do this, and your guests won’t even know you’re being cheap!

1 – Flowers are one of the biggest expenses of a wedding, and the most overpriced as well. By buying your own flowers, you can save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. It might take a little more work, but it’s worth it.

2 – Photography can cost well into five digits, and that often doesn’t even include videography. When choosing a photographer, get a fixed price up-front for everything and make sure that YOU own the negatives (or digital prints). Don’t get scammed by your photographer.

3 – There are plenty of alternatives to traditional church weddings and country club receptions. Remember, you are NOT Princess Diana and don’t have an unlimited budget for the perfect wedding. Shop around and find a reception venue that is within your budget. Restaurants, small hotels or convention centers, parks, or large private homes are all possibilities.

4 – The dress is, obviously, essential to your happiness. However, once you choose your dress you have to shop around. More than likely you can find the very same dress online for a fraction of the cost. Buying your dress at your town’s local bridal shop is for suckers!

5 – The guest list can get ridiculous very fast. Decide ahead of time who is invited, who isn’t, and prepare a fixed reply to everyone as to why you are limiting the number of guests. It’s OK to tell them that you are on a budget. A wedding announcement after the fact, rather than an invitation to the wedding, will save you hundreds of dollars per couple.

Don’t be ashamed to admit to having a budget and sticking to it. By being frugal on the wedding day itself, you will have more money to set aside and begin your future.

What girl doesn’t dream of walking down a long, church aisle in a beautiful white dress? A vision of Princess Diana and her long train, the beautiful tiara, and the admiring looks is what we all grew up with, but few of us will realize that in actuality. In fact, most of us, by the time we do get married will outgrow that dream and decide on something a little more realistic.

A large “white wedding” in a church with hundreds of guests will set you back tens of thousands of dollars, so many couples are choosing to go with creative alternatives to the church setting. Many brides would rather spend the money on their dress, their ring, their honeymoon, or a down payment on a house!

Many couples have opted for the resort or country club setting, but that can be expensive. So, what options are there?

Most city and county parks will help you arrange a wedding. Speak with your local Parks and Recreation Department and find out what is available in your area. You may also speak to the National Parks Service for weddings in some of the most beautiful park settings in our country.

Be creative! If you love the theatre, get married there. If you love baseball, get married there! Plenty of couples are married every year at Major League Baseball games, National Football League games, or the Super Bowl. What a fun, memorable day that would be for you and all your guests!

It seems almost weekly there is a story about someone getting married while sky diving, scuba diving, on a roller coaster, or at a bizarre place that they met. If there is a place that means a lot to the both of you, consider that as one of your venue options.

Don’t forget about Las Vegas! Not all of the wedding chapels are cheap, tacky joints that marry you in five minutes for less than the cost of a good dinner. Check out the major casinos on The Strip and you will find that most of them have beautiful, well-appointed chapels as well. They provide the minister, the flowers, and the photographer, and all you do is turn up and say, “I do!”

It goes without saying that finding the location for your wedding is both one of the most important and most difficult aspects of planning your wedding.

Rule Number One – Begin searching immediately! There is absolutely no time to waste! Wedding locations begin to book up over a year in advance, and if you are looking at particularly popular venues, two years in advance is not unheard of.

Decide what kind of wedding you want. Will it be formal with a long, flowing gown, white flowers, and a big cake? If so, maybe a wedding on a beach isn’t your style. So, if you are going formal, you need to decide whether you have the wedding in a church, or other religious house of worship, or a wedding hall. You may also choose from large hotels or resorts, or in the case of many people these days, a small chapel in Vegas!

Not only must you decide on the type of wedding you envision, but you must think about the people you will be inviting. Are they coming from all over the country? If so, where will they stay? If everyone will be travelling from one distant state, maybe you might consider having your wedding there instead. Either way, keep in mind that there are many more people involved in this than just you and your groom.

Price may be the decision maker for you. A wedding in a church may be cheaper (although you will have to make a “donation”), but availability may be limited. A wedding in a hotel or resort can cost thousands of dollars – just for the ceremony itself. A wedding in Las Vegas can run as little as $49 or well into the thousands as well. Decide your price point well before you start looking at venues so you don’t get off track.

Last, but certainly not least, think about the weather. If you are having an outdoor wedding, you need to have a “Plan B” in case Mother Nature doesn’t fall into line. Outside weddings may be beautiful, but I don’t know anyone who can predict the weather on a particular afternoon a year ahead of time. Be careful and be adaptable if you choose this type of wedding.

The wedding venue you choose needs to be a reflection of you, as a couple. If you can do that within your budget, all the better!

Planning a wedding is far too complicated a job for one woman. You know you will need help, but who should you ask? Or more importantly, who do you NOT want involved in your wedding planning? By taking some time at the beginning to decide who should and shouldn’t be involved, you will find that the process goes a lot easier.

The one person who almost always has to be involved is the bride’s mother. The mother lives her whole life, waiting for the day her daughter is married, so being involved is very important. You may not like everything she chooses, but you almost owe her the right to be there every step of the way. This is part of the way you pay her back for all the years of taking care of you!

Another person who will be involved will be your maid of honor. You need to decide who this will be almost immediately. In fact, you should have your bridesmaid already chosen even before the man proposes. This woman will be the core of your planning team. She will be in charge of making sure everything is done and keeping you calm, on target, and within budget. But, don’t let her run away with the wedding. Remember, the wedding is YOURS!

The person who gets left out of most of the wedding planning is almost always the groom. For most women, the groom sits on the side. He may say, “Whatever you want, honey,” but he doesn’t really mean that. He wants you to be happy, of course, but he also wants to be part of the celebration. After all, he’s getting married, too!

The best way to get your man involved is to give him small, self-contained projects with clearly defined goals. Have him arrange transportation, have him try out the food and cake, and have him help you with the financial aspects of the day. You may not actually need his help, but giving him something to do will keep him involved.

Most importantly, though, there will be plenty of people who want a say in what you are doing. Don’t be afraid to tell them that you have already decided on certain aspects of your wedding, and that although their advice is appreciated, the decisions have already been made. You won’t believe all the people and opinions that come out of the woodwork the day you announcement your engagement!

Is it possible that a bride should begin planning her wedding a year in advance? Yes!

Most bridal experts say that a year’s advance is almost too short. Surely, that can’t be true? But, it is! If you have ever planned a wedding, you know that nothing goes according to plan from the beginning up until the time the guests have gone home. No matter how long you have, something will go wrong – so accept that fact up front.

A year in advance, the first thing you need to do is book the wedding venue. Whether it is a church, wedding hall, or a chapel in Las Vegas, the sooner you do this, the more flexibility you will have with both the day and time of the wedding. Many popular wedding venues book up well over one year in advance. And, if you are looking for a wedding in June (or God forbid, Valentine’s Day!), forget about it!

If you are going to hire a wedding coordinator or planner, do this immediately. They can help you find a venue and may have a little more pull than you do with regards to price and timing. They may cost you a little more, but they do provide savings and a lot of help along the way.

Once you have the date and location, the fun begins. It’s time to determine who will be in the bridal party and start working on buying the dresses. This alone, can take months!

Depending on how many people you are inviting, your reception may be an adventure in itself. Reception halls, restaurants, or caterers also book up months in advance, so you need to get on top of that as soon as possible, too!

As you can see, even a year in advance will seem too short a time to plan. You have yet to hire a photographer, a caterer, a priest/pastor/rabbi, a florist, musicians, a cake, transportation, lodging, or the honeymoon.

The truth is, every woman begins planning her wedding the day her man asks her to marry him. Hopefully, he had the foresight to give her a year’s notice!

For most women, their wedding day is the most memorable day of their life. It is the one day they are the star, the focus of attention, the princess. The wedding dress itself is a big part of the picture. Without the perfect wedding dress, the day is ruined.

Finding the perfect wedding dress is now much easier than it used to be. You can browse the internet and find thousands of dresses online in every style, fabric, and color. The first step in finding the perfect wedding dress is narrowing down what it is that you like.

Do you like long sleeves, high collar, no sleeves, strapless? Is it long, mid-length, short? Is it even white? Will you want a veil or a train? You don’t even know how many choices are available until you start looking. The choices really are endless.

As soon as you are engaged, the hunt for the perfect dress must begin. Don’t delay! Start online by narrowing down the style you want, then head to the stores to start trying them on. This is where the real fun begins. The problem is, though, you may find that the dress that looked so good online doesn’t look quite so good on your body type. So, take a good look at yourself and what you look like and re-evaluate if that perfect dress is really built for you. If not, start the search again.

When trying on wedding dresses, you must absolutely bring a friend or two, and possibly your mother with you. They are the ones who will give you the truth. They may have ideas that you haven’t thought of yet, and they can help prop your spirits up when you have tried every dress in the shop on, with no luck.

Once you decide on a dress, the style, and the color, it is time to shop around again. The bridal shop in your town may be twice the price of the very same dress online. Shop around and make sure you give yourself plenty of time (at least a month before the wedding) to get it altered in case your size changes or the dress you choose doesn’t fit just right.

How do you go about planning a wedding?  Generally, people want a
lovely and classy affair that’s still reasonably priced.  To be
able to say that you had a once-in-a-lifetime wedding and still
have enough money to enjoy a comparably beautiful honeymoon, and
still have enough money to pay the mortgage and a three month’s
worth of expenses, would be anyone’s idea of successful wedding
planning.

When considering the engagement process, remember that this is
most personal phase of a romance.  The marriage ceremony is about
public showing and the honeymoon is about fun.  The flush of
romance happens during the engagement.  So try and avoid heavy
spending during this time.  Buy an engagement ring that’s
reasonably priced, and enough to be charming, but that won’t clean
out your bank account before you can find a comparably beautiful
wedding ring.

When it comes time to plan the wedding, what will help you stay on
budget and create a classy affair worthy of 200 people, is event
organization.  Some couples will insist upon hiring a wedding
planner, and if you have the money to do so, then go for it.  
However, if you are working on a budget then you can plan the
wedding on your own.  All it will take is a lot of friends, a
great deal of patience and a checklist to help you stay organized.
Before starting a wedding plan, jot down all of your ideas on
paper (or computer).  Now organize these ideas into a workable and
easy-to-follow outline.  Create a checklist along with the outline
so that you can ensure that every detail is accounted for by the
time your wedding day approaches.  List phone numbers of important
contact people so that you are easily accessible.  It may help you
to designate some “personal assistants” to yourself and organize
them according to category.  For example, if your best friend
enjoys flowers then she can be in charge of floral and
decoration.

It will also be important to set aside time for yourself and
de-stress, as wedding planning can be a very stressful activity,
depending on the money you spend.  What should a wedding look
like?  There is no rule to what a wedding should look like.  There
are some families that will spend thousands of dollars just to
create a typical or “traditional” wedding.  Other weddings are
modest and intimate affairs.  Some people even get hitched in
Vegas and will pay for a theme party wedding, with a more modern
or comical theme.  There is no right or wrong answer here, and no
one should pressure you to have a high profile, formal wedding if
you don’t want one.  The most important quality is that the
wedding be “you”—that it be customized to the personalities of the
bride and groom.  The most beautiful weddings are unique ones and
the photos that commemorate a bride and groom’s one-of-a-king love
are truly a thrill to look at.

How about wedding economics?  Start out by making a budget and
agreeing with your future spouse not to overspend.  List the items
that matter most to you in sequence and devote a budget to each of
these items.  If the rings are of vital importance then you can
skimp on less important items like dress, reception refreshments
and music.  You also have to devote time to planning the wedding
just right.  Do research (or designate a friend or even future
spouse) and look up honeymoon locations and related weather
forecasts.  Make sure you can plan a honeymoon at a convenient
time for both your work schedules.

It’s also important that the bride time her wedding date according
to her menstrual cycle.  Though this issue is not often
considered, it is of vital importance, since she wants to look and
feel her best for the wedding ceremony, long reception and
romantic honeymoon.  The wedding lasts just one day but if you
prepare ahead of time, it will be a day remembered for a lifetime
and beyond!