Breaking News: Common Sense Tips for Perfect Wedding Planning

Planning a wedding is not easy! When you first start planning a wedding, there are numerous obstacles to overcome, a plethora of decisions to make, and numerous opportunities to make mistakes. At this amazing and crazy time in your life, take a minute to step back, relax, and organize your thoughts. Get a grip on the project you have just undertaken, follow some seemingly simple steps, and planning a wedding can be a wonderful and memorable experience.
Establish a budget, stick to it, and don’t deviate.
This is often a neglected characteristic of planning a wedding. It is essential to get your budget in order before making any financial decisions. Too often, couples book a reception location or a wedding day professional without having solid financials in hand, only to discover they have overspent and now face contractual obligations.
Use a budget number that is 10-15% less than what you actually plan on spending. This will ensure you have a buffer when additional expenses arise, which they will. The wonderful thing is that if you don’t use your entire buffer, you will have some extra spending money for your honeymoon.

Hire wedding professionals. 
When your best friend’s second cousin volunteers to be your wedding photographer and promises a nice discount, it might be tempting to take advantage of the offer. However, a big word of caution: hiring friends and some close family can often backfire. Expectations may not be met on a wedding day, and friendships can become estranged. Additionally, these friends may not have all the necessary experience or equipment to complete the task effectively. You should hire wedding professionals for their experience, expertise, and resources. True professionals will assist in making your day hassle-free. You hire them, you can direct them, and the relationship is not personal.

Compare apples to apples, not apples to oranges.
Many times, when a bride begins a search for a reception location or for wedding vendors, she simply compares prices, not services or characteristics of the services. It is rare that you will find two locations offering the exact same "package” or two videographers that offer the same quality of service (time and style) and amount of product (prints and albums). You need to carefully evaluate each aspect of the potential venue or vendor. What seems too expensive at first glance may actually be a better deal when you realize what it offers compares to others in the same category.

Be unique—cookie-cutter weddings are becoming outdated.
Brides and grooms continue to look for new ways to add personal flavor to their wedding day. Giving your wedding personal style does not mean doing the same thing your best friend did or what you watched on Entertainment Tonight about Nicole Kidman’s wedding. Think outside the box. Even for a few hours, hiring a wedding planner or event designer can inspire you and yield amazing results. Instead of a guest book, have guests sign a coffee table book on a subject that is of interest to you. Learn an unexpected choreographed first dance, like the tango, and wow the crowd.

Surround yourself with people who are positive.
When selecting a wedding party and asking other friends to be involved in the wedding, select people who have positive attitudes and those who, as Bill O’Reilly says, are “lookout for you." Single girlfriends, your older single sister, and even your brother may feel a little envious of your engagement. This is mostly a temporary phase, but it's still difficult to handle. These people may often criticize your decisions, attempt to have attention diverted away from you with their own theatrics, or simply try to make themselves the focus of many decisions (the style of the bridesmaids dresses, what foods they like or dislike for the meal, or which date for the wedding is “better” for her schedule). If and when this situation arises, try your best to walk away from it and ignore it. Recognize that their behavior is not your fault, and if you must include them in the celebrations, have your mother or a trusted friend handle the stressful interactions with them.

Make your ceremony mean something. 
The best way to do this is to write your own vows and/or select special poems, readings, or Biblical verses. Despite the fact that the ceremony is the sole event required on the wedding day, many couples tend to overlook the actual planning of the service itself. Is there a special song for you and your fiancé, perhaps the one that was playing the night you or he proposed? Why not walk the aisle there and surprise your fiancé? Have you ever written a poem or love letter to your fiancé? Read it during the ceremony, or if nerves won’t allow you to read it yourself, have the officiant read it for you. Look into your fiancé's eyes during the ceremony and focus on your upcoming life together.

Create a timeline for the wedding day. 
If you are not working with a wedding planner, it is your job to create a realistic timeline for everyone to follow. Detail and document all key elements and activities that are to take place during the day. Include addresses, locations, and who needs to be where and when. If you fail to do this, you run the risk of all the wedding vendors setting their own agendas. Of course, you should consult with the ceremony and reception venue, as well as key vendors, regarding the timeline, but ultimately, most of the timeline decisions are yours.

Ask for help when you need it. 
It is not uncommon for a bride or groom to become overwhelmed with wedding planning. It takes a lot of time, dedication, and work. Typically, a multitude of individuals, including your future mother-in-law, your mother, your sister, his sister, your best friend, and your single best friend, are eager to assist you. When asking for help from friends or family members, give them specific instructions and deadlines. Also, make sure they know you still have final say. 

When wedding planning consumes every aspect of your life, take a break.
Schedule a date with your fiancé and go to dinner, take a walk, or just go for ice cream. There is only one rule—no wedding talk. Reconnect with the ones you love, and then get back to the planning with your mind and heart focused on the right things.
Of course, these are not the only steps to planning a wedding, but they are crucial aspects that will help you maintain your sanity and focus on the true purpose of this crazy journey, love.