IMPORTANT POINTERS

What you need to do
Contact church and reception site and ask whether they are available.
Check availability with family and close friends and also the bridal party.
Keep two dates in mind while fixing your wedding date.
Discuss issues like money, time and place for the wedding.
You will need six months to a year to arrange a big wedding at a popular site or during the favourite wedding months like June, August, October and December .
Think about your wedding style. Start discussing priorities like whether you would have a large crowd, or which location will be better etc.
Plan the colour scheme you will follow for your wedding.
Plan your dress and bridesmaid dress.
See to the arrangement of your wedding ring.
Choose your wedding attendants.
Choose your honeymoon place.
And little details connected to your wedding.

Your wedding style
What kind of wedding do you want? For a few friends or a big crowd ? M ost brides and grooms look at their wedding as a personal statement, a reflection of their tastes and interests.
Remember, your B est M an must know everything about the rehearsal dinner and the wedding but it's best to remind him again about his responsibilities and duties. Give him an envelope containing money to give the priest after the ceremony is over. Hand over some extra money to give the suppliers during the wedding. Make sure you have the written speech in your pocket.
Don't be nervous . Y ou will be fine by the end of the day and you will realise that it was all fun.
Have a great wedding and above all enjoy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Putting together your guest list
What's a party without a guest? Keep in mind the more people you invite, the more expensive your wedding will be. One smart planning tip is to have a "MUST - HAVE" A list and a "Would like to include" B list. That will make it easier to exclude the people you don't want for your wedding.

Your budget
The fact is, all that wedding glamour and glitter costs money, and setting a realistic wedding budget now is going to save you from a nasty shock on you wedding day. So take out the calculator, call your folks and decide on your realistic budget before you start your plans .

Set your priorities; are your guest s more important than the location? Once you know what elements you can't live without, you'll have a much clearer idea of how to allocate your money.

Then use your budget to give you an estimate of how much to spend on each category.

Set your planning notebook
Make sure that you see everything from flowers to favours and wedding accessories. Write it down in your planning note book. We suggest includ ing these following sections.
Vendor information / guest list / bridal ensemble/ bridesmaids attire / beauty / groomsme n's attire / ceremony and reception / invitation and stationary / menu and beverages / flowers and décor / guest favours / music / payment schedules etc.

Select your date
Decide what time of the year you want to get married and select two tentative wedding dates. It's better to have a backup in case your fist choice is not available. Don't forget to check the calendar to make sure it's not a holiday or an event on the desired wedding day.

Choose your ceremony and reception venues
Let your imagination run wild when selecting a wedding location, but remember the best spot may be one that is nearby and can accommodate your guest count. You'll want to find out how many events each site hosts per day and whether there are hidden fees and charges.

Select your wedding party
Make sure of your attendants are for the wedding and give them enough time to prepare for the wedding.

Book the basics
Top wedding locations and vendors are booked a year or so in advance, so make your reservation in the following order:
Ceremony and reception location
C e remony officiate
Caterer
Reception
Band etc.

Finding your ideal spot isn't easy, so if a site meets 80% of your requirements, reserve it!

Wedding professionals
It would be ideal if you could enlist the service of professionals to organise and help with your wedding day. These people deal with weddings on a daily basis and have made their job to know what is proper and what is popular when it comes to weddings. While some couples try to save money by enlisting the help of family and friends or by doing it themselves, many times the need for a professional becomes clear. Weddings are unique events and those who specialize in them know how to handle just about any situation.

While choosing who you will work with for your wedding, be sure to keep in mind both your budget and the quality of service you desire. Compare the work of each professional. Choose people who know their business, who show interest and kindness to you, listen and spend time with you. In a set-up that has several people on their staff, be sure to meet with and see the sample work of the person who will actually be handling your wedding.

Help the professional by making appointments, instead of dropping in and expecting to be catered to immediately. Keep your appointments and be on time. Get back to them when they are waiting to hear from you. Let them know in case you decide not to use their services. Be organized and try to give as much information as you can so they can be of as much assistance to you as possible. Most consultants will help with as much or as little of the planning as you desire. Their services can include setting up appointments, narrowing down choices and co-ordinating all aspects of your wedding. Some consultants will even come to the wedding reception and take care of any last minute details that may arise.

One of the major obstacles when planning a wedding is the budget. Money matters are one of the obstacles in a marriage, but many counsellors point out that creating a workable budget solves many problem s . Most couples do have one common wish regarding their wedding budget; they do not want to go in debt. Financial experts advise against unlimited spending, knowing that it is better to start a marriage without needless liabilities. Carefully itemising every expense will make a wedding a success.

Planning the wedding budget is a marvellous opportunity for the prospective Bride and Groom to practise communication and co-operation for the start of their future together.