How do I plan my wedding?

Planning a wedding is the most exciting experience you'll have. It takes you through a range of motions in the name of the Mother of all Emotions - Love! While planning your wedding seems pretty simple when you're in the beginning stages, it can get quite complex pretty quickly. Here are some of our tips on how to stay sane, and to ensure you're not caught up in the commotion of it all.

How to start planning: Invest in a planner, be it a person or a book of information on weddings. There are so many pieces and parts that go into making sure your wedding event bases are covered, no one dare try to remember them all. By getting a wedding planner (or hiring one), you will save yourself time, energy and frustration down the road. The earlier you invest in one of these helpful tools, the better off you’ll be during the course of your planning stages. Your planner will be kept up to date about whom, how and when your other event details will be coming together, handy for referencing specific details that are difficult to remember once you get too far down into the planning process.

Do some “window” shopping: How will you know where to find a great wedding dress? Where do you get ideas on your wedding invitations? How will you score a great photographer? You have to get out and start looking! Pick up a wedding magazine, or ask your friends who had nice weddings if they can refer you somewhere. Even in search engines, you can find information on popular events like bridal shows and trunk shows at formal wear places, which often have great deals on wedding wear and discounts on vendor pricing. Vendors will be available to greet you, so you’re sure to have tons of resources at your fingertips when you visit these events. Who knows, you might even find exactly what you’re looking for during your observations and searching.

Seek out some "married" friends for advice: We understand not everyone had a lavish, elegant, extravagant wedding ceremony, but perhaps they had one that was right for them. How did they go about planning it? What types of elements did they include? Where did they get their inspiration from? These and many more questions will open up doors of opportunity for your imagination, and you can perhaps find some inspiration of your own that will help get your planning off to a great start.

Buy one (or more) wedding magazines: Go ahead, gawk at someone else's wedding dress, listen to someone else's wedding ideas, watch a few wedding shows, read a few magazines on wedding etiquette... it doesn't hurt! Magazines are a great way to be envious in the comfort of your home or when otherwise have some down time. This is a great way to gain insight and inspiration as you read about do it yourself wedding decor ideas, proposal stories, ceremonial bloopers and more. The more you learn about the "do's and don'ts" of others past experiences, the more you'll be able to develop your plan for your big day.

♥ Good Luck and Congrats! ♥