The best thing you can do for yourself is create a wedding notebook. There are virtually thousands of wedding vendors out there and here’s the greatest piece of information: nearly all of them offer free samples (with the exception of wedding dresses and such, of course). Create an e-mail specifically for your bridal and wedding information.

Begin your search for the perfect venue, dress, colors, and cakes online and in bridal magazines, making note in your wedding notebook what you like. It’s also a good idea to keep a list or make notes of the things you don’t like just in case you get in touch with a wedding planner. Give yourself an idea of what kind of setting you want: are you marrying in the summer with a beach wedding or in the fall under colorful foliage?

Focus on four main things, one thing at a time: the venue, the theme, the budget, and guests. Choose what is most important to you first to focus on (normally the budget, then the guest count).

The first item that you need to take care of is finding the perfect wedding dress. If you don want to spend a lot of money on a dress that you will only pack away afterward, then you can rent the dress of your dreams at an affordable price. Although you know that someone else has worn it, no one else will know and you will still look beautiful and elegant. If you have another family member whose dress is the perfect size for you and she wants you to wear her dress, you can make a few simple alterations such as adding lace to make this dress your own. There are also discount bridal locations, both online and off, where you can get an expensive dress at a really cheap price. Look in the classified section of the newspaper or online sites where you can buy a previously owned dress to cut down on the cost.

Make your own wedding favors or buy really cheap candles at a discount or dollar store. Everyone loves small candles in various shapes and you can purchase bags of tealight candles at great discount prices. Craft stores often have great ideas for wedding favors. You don have to have all the wedding favors alike, either. You can choose to have different types of wedding favors for the guests to take home as a memento of your special day. Since the idea of providing favors for the guests is simply a way of saying thank you for attending, you can just have a little thank you card at each place. The guests will know that you appreciate their attendance.

A potluck brunch or dinner is a really affordable way of having a great meal at a low cost to you. If you ask each of the guests to bring a dish with them for the meal, you will have a great variety of food. When you plan a meal yourself for the wedding, there is a good chance that not all of the guests will like what is being served. This way you are sure that everyone will have their favorite food because the guests are sure to bring the food they like best.

If some of your guests have to fly to the location where you are being married, you can contact the airline to see if you can get a deal on flights. Most airlines have a code that passengers can use to obtain a discount on the cost of the flight when people are travelling to special occasions. When you send out your invitations, you can provide this code to guests that live far away to make it more affordable for them to attend your wedding.

Outdoor Weddings – Things to Consider:

Who will officiate? Some officiants will only perform ceremonies within a house of worship, so you’ll need to check with yours in advance before planning your ceremony outside.

Inform your guests – Guests need to know they’re attending an outdoor wedding so they can dress appropriately. It’s also a good idea to send weather information to out-of-town guests who may not be familiar with the climate.

Be prepared – Combat potential outdoor issues by having the following items on hand:

* Bug spray

* Water bottles

* Umbrellas

* Paper fans

* Sunscreen

* Cell phone

* Tissues/paper towels

Securing your Outdoor Wedding Location

For an outdoor wedding, the draw is the setting, so finding the right spot and coordinating the event around it is the most important task on your to-do list. Your setting options are as limitless as the great outdoors itself. But before getting your heart set on a specific spot, these are some key questions you’ll need to ask:

Is There Privacy? – keep in mind that if your location is a public space – or even near a public place (like a street or sidewalk), you may have to contend with onlookers. Try to reserve your space in a secluded spot to prevent unwanted guests or distractions.

What’s The Backup Plan? – obviously you’ll need a plan in case of inclement weather. If your location doesn’t have indoor facilities to accommodate your event should the skies open, you’ll need to rent a tent.

Can You Hear? – will guests have to compete with roaring waves, gusting winds, honking cars, or screaming children to hear your vows? You may need to rent a sound system and lavalier mics for the officiant and yourselves. Your band or DJ should be able to provide this for you.

Get even more advice on finding unique and scenic settings for outdoor weddings.

All in the Details – Ideas for Outdoor Weddings

Décor Elements

* Let the setting speak for itself – don’t compete with Mother Nature; rather, subtly enhance your background – whether a sandy beach, blooming garden, or thick forest – with a complementary color palette and décor elements.

* Natural elements – depending on your setting, natural items like shells, pinecones, berries, vines, leaves, and grasses provide great décor inspiration.
Flowers

* Blooms – an outdoor wedding calls for flowers that can brave all sorts of weather. Look for sturdier blooms like mums, alstromeria, calla lilies and sunflowers.

* Style – keep your containers and arrangements natural looking, as an intricately designed, elaborate pedestal centerpiece in a tall candelabra just doesn’t fit. Instead, use loose arrangements in urns, wooden boxes, crates, or pails.

Menu

* Keep it simple – even an elegant outdoor wedding calls for simpler fare that can withstand varied temperatures, so avoid items like mayonnaise or dishes which must be served cold. If yours is a casual affair, consider a traditional outdoor barbeque.

* Keep guests refreshed – especially if your outdoor wedding will take place in a warm environment. Have plenty of ice and water, along with teas or lemonades. Alcoholic beverages like sangria, mojitos, or mint juleps will also keep your guests refreshed.

Cake

* Make it last – wedding cakes can melt outside. Opt for fondant icing over buttercream, which doesn’t keep well in heat or humidity. Stay away from mousse and ice cream cakes.

Attire

* Dare to go casual – outdoor settings allow for breezy fabrics and shorter hemlines

* Do elegance right – you can still plan a formal dress code, just consider what’s best suited for sun, sand, or grass. Lace and organza are good outdoor fabric options.

* For the Girls

- Silhouettes – you may want to forego the giant ball gown skirt. Instead, stick to a romantic empire or a-line. (same goes for your bridesmaids)

- Hemlines – Keep your hemline clean from the grass or dirt. Consider going knee- or tea-length. Or raise a floor-length gown it to the ankles or at least a half inch higher than you would for an indoor wedding. Avoid a train.

- Shoes – Opt for a wide, flat heal, as stilettos may sink into the ground.

* For the guys -

- Unbuttoned affair – consider losing the tux and dressing the guys in khakis and sport jackets or crisp oxfords.

- Neat in back – if they do wear a tux, get a vest with a full back – which will look better when their coats are off.

First of all, you might head for the outback, starting your adventure in Alice Springs in the heart of Australia’s Red Centre. There you can soar over grassy plains in a hot air balloon, see a Dry River Boat Race, or join a biking “safari” across the desert.

Ayers Rock

In Australia’s outback, you can experience the Aboriginal culture through music, art, dance, and “Dreamtime” myths of creation by the campfire. You can bushwalk (Australian for on- and off-trail hiking), learn to craft spears and catch fish in the traditional way, ride a camel in the desert, see dinosaur footprints and Aboriginal rock carvings, or take a scenic flight over outback icons like Ayers/Uluru Rock, Australia’s most famous rock monolith, which turns some spectacular colors at sunrise and sunset. As an extra bonus, you can take in the camel races near Ayers Rock.

You can choose to cruise down the vast Katherine Gorge, located 212 miles southeast of Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory. The rugged outback of the Northern Territory also offers colorful characters, deep rainforests, rocky cliffs and escarpments, and a huge array of wildlife, with an occasional appearance by a freshwater crocodile. Darwin, a melting pot of cuisines and cultures, is located east of the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, where you can witness millions of migratory birds in the wetlands. The park is a gorgeous panorama of Aboriginal rock art, delicate water lilies, crocodiles, thundering waterfalls and sparkling waterholes.

In fact, Kakadu is just one of 550 national parks and 15 World Heritage-listed wonders in Australia. In the clear, turquoise waters of the Ningaloo Reef you can swim with the world’s biggest fish, the gentle whale sharks, or swim or snorkel with dolphins, manta rays and hundreds of species of tropical fish.

In northern South Australia you can pan for opals or sleep underground in Coober Pedy, the “Opal Capital of the World,” which is 525 miles north of Adelaide. It has underground “dugout” homes, tours and diverse accommodations.

You might consider a visit to Phillip Island, where, every day at dusk, the island literally comes alive with thousands of little “fairy” penguins, waddling home in riotous packs and pairs after a long day of foraging for food in the icy sea. Ninety minutes from Melbourne, this island is home to koalas, abundant bird life and a large colony of fur seals between October and December. On Kangaroo Island, an ecological haven accessible from Adelaide, you can meet kangaroos, seals, sea lions, koalas, wallabies, bandicoots and platypus in the wild.

If you want to explore Australia’s cities, you’ll discover they are a blend of cultures, with a variety of theaters, restaurants, nightlife and events. From Sydney’s Opera House to Melbourne’s labyrinth of highways, each of the cities offers something unique, from beach barbecues to ballet, from open-air movies and jazz in the park to five-star dining. Meander through beautiful gardens, browse art galleries and museums, and partake of the vibrant nightlife and sporting events.

This may sound like a trivial matter, but it really is important because it will let you know what the time limit is for making your preparations.

You should set up specific times and days to discuss the progress of things as well, just in case things are not going so well. In doing this you will be able to help make sure that all things are running smoothly.

You might be wondering what happens when you have done all of this and are ready to get started. First of all, you have to be willing to follow the general wishes of the couple to be wed; that is unless you are the couple and are planning your own wedding.

When planning a wedding on a budget you have to lower your requirements just a bit. For example, you can’t try to have to filet mignon if you are throwing the wedding on a fish stick budget. I have broken down the various aspects of the wedding planning
to the last details so that you will get a better idea of what I mean.

Ideally, you would want to have at least a year to plan the wedding, but that is not always possible or desired. For the purposes of this guide, I have set up a 12 month wedding time line that will certainly make it a little bit easier to host your wedding.

12 months before your Wedding day:

• Announce the engagement
• Set your wedding date
• Create a budget
• Hire a Wedding Coordinator (optional)
• Create your guest list
• Start brainstorming ideas and themes
• Reserve your Ceremony spot
• Book an Officiate
• Make reservations for your Reception area
• Book a Photographer and Videographer
• Book Caterer, Florist and Music (Band, DJ, etc.)
• Look for a Wedding gown and Tux, allowing time for alterations and fittings
• Register for gifts
• Select and call the bridesmaids and groomsmen.
• Agree on a date to order bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmen’s tuxes
• Choose a destination for your Honeymoon
• Apply for passports, if required

6 months before your Wedding day:

• Finalize your guest list
• Decide on the timeline and details of Ceremony and Reception
• Order/make invitations, and thank you notes
• Make airline and hotel reservations for the Honeymoon
• Choose a caterer, a florist and place an order for the wedding cake.
• Book Transportation (Limo, Antique Car, Etc.) for wedding day
• Shop for any Party rentals

3-4 months before your Wedding day:

• Mail out/hand deliver invitations
• Confirm wedding details and contracts with all wedding vendors
• Choose gifts for your attendants
• Set a date and time for the rehearsal dinner
• Help make travel arrangements for any out-of-town guests
• Make final alterations and fittings for the Wedding Gown and Tux
• Set time with your Photographer for the Bridal Portrait or Engagement shoot

1 month before your Wedding day:

• Apply for the marriage license
• Buy your wedding bands
• Finalize music list and no-play list with band or DJ
• Attend showers
• Make insurance arrangements

1-2 weeks before your Wedding day:

• Schedule the rehearsal a day or two before your wedding day
• Make an appointment with a Beauty Salon for day of wedding
• Send a wedding announcement to the local newspapers (optional)
• Make necessary arrangements for name & address change, if any.
• Discuss final details with the reception Site and the Caterer
• Pack for honeymoon
• Write out all checks needed for wedding day
• Send reminders to the rehearsal dinner attendees about the location & time
• Discuss final details of the ceremony and reception with family and bridal party

Wedding day or day before:

• Visit your Beauty Salon for manicure and pedicure
• Host the rehearsal and dinner.
• Make sure the ushers have the final guest list.

There are some things that you know you need to have accomplished, but do not know how to go about it. For instance, you know you have to hire a caterer, but unless you have done this before you might not be aware of the questions you should ask and the special requests that you can make. A wedding planning guide will help you through every step of the process and aid you in making the right decisions.

You will also find some truly unique ideas if you use a wedding planning guide. You will get the latest news on trends in the wedding industry. Weddings change all the time and every year there is something new that is happening in the industry. Keep informed on all of this information and find some great ideas that you never even thought of.

There will also be some great ideas for the decorating and table settings at your reception. You don’t have to stick with the traditional unless that is what you want. There are many new ideas that have been tried to great success at weddings today. The latest trend is action pictures for the photographer. Find out if your photographer can accommodate this for your photos.

The bottom line is that brides need to be super organized to plan an event of the size of a wedding. That is the reason that many people choose to hire a wedding planner for their planning needs. You will not need to hire an outside consultant if you use some of the free wedding planning guide programs online. This will give you all of the benefits of a wedding planner without the cost.

Find a good wedding planning guide and use it to help you be more organized. If you are trying to coordinate a large wedding you will need any help you can get to stay organized and sane. Ask for help from your fiancé and bridesmaids during this very stressful time. It isn’t necessary for the bride to have the entire burden on her shoulders for a perfect wedding. Take advantage of the help that is out there for you to plan the wedding you have always dreamed about.

Invitations do not have to be made at a fancy printing place. You can create your own on your computer, save it on a USB stick and take it to Office Max to make color copies for pennies. You can save extra money by sending out electronic Evites online. When it comes to decorations, you can actually save hundreds of dollars by shopping at Dollar Tree or its online website. Everything is only $1 and many items come in groups of items, all for $1. They even have a special section for weddings.

Look in Craigslist for an affordable DJ or ask a family friend if they would do it for a discounted price. You can even eliminate a DJ all together and just hook up an iPod to speakers. If you do this option, be sure to choose a very large playlist so you will never have to get up and change the music. Even your wedding attire can be inexpensive. Places like Ross Dress For Less and Burlington Coat Factory sell white evening gowns and other evening attire for under $100 each, sometimes even less than $50.

Let’s have a look at the details you have to consider when you purchase the wedding candles. First of all we need to understand their role in the ceremony and the afterwards party. Thus, you’ll know what to really ask for.

Meaning of Wedding Candles

What’s the role of the wedding candles in the religious ceremony? Regardless of the religion, candles are ever-present in the matrimony rites of all cultures. They symbolize the divine essence in the sacred union performed by the priest, minister or rabbi. They represent the light and love that bind two people together for a lifetime. They can be carried in by members of the wedding party as part of the processional and placed around the altar.

Additionally, unity candles are especially meaningful. Family members, such as the mothers of the bride and groom, can light them at the start of the ceremony. Then the couple use them to light a single candle, representing two people becoming one.

Another way wedding candles are used is as decorations. Chosen in a variety of shapes and sizes they create a very intimate and beautiful atmosphere during the ceremony and afterwards. This is the reason why so many people choose to decorate the tables at the wedding party with both flowers and candles.

Candles may not be used to bring light in our homes anymore, by they’re surely bringing joy and comfort in our hearts. Very often candle table decorations go from the most complex to the simple and elegant ones. Often, a wedding planner takes care of such details.

How to Choose the Best Wedding Candles

Wedding candles are part of the perfect day you dream of. Consulting candle catalogues is the way to find the model that suits your idea of ceremonial candles. However, there are some general style rules it’s best not to ignore. For instance, too large candles can be quite uncomfortable for bearers, medium-sized are recommended.

Then, if you decide to buy some more sophisticated or complexly decorated ones, you won’t be able to add any other ornaments such as flowers or ribbons. It’s bad taste! Last but not least, candles should look good in the rest of the picture, so plan and check in advance.

So how does a girl go about creating a gorgeous wedding, on a budget, with 200 guests, fresh flowers, a tent, and one very large ice sculpture? Well, I’m here to help you with that. The first thing you should do is have a seat, a sip of water, and a deep breath. Stop watching those silly wedding shows with the crazy brides, that’s not going to be you, don’t worry.

How do you succeed at planning your own wedding – you take it step by step, keeping in mind that this day is about you and your groom-to-be. So that means you have the right to say good-bye to any drama that comes your way… at anytime. Always associate your wedding planning with a place you love: a little coffee shop, a bookstore, or a restaurant. This will ensure that you are relaxed when you start gabbing about what happened at the florist that afternoon. Rule one: remain calm… always.

While you’re having lunch, or coffee, or sitting in one of those giant bookstore armchairs, make sure to hear everyone’s opinion, but let them know that you have ultimate control over doling out a “yes” or “no.”