What to skip:  Expensive French food and Italian wines

What you should try instead:  Revamped versions of your favorite meals and affordable wines. If you love the classic beef lasagna, ask your caterer to make an upscale version with goat’s milk cheese and garnished with slivered almonds.  The thing here is to serve what you love but make it special.

What to skip: Hiring the most-sought after bridal consultant in town

What you should try instead: Consult your most recently married friend or relative. With two minds working together, you are sure to come up with lots of creative ways to decorate and style the wedding on a budget. Plus, if she is you best friend, nobody else is better suited to help you achieve that perfect wedding. Together you can look through wedding magazines, browse the internet, contact the companies, and shop for yourselves. It’s good to have a close friend work as an ally for your big day.

What to skip: A large orchestra that performs the classic wedding standards

What you should try instead: Hire a cool local band that everyone loves. Ideally, you want to find a band that can perform a wide range of music styles like pop, rock, and country. You also want to find a band that’s had several years of experience in performing at weddings and one that has great reviews.

1- Start With The Wedding Program

The right wedding program not only mentions the entire bridal party (including the parents, officiant, groomsmen, bridesmaids, maid of honor, and best man) but it also lists prayers, rituals, and sometimes notable quotes.  The wedding program should be printed on fine stationary and can coordinate with your invitations, but it doesn’t have to.  Make sure that the front cover of the wedding program mentions the name of the couple and date of the ceremony.

2- Make It Personal

Whether you and your fiance share the same religious views or not, it’s always a great idea to find a way to unify your celebration. If you cannot a agree on a religious or cultural ritual, perhaps there is a book you both love, you could have a close friend read a few paragraphs from that book. You could also walk down the aisle to a song that has a significant meaning for both of you. The thing here is to find something that connects you two together.

3- Accommodate Your Guests

As soon as you get a head count number of guests that are attending the ceremony, make sure that you have enough seating for everyone. If you’re getting married in a house of worship, be sure to check with the officiant for advice on how to accommodate everyone. If you’re getting married inside a open room or outdoors, you might want to rent extra chairs just in case.

4- End The Ceremony In Style

Make sure your ceremony ends in an unforgettable way! First, select an upbeat postlude. You could go with a classic or modern pop song– it’s up to you. Another great tip? End the ceremony with a few refreshments and treats before everyone heads out to the reception hall. Keep it simple by serving fresh fruit punch and crudites. Save the alcohol and fancy hors d’oeuvres for cocktail hour!

Finding a fabulous first dance song should be easy, right? You just choose the song that was playing when the two of you met. Or the one you heard when you kissed for the first time. Perhaps the one associated with the proposal, or maybe a song that just perfectly expresses how you feel about each other. For a unique approach to the first dance song dilemma, try writing – or commissioning – an original song specifically for that event. Or check out some local artists who might be available to perform live at your reception. Music, and especially your first dance song, will set the mood for the festivities that follow.

At some point during the reception, you will be called upon to make a toast. Some couples dread this moment because they may not be comfortable speaking in front of crowds, or may just have no idea what to say. The toasts, however, are a crucial part of your reception. It is your opportunity to publicly display your appreciation for everyone in attendance. The best way to get around nerves is to be prepared. Plan well in advance what you will say. Write it down and take the time to commit it to memory. Let your best man and maid of honor speak first. This gives you time to get composed for speaking, and gives them the task of settling the crowd. Don’t worry whether your words are poignant or elegant; as long as they are concise and sincere, you’ll do well.

One additional item to consider is that, at your reception, you may not be able to give appropriate one-on-one time to each other and those closest to you, so planning an after-reception celebration may be just the ticket. Whether a meet-up at a local bar or restaurant, or a small gathering at home, your nearest and dearest will appreciate the added face-time, and you will appreciate the opportunity to unwind from the excitement and anxiety of your big day.

1- Agree On A Song

If you have different tastes in music genres, this may be a little tough, but you need to select one song that you can agree on, otherwise you both may have to settle for “Wedding March”.

2- Find A Talented Singer/Band or Piano Player To Perform The Song

There is nothing better than having someone sing or play the piano to your song. You could also hire a local professional orchestra to play.

3- Check With Your Officiant And Church

Its always a good idea to check with your officiant and church to see if they will allow you to bring your own music, and if so what are the rules and regulations?  You should also ask if there are any extra fees. If you’re getting married in another venue, the same rules apply.

4- Don’t Forget The Prelude And Recessional

Most weddings feature a prelude (the music played when guests are situated at the ceremony), a processional (the song played when the bridal party and bride walks down the aisle), and a recessional (the final music played when the ceremony ends).  The prelude and recessional choices can also be customized.