10 Tips for Making Your Wedding Planning Easier

You're engaged -- congratulations. But now that the initial excitement has worn off, you're a little intimidated by what lays ahead -- planning the wedding of your dreams. Not sure how to get started? Use these 10 tips to help get you started and make the wedding planning process easier for you.

Allow Yourself Plenty of Time
Even though you are excited to take that next step with the one you love, remember to allow yourself plenty of time for planning your wedding. The larger the wedding, the more time you'll need.

Make sure that you have enough time to thoroughly research the vendors that you might use. You want to make an educated decision when choosing your vendors. Remember, these vendors are critical to making your special day a success.

Don't add an undue pressure on yourself by rushing these decisions. A wedding is emotional enough. Don't add stress by setting a wedding date that doesn't leave you with enough time to plan.

You'll also find that some of the more popular vendors and wedding/reception sites will be booked up to a year in advance.

Stay Organized
Organization is essential. Even if you aren't normally a structured person, you need to keep all the details, receipts and contracts readily available in one location. You don't know when you might need to consult a contract or produce a receipt. Organization will allow your wedding party, your fianc� or even your parents to help you with last minute issues that might arise on your wedding day.

How you choose to organize yourself is up to you. Organization doesn't have to be complicated. It could be as simple as keeping all of your notes, contracts and receipts in a folder or file box. Notebooks are another good resource for arranging your paperwork. Whatever the method, make sure that it's easily portable so that you can take it with you to meetings with vendors and to the chapel on your wedding day.

Set a Realistic Budget
The first step to planning your wedding is to set a realist budget and then stick to it. Very few brides aren't restrained by budget. By setting a budget right from the beginning, you can keep spending under control.

The last thing you want is for your special day to be marred with financial worries. Knowing your budget enables you to focus on the vendors and wedding/reception sites within your budget. By not looking at those it's-perfect-but-way-out-of-our-budget vendors you'll avoid disappointment.

Compromise
Remember that your wedding is your special day, but it is also your fianc�'s special day. You'll also have to take in consideration your budget and the opinion of any parties (i.e. parents) that might be contributing towards paying for the event.

Together with your fianc�, determine what items about your wedding and reception are most important to you. If you prioritize up front, then you know which items to make a stand for and which items you are willing to compromise. Prioritizing also helps with your budget. You'll know up front which items you want to spend a little extra on and which you can spare the extravagance. For example if you want your invitations addressed in calligraphy, then skip the imprinted napkins.

Have a Stress Reliever
The wedding planning process can be quite stressful. It might even cause you and your fianc� to argue over petty things. Don't blow these items out of proportion. Take a deep breath and approach things calmly. Keep a perspective of what is most important -- at the end of the day, you and your fianc� are married.

Find a way to relieve your stress -- get a massage, exercise, ride a bike.

Don't Let Wedding Plans Consume Your Entire Life
Weddings have a great number of details. Some days it'll seem like wedding planning is consuming your whole life. That's when it's time to take a break from the planning.

Take a weekend away just the two of you. Go out for an evening of dinner and dancing. Spend a romantic evening in. Whatever you do, just do something not related to the wedding at all. It will help relieve the stress and remind you why you are going through all this work.

Pamper Yourself
You'll want to look you best on your wedding day, so take care of yourself. Pampering yourself is also a great way to relieve stress. Keep up your energy. Eat right. Get plenty of rest.

Looking for a change? Get a new haircut or grow out your nails. Start a new exercise program. Remember though, if you try something new, especially if it's radical to do it far enough in advance that you can reverse it if you aren't happy with the results. For example, don't color your hair a brand new shade the week before the wedding.

Make Your Wedding Your Own
Everyone will have an opinion about some detail of your wedding. Take these opinions in stride. Thank the person giving the advice kindly and file it away.

There are no "etiquette police" who'll come and get you if you don't do everything exactly according to Miss Manners. Etiquette and tradition change with the times. The most important thing is that your wedding is special for you and your fianc�.

Include Your Fianc�
It's easy to get carried away with making all the decisions for your wedding especially if you've always had an idea of what you wanted. But remember to get input from your fianc�, it's his day too.

So he doesn't care if the centerpieces are roses or carnations, then find something that he is interested in. Does he like music? Let him be in charge of finding a DJ or band. Or let him pick out the song list for the reception. Leave out your wedding magazines for him to glance through. He might even have some ideas of his own for you.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help
It's not a sign of weakness or incompetence to ask for help. Need help with the planning? Look into hiring a bridal consultant. Attend bridal shows for more information on what vendors are available out there. Read wedding publications or checkout some books from the library. Ask recently married friends for recommendations.

Line up some help for those last minute details. If someone offers to help, take them up on it. Delegate duties to family, friends and the wedding party.

These 10 tips will help you get started in the wedding process. Remember, wedding planning is a lot of hard work, but if you follow these tips it can also be a fun adventure to your wedding day. Good luck!