Everyone knows that planning an event is stressful, with what seems like millions of factors and issues piling on top of each other that threaten it’s success.  This is a general guide to the simple do’s and dont’s when it comes to planning your wedding.  It is very open-ended and allows for a lot of creativity on your part, but it just gives you something to fall back on as a sort of “wedding planning security blanket.” Enough with the boring stuff, let’s get to planning.

First of all, before the event it is important to send out some sort of save-the-date item.  The most common is a save-the-date card, which is simple to print and send off to your family and friends.  You can also add a “green” aspect and make sure that these cards are recyclable.  However, since times are changing, couples are using more interesting save-the-date items such as magnets.  This way, your guests will be reminded of your wedding every time they get a hankoring for icecream or go to make a sandwich.  Here’s a great site that allows you to customize your own magnets: http://www.printmything.com/t20/28271/Custom-Printed-Magnets.html.

Making arrangements for your big day can be incredibly stressful, so try to have a lot of options. For example, don’t plan everything around one location, only to find out that it’s not available.  Have a few options that you like so you don’t have to panic. 

One more popular component of weddings now is themes.  Themed weddings can be fun and add a little more pizazz to your event.  However, for those of us who have seen the movie 27 dresses, it’s all too apparent that themes can come off as tacky and downright embarrassing to be a part of.  This is why I would recommend choosing a simple theme such as a seasonal wedding, where you can incorporate what’s happening outdoors, to your indoor setting.

Now I realize that I’m skipping a lot of details when it comes to your special day, but I am doing my best to hit the highlights. 

My favorite part about the wedding, is the all important bride’s gown.  I am completely obsessed with fashion and the bridal industry is becoming truly remarkable.  For example, the traditional white dress is being given a run for its money.  Vera Wang’s latest show displayed pink and red wedding dresses to the high fashion world.  Other designers are following suit, and the use of color in wedding gowns seems to be unstoppable. Also, not only are colors of dresses changing, but styles are as well. Brides are choosing more unique and obscure styles such as empire and mermaid designs to highlight their curves.  These styles are flexible in the sense that they can mask unwanted curves or create the opposite effect depending on your body type.  My personal favorite style just being utilized is the “crumb-catcher dress” where the fabric is sinched at the chest to create big folds of fabric. All of these styles are completely acceptable in the bridal world today, so don’t be afraid to go wild and express yourself!

Hope these tips helped, I will be adding more as time goes on. Feel free to ask any questions, post concerns, or just simply comment on this article!