The wedding of your dreams need only have yourself and your partner, an officiant and love. Everything else is expectations that others have that might actually just be stressful distractions. This article provides valuable advice that will help make your wedding planning more manageable, so that you can focus on the things that truly make your wedding important.

Religion will play a big role not only in your wedding ceremony but in your marriage as a whole. Make sure you understand everything about your fiance’s religion and what the expectations concerning religion will be in your marriage. Talk with the extended family as well.

As your wedding day approaches, practice walking down the aisle as many times as practicable. Go to your wedding location to practice while wearing your wedding shoes. Your overall flow will be far smoother for your big day.

If you choose to take care of your own food serving at your wedding, try going to wholesale stores, such as Costco. Shopping wholesale when it comes to food helps you get the necessary items at a much cheaper cost. You may even ask for help with food costs from family or friends.

Wedding Dress

Wedding gowns can be pricey. There are often prom dress or bridesmaids dresses available that can turn out to be a beautiful choice for a wedding dress. A bridesmaid dress could fit your needs and would not be as expensive as an actual wedding dress. You can also make additions and changes to these dresses to make them more wedding appropriate and still come out ahead financially.

When you decide who you want to give the speeches during the reception, ask them to read them to you so you know they are appropriate. Generally, many generations attend a wedding, so a joke that’s funny to young people may not be to the elders.

Tie in small decorative items to your wedding decor. Have a ribbon used on your bouquet mirrored on your centerpieces, or in your gown, or even in your hair. Your wedding day is special and important so you want to put in the effort for even the littlest details.

Tall flower arrangements can be the perfect idea for round tables at the wedding reception so guests are able to see and speak to each other. Often, flowers interfere with guests being able to converse across the table. It’s possible that there might be a few guests with flower allergies. Instead, you could place candles (non-scented) on the table tops to add a romantic feel to the reception.

Try shopping around to identify skilled and experienced photographers before choosing the one for the wedding. You never want a photographer who is unlikely to make you happy in the end. Some excellent ways to narrow your search include talking to friends or checking out websites.

If you are having a destination wedding, surprise your guests with a basket chock full of goodies delivered to their hotel room. Some examples of items that you should put in the basket include: disposable cameras, sun hats, sun glasses and tourist maps and guides. A local restaurant guide is also a great thing to include in the basket because it can help them to find great places to eat.

When you plan your seating arrangements for your wedding, be sure that the number of guests at each table is even. Try grouping tables by age groups so that they can talk about similar things.

If you can, it’s a good idea to have a cruise ship wedding with just your family and close friends. Your honeymoon will start right after the ceremony. You may even get a great wedding deal.

If you are planning on serving multiple courses, keep guests entertained during serving with tiny portions of sweet appetizers near each guest. Why not look for sugar roses that match your wedding theme.

Perhaps you could borrow something from a friend. A nice bracelet or necklace will both complete your look, as well as give you “something borrowed” for the day.

Since they take such a huge chunk of your wedding budget, make good choices when planning your centerpieces. Rather than buying huge centerpieces that obstruct your guests’ view, consider simpler centerpieces that can be taken by guests as a keepsake. This will enable your guests to talk amongst each other without any interference, which will provide a better experience for them.

This can be as simple as having a modern fusion menu that includes popular dishes. Add an unusual twist with ethnic fare and edible wedding favors.

If you are planning on having your wedding outdoors, make sure you have a plan B just in case the weather turns against you. Book a location that also has a inside building or rent some tents. By placing wooden planks onto the ground, your guests can have their footwear protected from the mud.

Use floral arrangements of varying heights. Try using vases that are tall for more compact heads with long stems. Then, place flowers such as sweet peas, hydrangeas or peonies around the tall vases. The shorter full flowers need to be lighter than the taller and more prominent flowers.

Create wedding vows from the heart. Do not copy these as they should be personal. Writing your own vows can add more meaning and romance to your special day and make your loved one feel closer to you. You can use other sources for inspiration and build your own touches into them.

Clearly, there are very few things that are actually essential for a successful wedding. So much of the pomp and circumstance is truly optional for the happy couple. You don’t need all the frills to have a wedding which brings you great joy, and memories for a lifetime. If you take the concepts in this piece to heart, it is possible to create a wedding everyone loves.