How should I begin planning a wedding?

I just got married last year, May 2008. This is what I did: 1. check budget 2. decide what kind of wedding - mine is a catholic wedding 3. choose the date 4. list down the guest 5. look for the church/place of the ceremony (amenities, logistics for the ceremony - candles, flowers) 6. look for the reception and caterer(amenities to used - cake, sound system, motiff) 7. reserve for the place of the ceremony and reception 8. write down the names of your entourage (if there's any, ask for their confirmation if they are willing to be part. 9. look for your cotourier/ the one who will make your wedding gown 9. look for the flower suppliers. 10. look for souvenir/giveaways 11. look for a place for the preparation (if its a hotel only) 12. print the invitation and thank you cards 13. send in the invitations 14. look for the emcee of the event 13. you can let your friends or relative to be your event organizer on the day it self. Just brief them a week or 3 days before your wedding. hope this helps. happy prep.

Well you first have to decide if its going to be big or small depending on your budget. Then you make a list of what has to be done. Such as church, hall, bridemaids or not, dress, cake, band or not, flowers, list of guests, invitations. You can also have a friend help you organize what has to be done. Two heads are better then one. Good luck!

The standard rate for a wedding planner is 10% of your budget so if your budget is $10,000, you will pay a planner $1000 (bringing the total cost of your wedding to $11,000). Just something to think about, since you mentioned it. How long do you have to plan? I got a really unfavorable response from a friend who was stressed over planning her entire wedding in the span of a month because I told her there is a reason engagements traditionally last a year. Your first step should be choosing a date. Once you do that you can start planning the rest of it. Booking a location for the ceremony and reception is generally one of the first steps, especially if you are getting married in a popular time (April, May, June). In booking your reception location you may find that they provide packages for weddings that include things like on-site caterers or photographers, or they may give you recommendations for outside companies they have worked with in the past. Go buy a book. There are several wedding planners on the market available at major bookstores. Here are a few on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Wedding-Planner-Organizer/dp/1887169660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239765296&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Tying-Knot-Complete-Wedding-Organizer/dp/1593599781/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239765296&sr=8-2 http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Wedding-Planner-Workbook-Organizer/dp/1934386138/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239765296&sr=8-3

Jolt down what you want to do for your wedding. It is also will serve you as guidelines. You also need to list down the guest list before sending out the invitations. There will be people that you might miss regardless how careful you are. It is very important to stay on the budget and prepare for unsuspected spending.