By Marc Alexander

Any bride- and groom-to-be would definitely want a dream wedding. However, unless you have an unlimited budget, and a wedding coordinator at your disposal, you would most likely have to plan your own wedding, given a finite set of resources. These would mainly be time and money.

The service. The first thing to accomplish when you’re planning your wedding would be the service itself. Most couples would want a religious ceremony, done at a church, chapel or any other place of worship. Some, meanwhile, would prefer a civil ceremony, which is usually done at City Hall. Either way, these would require submission of documents, and an appointment. These would usually need at least one to two months’ lead time, but of course, the longer the preparation period, the better.

Invitations. A few weeks or months prior to the wedding, the couple-to-be would need to send out invitations to relatives and friends. You would need the services of a printer for this purpose. If you’re also issuing thank you cards and place holders for the reception, then you should already have these printed, as well, so you have a uniform design.

Reception and catering. While some couples would be happy just with the fact that they’ve already wedded, most would want to celebrate with guests to commemorate the special event. The wedding reception is usually held at a gathering place, like a garden or hotel ballroom. Modern receptions can sometimes include other venues, like the beach, sports stadium or park. Some traditional families with large enough residences can also entertain guests right at their homes. Either way, you would have to take care of the food. Some reception venues have their own caterers. With others, you would have to avail of catering services separately.

Tailoring and dressmaking. The bride and groom have to look their best during the wedding, so the ideal route is to have a wedding gown and tux (or any other formalwear) made specially for this event. The couple would also need to supply the entourage—the maid of honor, bridesmaids, best man and groomsmen—their formalwear for the occasion. Couples may choose to shoulder the entire expense, although given these times of penny-pinching, you can ask your entourage to share the expense.

Photography and video. Weddings are memorable occasions, and any couple would want to have the best memories taken in both still and video formats. Still photography is still more dramatic and artistic, while videos help recapture the essence of these most important moments in your life. Choose professional photographers and videographers with ample experience, equipment, and who can offer a good price.

Bridal car. After the ceremony and the reception, the bride and groom would need a good car to ride home or off to the honeymoon. Most creative couples can make use of their own cars, with a few tin cans tied to the back. Traditional couples would want a white luxury car with a bouquet of flowers attached at the front. Good bridal car rental companies would have a wide array of cars, including vintage and classy ones.

If you lack the time to do the preparations yourself, then you can hire the services of a wedding coordinator, who would be the one to schedule your appointments, talk to the service providers, and also act as a coordinator during the event itself. However, preparing the wedding services with your spouse-to-be can be a great opportunity to bond and spend time together.

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