People say that it comes once in a lifetime. Once true love has seeped into your heart, there is no turning back. Finally, when everything has been said and done, you will be heading towards one direction - marriage. It is a serious commitment that will last a lifetime.

With marriage finally in the picture, this means only one thing - the wedding day. This ceremony is very significant as it binds the couple in marriage. It is a step that symbolizes your farewell to single life and the opening of a door that welcomes you to married life.

Dreading the Wedding Planning

Yes, wedding planning is a daunting task. You may have heard of stories about how couples went through their wedding preparation and wedding day. They may have mentioned the pressure and the headaches that come with the planning, but do not take heed of these stories. You can make wedding planning as enjoyable as the wedding day itself. There is no need for you to dread your own wedding preparation. Just take it one step at a time with a clear head.

Simple Steps in Wedding Planning

To make things easier for you, begin with reading about weddings and how to plan one in wedding magazines, books or online wedding sources. Gather as much information as you can. If you think you cannot handle the planning process and you are not on such a tight budget, you could opt to hire a wedding planner. With a wedding planner, things will definitely be easier as they are experts in this field.

But if you are on a tight budget, you could start with making a list. Start with the majors then expand each accordingly. Your wedding day is generally consisted of two parts, the ceremony and the reception. Discussed below is an outline on how you can proceed with your wedding preparation.

I. The Ceremony.
A. Wedding day: Finalize the date, time, venue, and celebrant of the wedding.
B. Entourage.
C. Invitations: Make the guest list to finalize the number of seats and wedding favors needed.
E. Wedding attires for the couple and the entourage. It should include jewelries that the bride will wear.
F. Wedding car.
G. Decorations: Floral arrangements, bouquets and corsages.
H. Others. It should include the rings and things needed during the ceremony like the unity candle, veil, cord, candles, etc.
II. The Reception.
A. Finalize the time and venue of the reception.
B. Menu: Coordinate with the caterer on what foods you want to be served.
C. Wedding cake.
D. Venue decorations, which can also be done by the same florist who will decorate the venue for the ceremony.
E. Program proper: It is better if you ask someone be the emcee who would supervise the program including the speeches made by guests and the couple, wedding dance, throwing of bridal bouquet, removing the garter, distributing the wedding favors, etc.

This is just a basic outline of wedding planning. Just remember though, in planning the wedding, active participation is needed in both parties to make it happen.