1. The Knot

This is a popular site for most people planning their wedding. It is very comprehensive and covers just about anything starting from fashion tips, local resources, checklists, wedding website right down to money saving tips. This site has been around for quite a long while and has grown over to years to include not only wedding but after the wedding help and advice. Overall a very well planned site.

2. Brides.com

This site has a huge I mean huge treasure trove of information ranging from engagements rings to planning and ideas to offering you honeymoon destination tips. To use their smart planning tools you need to register and be a member but this is entirely free and the tools are also quite exhaustive but simple and user friendly. This is a great site if you are looking for free information and help in planning.

3. Wedsimple.com

This is another website specialized in wedding planning. The services here are not free and will require a small fee. However it does provide a 24×7 support and has a plethora of user friendly tools to help plan the wedding. Overall this site offers very great value for your money and you will find the services immensely helpful.

4. WeddingWindow.com

The main selling point for this website is in the ability it offers you to customize your site completely and easily. It also has a friendly layout for all the various helpful wedding planning tools. WeddingWindow.com also represents great value for money with good support team available 24×7 and offers a free trail period.

5. Onewed.com

This is another useful site, with tons of very useful information and advice. Registering and joining the community is free and you can join with your Facebook account. Onewed.com has a large number of website designs to help you create a great wedding website and offers good wedding planning tools. It also has an active and supportive community.

Overall these sites are all excellent resources and you do not have to go out buy stacks of expensive magazines like most did in the past just to get information. We have listed these wedding planning websites in the order of 1 to 5 but they are not necessarily ranked in that order and they are equally good.

Step 1: Set a budget first

Without determining how much you are going to spend in total you will most likely splurge in one area without knowing and end up falling short of dollars of in other areas therefore setting a budget first is critically important when planning a wedding. The budget should include everything from the wedding rings right down to the honeymoon. There are various online sites or books that can help you organize your budget.

Step 2: Learn to negotiate.

When you are planning a wedding, service providers/vendors want your business and not just for the profit but also because they tend to get huge exposure to more potential clients. There is nothing wrong with negotiating as most vendors expect to and come to an agreement. Also do not settle for the first one you encounter but shop around look for discounts or offers and checkout prices.

Step 3: Look for help from the experts

Any good vendor worth their salt will have plenty of advice on how to stay within your set budgets and offer suggestions that will help keep things under the budget. Just be clear on how much you want to spend and let the experts know how much you are willing to spend. However do not expect them to work miracles and turn water into wine either.

Step 4: Timing you wedding day

The date and time of your wedding can play a major role in costs savings if you time them properly. For example most wedding venues offer considerable discounts on the wedding venue during off seasons. Planning your wedding well in advance leaves your room to make clear headed cost saving decisions and allows you plenty of room to think and negotiate without a deadline bearing down on you.

Step 5: Create a buffer

No matter how thorough you have been with planning a wedding on a budget, unexpected expenditure and cost overrun from underestimation, misunderstandings etc will always crop up. Therefore when calculating your budget expenses, always integrate a buffer of about ten percent of your budget to meet these cost overruns.

1. The Ultimate Wedding Planner & Organizer, 2^nd Edition by Marta M. Brown

This is a fairly large book, bright pink with a cover that you can personalize. It also comes with a bright pink tote bag with white polka dots and the words BRIDE written on it. It is basically a binder with plethora of things in the book starting with ideas, business card holders, clear plastic pocket, room for receipts etc. Overall the book gives excellent advice, offers a range of ideas to pick from and guides you every step of the way to keep things organized.

2. Bridal Bargains, 9^th Edition: Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget by Denise and Alan Fields

This is an excellent book for not only those planning a budget wedding, but also for those who wants value for their money. This book helps keeping things organized and also offers good advice on avoiding wedding scams. The book covers in detail all the organizational aspects needed and also gives the additional focus at each step on how to get the best bargains starting from dresses to photographs to the venue.

3. The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day by Mindy Weiss and Lisbeth Levine

The book is clearly not for the budget wedding planners, having said that it still has tons of useful information on savings. It is very specific in its advice ranging from whom to invite, what to serve, what to wear etc. It also gives excellent illustrations, checklist and even goes as far as planning a honeymoon. The book in itself is refreshingly good to read and will make interesting reading even for the groom.

4. Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette 5^th edition by Peggy Post

This book is an excellent resource for information for anyone planning a wedding. It works through every aspect in planning a wedding exhaustively. The kind of approach the book takes is very helpful in making conclusive decisions and keeping things organized. Its gives a practical approach to dealing with the diversity of wedding ceremony styles and understands the budget constrains most people have.

5. Wedding Planning For Dummies, Second Edition by Marcy Blum

An interesting read, of all the wedding planning books out there this one is basically for stressed out bride to be who do not have the luxury of time. Covers every conceivable detail on wedding planning and explains each in plain simple English.

Factor 1: Old is not necessarily gold.

When it comes to planning a wedding, get a book that is up to date. There are several reasons for this, the most obvious being that as much as fashion changes so do weddings where things that were in vogue yesterday are no longer today. Costs and estimates will be inaccurate as well.

Factor 2: Advice on dealing with situations

During the planning for wedding a lot of family decisions needs to be made and family interactions does occur, any good book should help you identify those moments and give suggestions on what to do to avoid or deal with those potential hotspots which could lead from family interactions to family arguments.

Factor 3: Does it cover the budget

Any good book should be designed to suit whatever budget you have planned for the wedding from the most frugal to the most lavish wedding. It also should give you a detailed description on how to make the most of your resources and get the best value for your money.

Factor 4: Checklists

Most of us often get lost in working out the details of certain tasks that we forget to give time many other things when planning for a wedding or completely miss out on doing them. A good wedding book should have a complete checklist of things that needs to be taken care of so nothing is overlooked.

Factor 5: A book rich in hindsight wisdom

The book should have a section from people who have already had their weddings and what they have learned from their experiences. Generally these advices can be an invaluable treasure trove of information for those planning their weddings.

Overall, a good wedding planning book should be one that you are able to identify yourself with and it should speak to you as reassuring a friend who will guide you, in detail, through out the process of the planning to the wedding day and after it as well. A wedding is supposed to be a celebration of love. It should be an enjoyable and memorable experience and a good book should help you achieve just that.

Tip #1: The budget worksheet

There are numerous sites that will list out all essential items for you to conveniently write out your expenses and calculate your estimated costs. However not all worksheets will be suitable so simply find one and using it as a template create your own worksheet.

Tip #2: Unexpected costs

Remember that you will not be able to list each and every item into your list. You could also underestimate costs or run into unforeseen expenses therefore always set aside a small portion of your budget outlay to meet these unforeseen expenditures. Include this portion in your budget planning.

Tip #3: Research and recommendations

Research and ask around for information on how to cut costs. There are a large number of cost cutting tips on the internet therefore read them and apply them wherever suitable.

Asking for recommendation from family and friends for people they may know who could provide the products or services you need. If you do find people your friends or family know you could get their services with special discounts due to the personal nature of the recommendations.

Tip #4: Cutting down the invitees list

This is the simplest, most effective way of cutting down your expenses. The lesser amount of people the less you will have to spend on caterers, rentals etc. Plan a small wedding of close family and friends.

Tip #5: Be your own wedding consultant

Experienced wedding consultants are expensive but absolutely essential when it comes to organizing big wedding events. If you are on a budget, chances are your wedding is going to be a small personal affair and you will be able to handle it. Therefore save the extra costs of hiring a professional and be your own wedding consultant.

Remember thought you are celebrating your love therefore do not make it into a cheap fest. Good wedding planning on a budget will allow you to spend your dollars wisely  and cut excesses but whatever cuts you do, do not go too far as to ruin your special day either.

Tip #1: Planning in advance

This is perhaps your most powerful tool in making savings because with time on your side you can negotiate, select and most service providers won’t be hard pressed so they will be able to provide you discounts or at the very least refrain from charging a premium.

Tip #2: Using in season Flowers

Flowers lend their beauty and give a beautiful ambience to the wedding premises. However flowers do not come cheap and can take a big chunk of bite out of your budget. When selecting the flowers, try to stick to those that are in season as they tend to cost a lot less.

Tip #3: The wedding venue

Regular wedding venue’s can cost an arm and a leg and they can be unmemorable as most people use them. Be innovative when it comes to getting a venue for your wedding any place large enough to hold the number of your guest is a potential candidate for your venue all you need to do is look at it with a creative eye.

Also wedding venues offer deep discounts for mid-week or out of season weddings, these discounts can run into significant amount of dollars so if you wish to save then plan your wedding dates accordingly.

Tip #4: Caterers and the Menu

Caterers attached to the venue generally cost more so see if you can bring in your own caterers. Also instead of leaving the entire food preparation to the caterers, take some of the load off them and prepare a part of the menu yourself.

When preparing the menu keep in mind the in-season fruits and veggies and integrate them into your menu. Remember good food does not necessarily mean expensive food.

Tip #5: Trimming the guest list

This can be tough call to make when you are planning for a wedding but costs increases significantly by the number invitees. Create a list of the people you could potentially invite and sort them into a priority list. Then begin striking off low priority guest until you come to a number you can afford to invite and remember to go through this list not with just your partner but both the parents as well.

Planning ahead in time

It is very important that you initiate your planning well in advance. This way you can spend enough time focusing on each and every necessary detail. Therefore start early and take your time creating your perfect reception.

Selecting the venue

This is the most important criteria while planning your reception. Make your bookings in advance, as sometime the usual venues do have a waiting list for over 2 years. Also it is not necessary that you select the usual venues. If you want something a little different to spice things up choose something different, maybe a barn, the beach, a simple backyard reception etc.

Get a good photographer

This is really important as a wedding photographer is assigned with the task of capturing beautiful memories of your special day. So do spend sometime and check the credentials as well as the portfolios of wedding photographers before you decide on one.

Spend on food and drinks

Food is an essential part of any celebration even from ancient times. Whatever you do, do not go cheap on the food, as this the number one detail your guest will remember. Allocate at least about 30 percent of your budget on the caterers and create a well thought out menu with your caterers. Remember good food is not necessarily expensive food either.

Wedding singer or DJ

Sticking with a DJ can cut costs but having a Wedding singer/band can make things a little livelier with live performances. Whichever you choose just make sure to let them know what songs you want played and especially what songs you do not want to be played, even if requested by a guest.

Relax

Let’s face it, it is fun but wedding reception planning is also hard stressful work. Set aside a day or two in a week where you will not think anything about the wedding or the reception and simply enjoy yourself. This not only keeps you from turning into a Bridzilla as your wedding day approaches but also allow you to step back and look at things from a larger perspective.

Tip #1: Begin early

Planning for a wedding takes time. Once you and your partner are decided, begin planning early to give yourself time to create and work out your wedding day in detail.

Tip #2: Working out the number of invitees

Working out the number of people to invite will help you work out your budget, chose a suitable venue, caterers etc. Make a list of all the people you want to invite so that you do not miss anyone and if you can, list them from the most important to the least, just in case you need to cut some off.

Tip #3: Outdoors or indoors

This is crucial in your planning, choose a venue carefully. Take into consideration the weather if you are leaning towards an outdoor venue. With indoors, take into consideration to how much effort would be needed in making it suit your wedding theme or color etc.

Tip #4: Choosing your caterer

Do not settle for the first caterer you meet. Keep your options open, use their suggestions and work out a well thought out menu. Spend some time tasting the food as well from each caterer and decide on the caterer you want to use. Buffet system is generally recommended if you have a larger number of people.

Tip #5: Capturing your memories

You will only have your special day once, so get a good wedding photographer, who is articulate in capturing still life, people and architecture so that your memories are beautifully captured in photos.

Tip #6: Flowers

Flowers are an essential must for any wedding. They are beautiful and if properly arranged they can be mesmerizing. They can cover up or lighten any weak areas in the décor as well. Flower are expensive, therefore look for flowers and plants that are in season as they are generally cheaper.

Tip #7: Stop worrying

When planning your own wedding, know that things will not always go according to the plan on the big day, so do not worry too much about it. All eyes will be on you so if you relax and enjoy yourself so will your guests. If things do go wrong just deal with it in good humor and move on.

Here are 7 tips to help you choose the best course for your career.

Tip 1: Do you have it in you?

Before you invest your time and money, be honest in answering this question.

Tip 2: Choose online courses if distance is a problem

There are various institutes that offer their courses online and offline. Online courses are generally interactive but have the convenience of being able to do it at home.

Tip 3: Choose offline courses if time is an issue

Offline or correspondence courses are non interactive but they allow you to study at your convenience at your own pace.

Online or offline programs are generally certificate programs and are short term courses spread over a few months.

Tip 4: If you want a complete exposure in related industries choose a Degree Programs

Colleges and universities offer degree programs not specifically for wedding planners but related fields as in a degree in hospitality management. These courses are recommended as they not only cover the specific event management knowledge but also offer a very wide range of skills and knowledge crucial for wedding planners.

Tip 5: Viable intermediate

Community colleges and vocational schools offer a viable intermediate between short courses and degree programs. These generally provide 2 year associate degree and their courses run within fixed time frames. Choose these types of course if you do want a more comprehensive course but under less workload and relatively shorter time than a full degree.

Tip 6: Checking the credentials

Whichever course you choose to take from the following above options, always check the credential of the institute. This is especially important with regards to online and correspondent courses. Also check for industry affiliations.

Tip 7: Look for after course support

Looking for work with zero experience and zero contacts can be very tough. Always look for courses which helps you kick start your career after your wedding planning course completion by helping you find contacts, hooking you up with a network or professional to learn the ropes in real life.

1. Working out your Budget

Make this your priority as it not only serves as a guideline for your expenses but with proper budget planning you will be amazed how far you can stretch your dollars.

Be realistic when working on your budget. Ask yourself if you really need to spend all that dollars and spend the next few years paying them back. Initially, make a priority list and create an estimated figure to spend for each item on the list. Refine it as you begin on executing each step. Only after budget is set work on the number of people to invite.

2. Creating a time worksheet

Having a time schedule is another vitally important component because it helps you to set deadlines and ensures no part of the planning is missed out.

Invest some time on this and think through thoroughly. Apart from your partner get an experienced friend to help you with this. The more the people you involve, the better are your chances of getting things down on your list.

3. Make your bookings or reservations.

Once you have worked out the time worksheet, this should be your priority. The sooner you get this worked out the better, as most often wedding venues have a long wait list.

If you want to use a wedding planner, now is the time to contact them and also your caterers, photographers etc.

4. Crossing your budget limits

In most cases budgetary limits are blown out of proportions when you start recruiting professionals for products and services. Remember to balance the costs do not spend too much for one and attempt to save too much on the other.

For example spending far too much on exquisite floral decorations and have too little to spend on a good caterer is just not good value for your money.

5. Do not leave making confirmations till the last moment.

Call up at least a week or two in advance and confirm with everyone involved in the planning to ensure that they are ready for the big day and have all the necessary information.

Executing all the steps to planning a wedding successfully takes time therefore be prepared and give yourself generous time, so that you have fun planning your wedding.