by Sheila Koester

Created on: May 30, 2008

Planning a wedding can be a fun, learning experience. You learn how to organize, work within a budget, compromise, negotiate, make decisions with fewer hassles, and acquire many other skills in the process.

The first steps in any successful wedding planning begin with setting the date and knowing what you and your fianc want on your special day. Yes, it is important to include your fianc in all major decisions and plans. You may have input from members of both your and your fianc's families. Ultimately, the two of you must make the final decisions together.

Deciding on the date and location of your wedding is the first step in the process. Do you want your wedding to be a religious or civil one? If it is to be a religious service then it is important to discuss and meet with any clergy who will be the celebrants at your wedding before beginning making the other arrangements for the wedding. There may be compatibility tests to take and marriage-counseling issues to deal with before you finalize the details of the wedding. You and your future spouse may also be required to attend an engagement retreat to begin learning how to live with one another after you are married.

Once you have made the appropriate arrangements with those who will be officiating at your wedding ceremony, then it is time to reserve the place of the wedding. If the event is at a church, then you should contact the administrative staff of the church to reserve the sanctuary. If your wedding occur at a hotel, motel, restaurant, or other public place then you must find out about how to go about reserving that room. Be sure to pay all rental fees before the actual date of your wedding.

The next step is to find out and reserve the place you will be having your reception and your rehearsal dinner. If your wedding is to be at a church will the church have a separate room or place for your reception? Alternatively, maybe you will not want to have your reception at the church but maybe at a fancy restaurant or hotel. Organizations like the VFW or other clubs have rooms available for rent for your reception so you should get information about those as well.

Once you have set the date you also need to think about what time your wedding ceremony will be. That will give you a better idea of when your reception should occur following the wedding. If your place of reception is not at the same place as your wedding ceremony then you should allow for the travel time of your guests in between the ceremony and the actual reception. If you plan to have a photographer take pictures for your special occasion, then you should allow for time for pictures before you and your new husband depart for the wedding reception.

After the date, time and location of the wedding ceremony and subsequent reception have been decided then it is time to go shopping with your fianc for your bridal and groom attire, cake, invitations and thank you notes, flowers, and photographer. Be sure to include your other family members and friends in your wedding planning. You want to be sure that they will be there to make your special day and your new life with your chosen spouse is off to a great start.

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