by Molly Horton

Created on: April 21, 2009

Weddings are a time of excitement, joy, hope, and merriment. It is quite easy to get swept up in the enjoyment of it all. The bride and groom are planning their impending wedding and brightly colored future and have nothing but the best of intentions, when suddenly they can be thrown off their happy path and into some unanticipated issues. Consider the engagement one of the happiest moments you will have until the actual wedding day. There is a lot that goes into planning a wedding, some of which can be troublesome.

It all starts with the ring. Family, friends and even strangers are so very happy for you when you get engaged. Everyone wants to inspect the ring and buy you a drink. It all seems so perfect. Within a few hours of hearing the big news, those very same people will start hounding you for a set wedding date and location. This should be left to the bride and groom to discuss privately, but family and friends will give their thoughts on the matter. They will want to tell you what works for their schedules and when and where their wedding was, all thinking they are giving you valuable advice. Smile and listen and as soon as you and the groom are alone and ready, pick your own time and place. If your hearts are set on an outside wedding, don't let your mom convince you to have it at church. If you always dreamed of a church wedding, when your best friend tells you how perfect her beach wedding was, simply tell her that's not for you. For any Catholics out there, Catholic priests cannot marry a couple outside of the church. Just something to keep in mind before you start dreaming of a garden Catholic wedding. You must remember this is your day and you must look back on the memories and be happy with it all.

One place where you are sure to hurt or even anger a few people would be in choosing the wedding party. The bride and groom must decide together how many people will be on each side. This should be another private decision. Once the number has been determined, those people should be asked. Word will get around quickly that the wedding party has been chosen, and then be ready for the unchosen to either complain to your face or complain behind your back. Many people will feel they are close enough to you to be invited to be in the wedding, but remember, this is your decision. Do not feel guilty and ask people just to make them happy.

Now that you have your bridal party, it is time to choose the dresses they will wear. Taking only your maid/matron of honor

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