Wedding Planning: Where to Begin?

Congratulations on your engagement! Now what?

It is important to understand your priorities (and those of your fiancé).
What kind of setting do you envision yourself getting married in? Are you the Cinderella Bride, the Outdoorsy Bride, the Get Married at the Beach Bride, or the Las Vegas Chapel Bride? Formal, semiformal, religious, themed, intimate, outdoors, destination weddings; there are so many choices and you don't have to pick just one, you can incorporate many different styles or even let it evolve through the planning process.

How many guests do you want to invite and how much can you afford?
One of the hardest things to figure out is how many people to invite and who. There are the Bride's Friends, the Groom's Friends, the Bride's Family, the Groom's Family, the Bride's Co-workers, the Groom's Co-workers, etc. you get the point.

Coming up with and initial budget and a list of who can help pay for some or all of the wedding expenses will help in determining how many guest you can invite.

Be sure to sit down with your significant other to talk about the things that are important to you, and important to include in the wedding. Whether it is family traditions, religious traditions, including kids from a previous marriage in the wedding ceremony, avoid battling over it for the next few months by letting each other know what your priorities are. Wedding planning can be a bit stressful at times so make it easier on yourself.

This is part of a NEW weekly series that will be published each Wednesday.