Does the sheer idea of planning your wedding send shivers of fear coursing down your spine?  Calm down, relax, and try to enjoy the process.  I am going to help you make the whole ordeal of planning the perfect wedding as simple and painless as possible.  It does not take a rocket scientist to organize and plan a wedding; anyone can do it with some help and have a wonderful memorable event that you will always cherish. 

Tip #1.  Establish a budget.  You and your fiancé need to sit and discuss in depth exactly what you can afford.  You each need to talk to your parents and establish how much they will be willing to contribute, as well as how much they can afford to do financially.  Gone are the days where the families paid for the entire wedding, many couples now are paying their own way, which means more money the bride and groom must raise to pay for the event.  Set a budget that is reasonable to work with, determine each person’s portion and after everything you are getting from parents is deducted, you now have the total left for the bride and groom to cover.  As much as possible, the bride and groom should split any left over deficit in the budget so that there is a fair distribution of financial burden.

Tip #2.  Carefully read contracts, never just blindly sign a contract for a reception hall or chapel.  Many places offer cheap rental fees, but make up the difference plus a lot more in the extras they charge for, such as a $200 non-refundable cleaning deposit, and a table rental fee, or an administration charge.  Watch carefully as these additional fees can greatly and can quickly throw your whole budget out of wack with one simple contract.  Shop around, and unless you are determined to use a specific place, never sign immediately on sight.  If you are set on the place, ask if you can negotiate the contract, some places are willing; others are not, never hurts to ask. 

Tip #3.  Plan to go over budget.  Even the thriftiest of wedding planners and best budget shoppers end up going over.  Expect to go over by approximately 10% of the budget you have decided upon.  This will give you a bit of a cushion for the surprise costs, and things that you see as you plan that you just do not think you can live without.  This does not mean you can go overboard on planning because you have this extra 10%, your goal should still be to stay within budget fully, but this will make it easier if you are unable to stay within your budget. 

You need to plan carefully the financial aspects for your wedding; you do not want to spend your engagement fighting over money that is never a good start to a marriage.  However, you want to ensure that you and your fiancé are on the same page in regards to money issues, best to find out conflicts that you can resolve before you get married.