7. Outsource when you can. . .Try not to do it all yourself. Will you really have time, three days before the wedding, to make forty, fresh flower centerpieces? Or bake and decorate you own wedding cake the day before the ceremony? Please, who would want to! With the costs of a wedding increasing, the Do-It-Yourself bride is here to stay. But be reasonable about what you can and cannot do on your own. If there are D.I Y. projects that can be done today…do them today! The more projects you can complete far in advance of the big day, the better.

8. Little details can snowball into big projects. . . The details of the planning process can be overwhelming. Start small and make detailed lists for all of the components of the wedding. Let’s do a case study of the out-of-town guest. Guests will come from out of town to share your day. Sounds simple…but is it really? Well, you will need to book a block of rooms at a nearby hotel. Do you hire a bus for transportation to and from the ceremony and reception? If they want to drive themselves, will you need to print out directions to and from the hotel for all of the events? What about a welcome gift waiting for them at the hotel? Or a welcome dinner the night before? Or a brunch the morning after the wedding to thank them for making the journey? Things that may seem simple can turn into huge projects for the bride. This is another time to have a plan, have a helper and do as much of the work as far in advance as possible.