Sure, weddings are happy occasions and fun fill events. Usually. Ask anyone who ever planned a wedding hers or a client s and she ll probably be able to share some absolute horror stories of things that went wrong. Planning the wedding needn t be rife with problems, though.

One of the most important aspects to consider when planning is to try to match the type of wedding to the length of time you have to make the plans.

If you are hoping to get married in Paris, invite over 200 guests, and have your gown designed by Vera Wang you re looking at more than year, working every day on the details. If you are just hoping to have a few people meet you in Vegas so you can get married by Elvis, even a nice wedding can be arranged in a week.

Finding the perfect dress can take a month if not more. Many women are finding that this time honored tradition simply isn t worth the money, time and effort involved. School, careers, and even single moms with families are opting for less all consuming alternatives that include renting a wedding dress or even wearing something that is closer to a cocktail dress. For bridal attendants, the same options are available. Make it easy let them figure it out!

You don t need to do it all yourself. Learn to delegate. You ll be surprised how things can get done if you choose some reliable friends, give them an assignment, and leave them alone. Almost everyone has a smart phone that can be used like a laptop if they have questions or want your opinion on something they can send you pictures, text you a question, or even take a video walking around a reception hall to see if you like it.

Even if you don t have an artistic bone in your body, you can still print your own invitations. Specialty kits that include everything from paper stock to envelopes to ribbons and more can be ordered online or found in office supply stores. To save even more time, add an email address instead of having people mail those pesky little RSVP cards back. What was gauche even 10 years ago is now considered de rigueur.

Tired of the boring and ill prepared sit down dinners at wedding receptions? So is everyone else. Not to mention you are paying a fortune for all that dried out chicken that hardly anyone will touch. Try one of the more unique options many brides are turning to; these include afternoon wine and cheese receptions with perhaps some other light finger foods. Another common choice especially in the over 30 crowd is a coffee bar set up with finger pastries and some liqueurs for the coffees. Elegant and fairly inexpensive.

Make sure your transportation is in place a few days ahead of time. Review addresses, destinations, times, and even fees if applicable. If relying on friends, make sure they clean out their cars! Wedding dresses and Oreo cookie crumbs don t mix!

Finally, ask everyone to send gifts rather than bringing them to the reception. This way you won t need to rely on people to gather them and cart them to your home later on.