Wedding Planning: 10 Biggest Prewedding Mistakes

Even the smartest, most on-top-of-things couple can make mistakes during wedding planning. Here are the 10 things you should keep an eye on before saying I do.

1. Blowing off your wedding budget.

It costs a lot of money to throw a wedding. Many times, excited brides start booking vendors and making purchases without having a real budget and then are shocked to discover they've already spent all of their money (or parents' money) and don't yet have half the things they need. If you bounce checks or don't have the money to pay your deposits or make your final payments on the wedding day, your wedding will not happen. Trust us -- the band is not going to play all night if you don't pay. Planning a wedding is serious business. Make a budget and keep track of your expenditures so you won't be walking naked down the aisle. Need help? Use our wedding budgeter for an interactive tool that does it all for you.

2. Messing up the marriage license.

There are so many rules surrounding marriage licenses. For instance, if you get your license 61 days before your wedding in Pennsylvania, you won't be able to legally marry on your wedding day because a license is valid there for only 60 days. Go to obtain your license the day before your wedding, and you may not get it in time because some states have a three-day waiting period. A common mess-up for those marrying for a second time is not bringing official divorce papers when you go to get the certificate.

3. Ordering your wedding dress too late.

If your heart is set on a couture wedding dress, be sure to order by the six-month mark since your dress will be custom-made and, many times, made overseas. In addition, most off-the-rack wedding dresses will require alterations, so make certain that you have enough time to get the gown fitted properly. You'll want to leave plenty of time for shipping and for your fittings. The same goes for the bridesmaid dresses.

4. Booking hotel rooms too late.

Brides often leave blocking out hotel rooms for out-of-town wedding guests until the last minute. If you're marrying during a busy time and you don't investigate hotel availability in advance, you can end up with literally not a single room for your guests to stay. Your wedding will go on -- but no one will be able to attend. Reserve rooms as early as possible. Begin your research up to a year in advance, and make sure your block is booked at the eight-month mark. Be sure to include hotel information in your save-the-date cards or invitations. This doesn't mean you will have to pay for the rooms, you are just setting them aside -- your guests can put down their credit cards when they call to book their rooms.

5. Inviting too many wedding guests.

Make sure your guest list and your reception site capacity match up numbers-wise. You can't invite 400 people assuming only 250 will accept, because if you end up with 300 acceptances, you may have to turn 50 guests away at the door. Most wedding venues can't just add 10 more tables -- fire laws limit the maximum number of people allowed in any room at one time. Analyze your guest list from the get-go, assume 80% will respond yes, and limit your guest list accordingly.

6. Partaking in last-minute beauty treatments and crash diets.

Many brides think that scheduling a facial the day before the wedding will leave their skin looking angelic on their big days. Thinking of tanning the day before your wedding? Think again: you may end up with blisters instead of sun-kissed skin. Last-minute beauty treatments can lead to breakouts, mistakes or, even worse, serious infections. Same goes for crash dieting in the weeks leading up to the wedding -- after all those gown fittings, your dress may not fit! Stick to a long-term beauty regimen with lots of rest, a good diet, and safe over-the-counter beauty products like sunless tanners. Save the heavy-duty beauty treatments for at least two weeks before the big day or you could risk ruining all the hard work you've done to make your wedding -- and your photos -- perfect (never mind putting your health and happiness at risk for the most important day of your life)!

7. Underpaying invitation postage.

You'd be surprised how many brides just stick a regular stamp on their invites and drop the whole batch into a mailbox. All but a few wedding invitations require additional postage -- sometimes up to .55 cents. The postal service will not take pity on you -- your invites will be returned, rubber-stamped with that ugly "insufficient postage" sign, and it will take at least three weeks (never mind the additional $$) to get those invitations back out the door. Get one invitation weighed -- at the post office -- before purchasing your stamps. Note: square invitations require additional postage not only because of the weight but the shape -- so don't try to figure this out by yourself.

8. Ignoring religious restrictions.

Inappropriate attire for the church or temple, or skipping the pre-canae, may keep your officiant from marrying you when the big day comes around. Take your religious restrictions seriously. To avoid any day-of disasters, be sure to meet with your officiant within one month of getting engaged. Your house of worship may perform ceremonies only on specific days, so settle on a date with your clergyman before you start to book vendors and put down deposits. Be sure to ask him or her about religious rules, such as: Do you need to complete a pre-cana course? Can you write your own wedding vows? Do you need to cover your shoulders? Is secular music permitted?

9. Trying to go it alone.

If you are a bride lucky enough to have been offered help by friends or family members, by all means take it! Too many brides try to do it all -- and this isn't a good idea. Delegate and use all the resources that are available to you. When people offer to assist -- like your mom, your future mother-in-law, or your best friend -- find something for them to do, like researching a vendor or addressing invitations. On that note, it's important to keep in mind that these volunteers are not hired help -- be sure that you accept their contributions graciously.

10. Forgetting to focus on what's important.

Keep in mind that you are getting married and starting a life together, not just planning a wedding. Brides, be good to your grooms. And grooms, be good to your brides! Some tension between the two of you (and among members of your family) is inevitable due to the sticky topics that weddings stir up, but don't ever let things get out of control. Remember why you decided to take this leap in the first place!

-- The Knot

Wedding Planning: Tech-Savvy Weddings

Upgrade your wedding planning with these tips for plugged-in couples.

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You're constantly IM-ing everyone you know, your entire life is stored on your PDA, and you consider your iPod a fifth limb. If technology already rules your daily life -- or even if you're tech-shy -- check out these wired advances in the world of happily ever after.

Get Chatty

The high-tech trend: Coordinating everyone's evening availability for phone conversations about dresses and parties can be a full-time job, especially when your busy maids are spread out all over the country. Take advantage of the fact that during business hours on either coast, you pretty much know where your girls are. Schedule an online meeting with them during lunchtime, or use a Listserv to get down to business at a time that's convenient for them and their busy, girls-on-the-go schedules.
How it works: To do an online chat, pick a mutually convenient day and use your instant messaging program to discuss the issues of the moment in a free chat room. On your AOL IM, go into "People" and then select "Send a chat invitation." Enter in all your maids' screen names and voila -- a cyber town meeting. On MSN IM, start chatting with one bridesmaid and then click the "Invite" icon to bring the rest of your crew into the conversation.
Alternatively, get a Listserv together on a portal such as Yahoo (using Yahoo Groups) so that all your maids can plot and plan around their hectic schedules. The group enables you to custom create an email list with all the important participants accounted for. Your attendants can elect to get email messages as they come in, or as a once-a-day digest. Either way, as everyone weighs in on details and schedules you can upload pictures of dress candidates and actually enjoy being at your desk for once!

Say Hello From Cyberspace

The high-tech trend: Keep your guests in the loop by making sure that at any time, from anywhere on the planet with a working Internet connection, they can log on to your wedding website and get details of your event, navigate through hotel choices, or even RSVP. Using one will save you and the other default go-to person, the overworked mother of the bride, hours better spent gown shopping. Does your justice of the peace need directions to the ceremony site? Email him your URL. Is your dad's secretary trying to figure out where you're registered? A few clicks and she's buying you a chrome toaster.
How it works: One thing's for sure, you don't need to employ a dedicated IT department to have your own site. Many companies are offering professional quality wedding web-sites that allow you to create multiple pages with photos, quizzes, interactive guest books, and even RSVPs. A few that we like:

• TheKnot.com (free!): We offer a wide range of chic, modern website designs with cute illustrations that tailor to your theme or wedding season. You can upload an image of yourselves to kick off your site and you can get all your guests to RSVP online. We also allow you to email your guests every time you've made an important online update, and the site will send out save-the-dates. And did we mention that it's free?
• eWedding.com ($89 for one year): eWedding.com gives you many choices for your site style, ranging from more traditional designs to kitchy faux newspaper fonts and fall foliage. Some designs even feature flash animation when you first arrive on the home page.
  For your yearly fee, you get a personal domain name (BobandMary.com, for instance), you can upload your own music and video or choose from their selections, and you can include up to 1,000 pictures. (That's a lot.) The site also includes fun things like wedding polls ("should I serve white or chocolate cake?") and quizzes. Your friends and family will stay busy for hours.
• WeddingTracker.com ($70 for one year): This company gives you a series of different designs to choose from, tending toward the elegant side. You get a personalized domain name here and the ability to upload many photo albums.
  In addition to the usual information pages you also get a bonus page, which you can dedicate to such important subjects as the bachelor/bachelorette party details or perhaps a photo essay on the family basset hound. WeddingTracker.com also throws in a bunch of easy-to-use planning software for your yearly fee -- the guest list and thank-you note managers are particularly helpful.

Be a Film Star

The high-tech trend: Personalize your parties (rehearsal dinner, cocktail hour, reception) by screening a custom-made video -- including photos of you both as babies and video of your life together until this point -- all set to music. Sure, you can get your DJ to announce your married names as you saunter onto the dance floor, but think how much more meaningful it would be to dim the lights and treat your guests to an emotional five-minute film of your journey to this day instead. We promise that grandma, and even the groom's new boss, will be in tears by the credits.
How it works: There are two ways to go about it. A simple slide show can run off basic photo programs preloaded onto most home computers. Upload the photos you want to use, set them to music (or have your DJ play something while guests watch), burn the images onto a CD, and using a laptop and a rented digital projector, project the slide show onto any white surface (walls work great).
Fancy yourself a budding Sundance winner? Try your hand at editing a short video. User-friendly video editing software like iMovie (on a Mac) or Dell Movie Studio can walk you through the process of taking those eight-millimeter tapes and translating them into your masterpiece complete with soundtracks. All that's left is to burn them onto a disk (and the programs help with that too). Projecting the video works the same way as the slide show: Find a plain white wall, hook up a laptop to a digital projector (you can rent these), put the DVD in, and press play.

Give The Gift Of Digital

The high-tech trend: Cumbersome favors that end up forgotten in the backseat of a car aren't worth giving in the first place. Make yours memorable by giving a digital gift guests can access from the comfort of their desktops long after they're home.
How it works: In a small envelope (which can double as a seating card) provide guests with a website and an access code or gift card to receive their downloadable favor. What they get is up to you -- a book from Audible.com, an album from iTunes.com, or a cell phone ring tone from Ringtones.com.
Knot Note: With these, packaging is everything. (On their own, gift cards aren't so attractive.) Invest in some petite envelopes with oversize flaps or decorate the front of your envelopes with your monogram or logo.

Beam Yourself Up

The high-tech trend: Don't make people wait for the edited version. Instead, have your videographer stream your destination wedding in real time to a website (or better yet, do it yourself). Let your coworkers, stuck at their desks while you're walking down the shell-strewn aisle in the Florida Keys, take a good look at that sand and sun -- oh, and your dress, too.
How it works: Some hotels and resorts are now offering this high-tech service as a ceremony option (either included or for an additional fee) in their wedding packages.
If you're not getting married at a place that provides real-time video for your friends and family back home, take matters into your own hands. Station a video camera somewhere central -- at the top the aisle perhaps, on the arch or huppah -- and work with a company like MultiMediaPros.com or StreamAce.com.au to stream the video live on the Internet. (Prices generally start at around $200 to $300 per hour.)

reposted from the Knot

Wedding Planning Basics: Tips On How To Splurge and Save On Your Wedding

Our top tips on how to plan and pick your wedding priorities.

When it comes to planning your wedding, there's no bigger reality check than looking at your wedding budget and realizing the harsh truth -- you can't have it all (ouch!). But don't hit the panic button yet. We've uncovered plenty of spending shortcuts that won't make you feel like you scrimped. Of course, how much you decide to spend on each element is ultimately up to you. Figure out what's most important to you and go from there.

Your Wedding Dress Style

Makeup SAVE This might come as a shock, but you shouldn't look like a completely different person on your wedding day. Translation: It's completely fine to apply it yourself or have a beauty-savvy friend help.
Wedding Dress SPLURGE Okay, so this isn't a free ride to remortgage your home so you can walk down the aisle in a $25,000 dream gown. But your dress -- the dress -- is a definite "spend" when it comes to your budget. Sure, you'll save more money with a cheaper fabric and less beading, but those extra bucks are worth getting what you really want.
Wedding Veil SAVE Putting a huge dent in your budget so you can have the dress of a lifetime? We get it. Whipping out your credit card for a veil that's almost the same price? Not so much. Stick with a basic design with minimal lace and beading to cut costs.
Wedding Shoes SPLURGE You might not need Manolos, but comfy shoes are a must. Go with a pair in a metallic shade that you can wear again (say, on your honeymoon).
Accessories SAVE Borrow a necklace, bracelet or earrings from the women in your family. Added bonus: If it's a sapphire, you'll have your something borrowed and your something blue! Now that was easy
Wedding Dress Alterations SPLURGE Even a couture gown can look cheap if it doesn't fit properly, so don't skimp on the alterations. Once you have the right fit in the bodice, there's wiggle room with the hem. If you only need the dress raised an inch or two, wear higher heels -- as long as you can walk comfortably in them!

The Flowers

Bridal Bouquet SPLURGE You shouldn't settle for flowers you don't love if you have your heart set on a soft bouquet of pricey peonies. Still looking to save? Have your bridesmaids carry bouquets of fringed tulips or garden roses to get a similar romantic feel with a much more reasonable price tag.
Flower Girl SAVE Instead of having her carry a posy or pomander bouquet, the youngest member of your bridal party can scatter rose petals in your wedding colors down the aisle. Better yet, buy fabric petals at a craft store. Your guests will be admiring the little lady too much to notice that the flowers she's throwing are actually fake.
Centerpieces SPLURGE The centerpieces are a major part of your reception look, so if your venue has high ceilings and calls for tall arrangements, don't downsize. Instead, choose locally grown flowers to cut down the cost, along with cylindrical vases, branches and even feathers to add some height.
Ceremony Chairs/Pews SAVE Adorn pews or chairs with small clusters of blooms and long ribbon every few rows. If your wedding is in an ornate house of worship, you might be able to ditch these accents altogether.
Alter Arrangements SPLURGE The altar is the focal point where you'll exchange vows, which is kind of the whole point of the day. Spruce things up with two eye-catching arrangements.
Entryway Decor SAVE Instead of marking the entryway to an indoor ceremony with elaborate, expensive wreaths, hang pomanders from the door handles. You'll only need two, and you can use them again at the reception to decorate the doors or hang from the front of your bridal table.

The Catering

The Bar SAVE An open bar, though a favorite of wedding guests everywhere (and why wouldn't it be?), is expensive. Only offer wine, beer and a signature cocktail that matches your color scheme, like an orange-colored mango mojito or a chocolate martini.
Late-night Eats SPLURGE If you're hosting an after-party, feel free to treat guests to burgers, fries, milkshakes or other yummy bites to keep the party going. This isn't required, but they'll love the laid-back menu.
First-course SAVE After chowing down on a few appetizers, guests don't need a soup and salad. Cut out one of these starters depending on the season. For winter months, serve butternut squash soup, or go with refreshing greens for the summer.
Entree SPLURGE You could save money if you serve spaghetti as your main dish, but that's just no way to start a party. To control costs, instead of letting guests choose from steak, chicken and fish, serve two or three options together: Think small filet mignon and crab cake or lobster tail on each plate.
Dessert SAVE Cake not your thing? Satisfy your sweet tooth by having a dessert table filled with cookies, macaroons and pastries, or an assortment of chocolate truffles. If you're having a cake, skip the extra sweets completely or box them as favors for guests to take home after the reception.
Hors D'oeuvres SPLURGE You want your guests to eat -- especially if your cocktail hour includes, well, cocktails. This is often a favorite part of the day for guests (who will likely be starving after the ceremony), so have food stations ready and offer passed bites as well. Oh, but you might not need that ice sculpture by the raw seafood bar.

The Wedding Cake

Cake Baker SPLURGE Your cake isn't a DIY project, so if your best friend swears she can bake like a pro, unless she is a pro, take a pass. Not only do you want someone who knows what they're doing, the cake also needs to be transported to the venue properly -- as in, not in the backseat of a Jetta.
Tiers SAVE A six-tiered cake looks formal and expensive because, well, it is. Order a cake with fewer layers, or add faux tiers of frosting-covered Styrofoam if height's a must. Then you can serve sheet cake in the same flavor and frosting to guests. Trust us, they'll never know the difference!
Flavor SPLURGE Fancy fillings will cost you, so talk to your fiance about whether to spend on a fresh filling or to forgo fillings altogether. However, when it comes to your actual cake, don't skimp and get a basic vanilla taste when you covet green tea, white chocolate raspberry or cappuccino.
Frosting SAVE While fondant has a smoother, porcelain look, it's pricier and has a chewy texture and not-so-pleasant taste. Buttercream might not look quite as smooth as fondant, but it tends to taste better and, if done right, you can barely tell the difference in appearance. Only caveat: Since buttercream spoils faster, stick with fondant if you're having an outdoor wedding…in Florida…in August.
Display SPLURGE Add drama to your display by going all out on a cake stand in your wedding colors, LED lights under the table or a mirror beneath the cake. Surround the stand with fresh flowers or create a glowing backdrop with votives. Another way to dress up your display: custom cake toppers! Order cute (and okay, slightly kitschy) figurines in your and your groom's likenesses online.
Accents SAVE Sugar flowers may look pretty, but those mini, edible blooms take a lot of manpower to make, which will cost you. Go with a simple design (think: white icing dots or ribbon bands) and spruce it up with fresh blooms matching your bouquet.

The Reception

Table numbers SAVE Embrace your inner DIY diva and make these on your own. Personalize each table number with engagement photos, postcards of places you've been together or funny childhood snapshots.
Music SPLURGE Pick the wrong band or DJ, and you might as well just send your guests home after dinner. We know $5,000 sounds like a lot, but music dictates the mood of your reception -- not a task for amateurs.
Lighting SPLURGE A sea of hanging lanterns can turn a tent into a romantic venue. We also love spotlights on dramatic centerpieces and an ultra-modern, illuminated monogram projected on the dance floor.
Favors SAVE In lieu of favors, donate to your favorite charity on behalf of your guests. Print a note about the donation on your escort cards. Most guests will be happy to help a good cause rather than take home a mini frame or bag of almonds.
Photography SPLURGE You'll cherish your photos from the wedding forever, so check out different photographers' websites and choose someone who suits your style -- even if they're a little expensive. Our advice: Hire a photographer with an assistant so you have two roaming lenses on your big day.

reposted from the Knot

Wedding Planning Basics: How to Prevent Wedding Gift Theft

A real couple shares their story, plus 7 things you can do to avoid the same fate.

Photo: Andrew McCaul

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Michael and Tricia DelGaudio had a perfect wedding day. But the day after their wedding reception at a bistro in Brooklyn, New York, the couple realized something was amiss. "When we opened the card box, we realized that there was a tear in the top, and only six or so cards were inside," Michael says.

How it Happened

The couple began to retrace the evening and remembered a well-dressed man who everyone assumed was a guest -- after the wedding, they learned that he even chatted up other guests, telling one person he was a friend of the groom's family, and another that he met the bride at an art exhibit. The mystery man had stolen most of the couple's wedding gifts, and despite the fact that he showed up in numerous pictures taken during the evening, police closed the case due to lack of evidence, and the presents were never recovered.

An Unhappy Pattern

Michael and Tricia soon discovered that wedding gift theft is far from unheard of -- Michael's cousin and his best man's mother also had presents stolen from their weddings. Though it's unpleasant to think you're vulnerable at your own reception, the reality is that a wedding crasher or staff member can all-too-easily get away with stealing your gifts when everyone else is distracted and having fun.

What You Can Do

• Create an online registry and have the presents sent directly to your house (or another family member's house, like your mom's). The best way to ensure nothing is stolen is to spread the word that you'd prefer presents mailed to your residence rather than brought to the reception.
• Place your gift table far from an exit to make it more difficult for anyone who's trying to steal your presents, or...
• Forgo having a gift table all together. Instead, visit each table during the reception so that guests have the opportunity to hand you envelopes of cash or checks -- but only if they wish to do so. You should never ask for cash.
• If you spot a wedding crasher, don't be polite and ignore them. Ask your day-of coordinator or an attendant to ask the crasher to leave.
• Ask a trustworthy friend to act as gift attendant. Ask him to store the gifts in a secure place (like a locked room) rather than displaying them in the open.
• If your reception is large (over 300 people) and the site is in a high-traffic area (like in any urban setting), consider hiring security, both to prevent theft and to quash any other rowdiness that might transpire.
• Think about buying wedding insurance. Coverage from a company like WedSafe will cover stolen gifts as long as it's reported right away.

What if It Happens to You?

If you're a victim of wedding gift theft, report it to the police as soon as possible. Get in touch with your reception site to see if there are any security cameras that may have caught the crime on tape.
Perhaps the toughest part will be explaining the situation to your guests (after all, you really can't write thank-you notes for gifts you never received). One approach is to send an email to as many guests as you can and give them a rundown of what happened; ask them to spread the word to those whose email addresses you don't have. And then send handwritten notes to every guest expressing your thanks for his or her attendance. If your wedding was on the smaller side, you could call each guest individually, though be prepared for lots of questions about the specifics from concerned friends and relatives.

reposted from the Knot

Read more: Wedding Planning Basics: How to Prevent Wedding Gift TheftTheKnot.com - http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/planning-a-wedding/articles/how-to-prevent-wedding-gift-theft.aspx#ixzz2cEcEd85W

Wedding Planning Basics: Ceremony Seating 101

Families are complicated. So is figuring out where they'll sit during the ceremony. Until now: we're here to help.

Family, friends, and family friends: Where should they sit during your big moment? With parents, stepparents, divorced parents, grandparents, and extended family, all in attendence, you'll need a plan. Here are our guidelines.

Ushers: Who Are They?

You can enlist a few of your groomsmen to play ushers, or you can ask some relatives or friends to seat your guests. The rule of thumb is one usher for every 50 guests. If you're having an intimate ceremony, you may not need ushers, but you might want to put someone in charge of "sensitive" seating issues -- like keeping your mom and stepmom apart.
Ushers really need to know where everyone's supposed to sit -- so print out a list for them! Traditionally, female guests are escorted to their seats; the usher offers his right arm to the woman, and her male companion follows them down the aisle. (With a group of women, the usher might offer his arm to the oldest woman.) These days, it's fine for ushers to simply greet guests at the door and lead them to their seats, saying, "Please follow me."

Taking Sides

Ushers needn't ask guests whose "side" they are on. (In Christian ceremonies, the bride's side is the left side of the church when looking from back to front, and the groom's side is the right; for Jewish services, it's the opposite.) But should someone express a preference for one side or the other (many guests will say they are friends or relatives of the bride or groom), they should be seated where they want to sit. If one side of the family will have more guests than the other, ushers should try to even things out, explaining that everyone will sit together so guests can get the best view possible.

Who Sits Where?

Quick answers to your most frequent seating questions:

• Elderly guests should be seated near the front.
• Guests in wheelchairs or on crutches should sit at the end of a pew.
• The first four or five rows may be reserved for immediate and extended family (like aunts, uncles, cousins, and godparents) and other special guests (like the parents of a child attendant) by tying ribbons across those rows.
• Immediate family is seated just before the ceremony begins. Siblings (if they're not in the wedding party) are seated before grandparents and great-grandparents. They sit either in the first row with parents or in the second row with grandparents. Start seating with the groom's side.
• If you have step-relatives, make sure ushers know who they are. Step-relatives should be escorted to their seats first -- for example, step-grandparents precede birth grandparents. You may want to reserve a few extra rows directly behind immediate family for step-grandparents and stepsiblings.
• If the bride's or groom's parents are divorced, seat the parent who primarily raised the bride or groom in the front row with his/her spouse, and seat the other parent and his/her spouse in the third row. Alternatively, birth parents may sit beside each other in the first row, or they may share the front row with stepparents. Discuss this in advance to avoid awkward moments.
• The bride's mother is always seated last at a Christian ceremony; the groom's mother is seated just before her. (In Jewish ceremonies, parents stand under the huppah with the couple). The seating of the bride's mother signals that the ceremony is about to begin.
• Brothers of the bride and groom usually seat their mothers; the head usher can do it if the brothers are in the wedding party, or a brother can seat his mom and then take his place with the other groomsmen.

reposted from the Knot

Questions to ask a wedding planner

Wedding Planners: 13 Questions to Ask

Strongly consider handing the planning baton to a wedding consultant if a) neither you nor your families have time to plan your wedding; b) neither you nor your families have any desire to plan your wedding; c) you're planning a wedding out of town; or d) you simply prefer -- and can afford -- professional help. They'll do the legwork, hire vendors, negotiate contracts, and may even cut you some money-saving deals. Expect to pay them 10 to 15 percent of your total wedding budget. Need a referral? Check out our guide to wedding planners listed by city. Here are key questions to ask.
1. Will the consultant commit to your budget and not push you in the direction of things you simply can't afford?
2. Will the consultant devise a master plan mapping out all the little details, from announcement to zebra-striped decor? (This will clue you in to organizational prowess and a willingness to keep you in the loop on every matter imaginable.)
3. Can the consultant name the best and most original locations in your area (that would be suitable to your wedding size, style, and budget)?

The consultant should have plenty of questions for you too, in an effort to determine your wishes, needs, level of maintenance, budget, scope of imagination, and more.

4. Is the consultant familiar with the best florists, photographers, caterers, bands, and DJs in your price range? Can he/she explain their strongpoints to you briefly? (Ask yourself: Does the consultant seem both knowledgeable and passionate?)
5. Can the consultant score you some discounts with any vendors? (Consultants bring volume to favored vendors; often they'll reciprocate by slashing prices or throwing in extras.)
6. Will the consultant read over the vendor contracts for you? What are some common traps to look out for?
7. Can the consultant create a timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process -- vendors, members of the wedding party, bride/groom, and families -- what to do and when to do it? How will she/he make sure that everyone sticks to the schedule?
8. Will the consultant handle the invitations, from wording and ordering to the addressing and mailing?
9. Can the consultant counsel you on etiquette matters and alert you to hot trends on the wedding horizon?
10. Will the consultant coordinate delivery, arrival, and setup times with photographer, florist, musicians, caterer/banquet manager, et al?
11. For the day of the wedding, will the consultant be willing to oversee the entire event by supervising vendors, troubleshooting emergencies, and soothing nerves? Can she/he share any anecdotes that required performing above and beyond the call of duty?
12. Will the consultant be willing to step in as your advocate, conveying your visions and desires to vendors when you don't feel up to the task?
13. Will the consultant help plan and book your honeymoon?

Knot Note:

Remember that the consultant should have plenty of questions for you too, in an effort to determine your wishes, needs, level of maintenance, budget, scope of imagination, and more. You're both trying to assess each other and how well you'll work together. The consultant will probably initiate discussions -- take this time to consider manner, personality, confidence, warmth, whatever you're looking for. Whomever you enlist, do not hire a consultant who doesn't want to listen, is bossy, tries to convince you of what's best for you, critiques your ideas, has no references, and won't sign a written agreement.

-- The Knot

Wedding Keepsakes: How to Preserve Your Gown

Keep your gown around with this handy guide to dress preservation 101.

A gown that gorgeous deserves safe-keeping. Here's how to make sure your gown's greatness will live on:

What It Is

Preservation provides a means of maintaining the quality and appearance of a gown through customized cleaning and appropriate storage. Methods range from savvy self-storage (in a temperate, dry, dark location) to museum-quality preservation.

Beware of any vendors that tell you their warranty is void if you open the box in which your gown is stored.

How It Works

Professional preservationists analyze the fabrics, dyes, weaves, and ornaments of your gown, as well as the composition of stains in order to formulate a customized cleaning plan. In removing invisible soils and other stains from the gown, they remove the potential fabric damage that results when these substances embed in the fabric and undergo chemical reactions. After cleaning, the gown is carefully wrapped in stable archival materials and packaged in an archival Coroplast box (the storage box of choice for most major museums) and should be protected from extreme temperatures, moisture, and exposure to direct sunlight.

Cost

The price of cleaning and preservation will vary with the complexity of a gown's beadwork, train length, and stain damage. A local high-end dry cleaner will charge as much as $100 for standard dry cleaning. Specialized gown preservationists will normally charge between $250 and $500.

Why Do It

Preservation is a fab idea for any bride who spent big for her couture-quality gown, and is recommended if the gown will not be used for more than three years. If a dress is not going to be worn ever again, it may seem silly to save it, but consider the amount of time, love, and money that you invested in choosing a gown for your wedding. Preservation can maintain the integrity of this important piece of memorabilia. Also, while you might not agree with your family's fashion sense, you can give them the chance to benefit from your good taste by keeping your gown in beautiful condition so that a future bride -- a sister, daughter, or niece -- can wear it at her wedding.

Tips

Before committing, question several establishments regarding their pricing, procedure, and warranties. Your gown should be preserved as soon as possible after the wedding; however, it is generally safe to wait as long as six months after the ceremony. Until you do send your gown off for preservation, be sure to store it in a dark and dry place, rolled or folded in a clean white sheet.

Shelf Life

Beware of any vendors that tell you their warranty is void if you open the box in which your gown is stored. With professional gown preservation, you can freely remove the gown from the archival box without fear of damaging it in any way -- just wear gloves so the oil from your hands doesn't get on the fabric, and repack it carefully when you're done. Many preservationists claim the gowns will keep for 50-70 years, and some companies even offer a warranty.

reposted from The Knot