In planning a wedding you undertake many new ideas and challenges. One may think "Oh my, where do I begin?". Well, let me start off by saying, I'm 26 yrs old and getting married Oct 18, 2008 to a lovely girl who I've been dating for over 5 yrs now.

In my new endeavor I had no idea what I was doing or supposed to do, so my first step was to develop some sort of plan or process to follow....what better way than to surf the net. I located wedding checklists that would give me a step-by-step list of what to do and when it needed to be done. Upon finding a few good ones, I combined those into my own personalized list I felt suited my needs best. I thought all was well, and the process started. The next step is where it gets tricky...family and friends. Suddenly everyone I knew was a wedding expert and had their two cents to share with me. Where I should go, how I should have the ceremony, what theme to have....I thought to myself, "Wow, didn't know I knew so many wedding experts...LOL". If you have ever planned a wedding you know what I'm talking about.

Skipping forward a few months - getting the hall picked out, the church, colors completed I was feeling a bit drained. Being the mediator between my mother and future wife was taking quite the toll, and I have to say it wasn't always cheery conversations and excitement. Its tough work...I'm not going to go into all the details for you, however we just got together and finished the guest list for the shower and wedding; and more or less I have to call the hall to get extra tables, because no one could eliminate any of their o'so important guests. I'd love to tell you a long, drawn out story about the 7 month adventure thus far, but I think I'll wait to see how a few things play out and write a nice story/article later.

My wedding recommendation is to get a set course or plan, use your checklist, and listen to others when they give their opinion (be polite) and take what you want from their advice. Remember the bottom line....it's your day, make it special and do it your way!