and a budget are two of the main priorities

As a guide once you have set a wedding date follow some of these rules to help plan your wedding so you make sure you don’t forget the many things on your bridal agenda.

• Establish who is contributing financially and set the budget
• Choose a bridal consultant or wedding co-ordinator if you use one
• Decide where the wedding ceremony is to be held and book
• Write up a guest list and establish numbers
• Select where the reception is to be held and book
• Plan the style of the wedding (whether it be religious, secular or a theme)
• Determine type of entertainment for the reception and book
• Start shopping for a gown or dressmaker and accessories
• Look for suits, dresses and accessories for the bridal party
• Shop for florist and flowers you want
• Look at wedding cakes, decorations and invitations
• Decide on transportation (cars, limousine, horse and carriage)
• Search for a photographer/ videographer that suits your requirement
• Plan accommodation for wedding night
• Set your honeymoon destination (contact travel agents etc)

These are just some of the many things you will need to do but it’s a good start and keep a large notebook or diary so you can keep track of progress and ideas.

YOU have just become engaged, you’re in love and looking ahead to that wedding day and a life together, but that all seems a long way into the future. It is, but that time can go very quickly and organising a wedding is a big, big job, so the first piece of good wedding advice is to start your preparations early.

Even if it is 12 months before the wedding day you could well need all that time to get things just right for that is what will make your perfect day. A long lead-in gives you a couple of key advantages. Firstly, you are not under as much pressure so you get to enjoy every last moment of what can be an exciting and enjoyable time, even if it can get a bit stressful.

Second, you have the luxury of being able to thoroughly explore your options, and to pick and choose service providers for everything from your cake and flowers to the reception, from your choice of bridal wear to where you will go on honeymoon.

This means that you can create the wedding of your dreams, and get the very best value for your money at the same time.

Many modern brides are now feeling freer to take on board as much or as little tradition as they choose, and to express that tradition in new and exciting ways.

So with this in mind, you first need to consider what you both want for your wedding. You’ll no doubt be getting all sorts of advice from all sorts of people – but when it comes down to it, this is your wedding, your day, and it can be anything you choose - formal or casual, small and intimate or with hundreds of friends and relations and a big reception.

Options and choices abound for every facet of your wedding day plans , the fashions and the trends, with ideas coming from everywhere from bridal fairs and exhibitions, magazines and a multitude of web pages, let alone the adverts from those service providers and of course all the advice and information ready from relatives and friends.

Some brides and grooms with busy schedules and heavy work commitments choose to enlist the support of a wedding coordinator or a wedding planner or agent. There’s nothing like having a little expert help to get you to the altar feeling calm, cool and collected – and you can either delegate complete control of your event to the coordinator, or split the ‘To Do’ list between you.

It can save hours on the phone, on the Internet, visiting hundreds of photographers, florists, venues etc. and worrying about how much there is to do? Professional wedding oganisers are ready to provide a stress-free wedding day for the couple and their guests, at the best value for money.

Setting the date is of course a main priority. What date will you both be happy with? Would you like to marry on the anniversary of your first meeting or engagement? Is the season important to you and you will both have to think hard about setting your wedding budget.

A useful start to budget building is for you both to write down the six aspects of your wedding that you feel are priorities. Rank them in order of importance, then compare notes.

One of the secrets of creating a fairytale wedding is also to pay attention to detail – and an efficient and effective way to do this is to write out a carefully considered timeline so that you know exactly what needs to be done and when. Include as much information as possible to ensure that nothing is forgotten or left until the last minute.