tips for a smooth ride

Budget:
Whilst the ceremony is the most important part of your day, the celebrations are a major focus. One of the most important considerations for any wedding is deciding what the budget is and who is paying for what. Don't forget - you don't need to spend alot of money to have a beautiful or elegant wedding. But keep your focus on the marriage.
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Attendants:
These days, a Bride can have male attendants and the Groom can have a "Best Woman"!
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Book early:
Celebrants and local wedding venues often have bookings many months in advance. You might like to think about either a Friday evening or Sunday wedding, or a weekday, as Saturday is usually the busiest day for weddings. Don't forget that the Notice of Intended Marriage needs to be submitted to your wedding celebrant no later than one calendar month and one day before your wedding date. (There are some possible exceptions to this restrictions. Your celebrant can provide more information.) You can lodge this document up to 18 months before your wedding.

Children:
Children add a lovely dimension to a wedding, but remember they do get tired and easily distracted, so plan for this. They can be included as flower girls or ring bearers, or consider having a bubble machine they can operate - the bubbles make a lovely background for photos (but supervision is wise as it may be a major distraction.)
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Confetti:
Many venues and sites, now forbid the use of confetti and rice. Bubbles or flower petals are an acceptable and fun option.
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Conflict:
Unfortunately, while your wedding day should be one of the happiest in your life, it can also be the cause of tension and conflict. You might be offered unwanted "help" or advice. Best to know straight up who is making decisions on what. Remember, you can always listen respectfully to advice - then make the decision that's best for you.
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Contingency Plan
Always wise to have an alternative location in case of rain.

Gifts
Nowadays it's common for couples to have already set up house, and the financial crisis has changed people's spending habits. Some options are a wedding register at a particular store; travel vouchers to contribute to the honeymoon; a wishing well for financial gifts; some couples opt to have guests donate to a charity of the couple's choice; or some are opting for no gift, but asking guests to pay for their own meal to cut costs. If you do receive gifts, task someone with writing on the back of each card what gift came with it so that you can write personal thanks to each guest for their gift.
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Guests
It's becoming more common for wedding activities to spread over a few days as guests come from out of town. Have a list of what's on in town and other points of interests - as well as a map. You - or a helper - may even organise some group activities for all to enjoy.

Helpers
There are many ways to include family and friends who want to help. Place cards, invitations, envelopes for the thank you's; entertaining guests between the ceremony and reception while you're doing photos; finding accommodation information for out of town guests; help with organising extra activities if your wedding celebrations span a few days with out of towners attending.
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Hen Party or Stag Night
Best to organise these events for 2 or 3 weeks before the wedding. Under legislation, a Celebrant cannot perform a wedding ceremony if one of the couple is "under the influence"!
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Invitations
generally, sending invitations two months before the day is the accepted norm, but earlier notification might be necessary if you are getting married in a popular holiday destination. Also, include your contingency location in case of rain.
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Marriage
Getting married is one of the most significant steps you will take. Often, more planning goes into the wedding day than the marriage, which is for life. It is important to explore your relationship and to develop the skills needed to handle the challenges that inevitably arise when people share their lives.
Premarriage programs aim to promote and support the development of strong and stable relationships.

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Beauty treatments:
Lovely to pamper yourself but for best results on the day, its best have a facial no less than 3 days before the big day.
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Ceremony:
We can create a truly personalised and unique ceremony that reflects your own story. Think about what you want to share with your family and friends, and what you want to express to each other. There are so many options on the format your ceremony can take. Just decide what style you prefer - casual, formal, elegant, quirky, traditional, contemporary etc. You might even consider a "theme".