Hearing wedding bells in your near future and need some great planning ideas? This is the place for you! You are about to learn some great tips to ensure smooth sailing when it comes to your big day.

Before your wedding day, practice the aisle walk as much as you can. Go to your wedding location to practice while wearing your wedding shoes. This will give you much more confidence on the big day.

For food, consider going to a store such as Costco. If you shop wholesale, you will be able to purchase your wedding food affordably. You may even ask for help with food costs from family or friends.

Have your wedding at a location owned by friends or family. Having your wedding in someone’s yard or even farm can reduce wedding costs. Offer to pay a person to do the clean-up before and after the wedding, which would be the only cost for you.

Of course, the focus of your wedding should be on the person whom you plan to marry. This life-altering decision is one that should not be rushed into. Take care to consider the person’s characteristics–both the things that you love about them and the aspects that are challenging.

Look at the portfolios of any makeup artist you are considering for your wedding day. Do you like the style of the make up? Be sure they can create the look you want. It can be helpful to do a practice run before the big day so that you will be happy with the results.

Go easy on the number of fresh flowers you put on the guest tables for your wedding reception. Usually, the flowers are only in your guests’ way. Furthermore, one or two of your guests could be allergic to certain flowers. Unscented candles can get placed around the tables for an atmosphere of romance.

Let your DJ know what he absolutely should not play. Maybe it’s country music, or heavy metal, or even your “special song” from an old lover. Be sure your DJ is well aware of your preferences in advance to avoid discomfort.

When inviting loved ones to destination weddings, try finding out if they wish to stay for your honeymoon, too. By staying longer, they will save money because hotels offer discounts for people that stay longer. Not only do they get to share in your special time, they can create their own memories as well.

When choosing a venue for your wedding reception, check to see if the lighting is able to be dimmed. It may sound insignificant, but you are probably going to want to dim the lights for the first dance and turn them back up for the remainder of the reception. Talk to the venue owner about the light settings. Don’t rent a venue that doesn’t have the settings you want.

Now that you have so many great wedding planning ideas, the only thing left is to put your plan into action and hope for some great weather! Hopefully, you can relax and enjoy the beautiful moments that you have planned for you and your new spouse.