The Big Four

Not long ago, I ran into a young woman in a bookstore. I mean, I literally ran into her. She was huddled cross-legged on the floor over an entire library of wedding-planning books. On her lap and strewn all around her were stacks of books she had pulled off the shelves. Her face, as she looked up at me when I tripped over her, had the same stricken ex-pression Wiley Coyote gets right before a boulder lands on his head. She apologized for blocking the aisle and then blurted out, practically in tears, “I’m getting married in three months and it’s just so overwhelming!” She explained that all of the books she had looked at told her she couldn’t possibly expect to pull off a decent wedding in less than a year, what with the designer dress, engraved invitations, and hand-dipped chocolates she would surely want to have. As she slumped there on the floor and poured out her frustration, it was clear that planning the ceremony that would unite her with the love of her life was going to be far more painful than being stomped on in a bookstore.

Most brides-to-be experience, to some degree, the panic that the young woman in the bookstore felt as they try to fig-ure out how to begin planning their wedding. Throw in the complication of an abbreviated engagement period and consequently, a shortened amount of time for organizing increases exponentially. It truly doesn’t have to be that way. Whether you’ve got six months or six weeks, you can pull off a terrific wedding without pulling out all of your hair. You can actually enjoy the process of organizing this ceremony that will change your life.

But before you call a single florist or try on your first wedding gown, find yourself a quiet corner, pour a cup of whatever it is you like to drink, and read this book. It will help you lay the foundation for an enjoyable planning proc-ess by putting things into perspective and setting some ground rules. Keep in mind that this is your wedding. It’s not your mother’s, sister’s, mother-in-law’s, or friend’s. Plan it the way you want it. You can listen to the advice of others and accept help if you like, but take and keep control of the decision-making from the very start.