Your wedding day should be a joyous occasion for everyone involved. This article discusses tips for planning and pulling off a memorable wedding.

Religion is possibly the most influential aspect of any wedding ceremony. Discuss all aspects of your religion with who you plan on marrying as well as their family too, just so they are comfortable with your beliefs.

When planning your wedding, think about what type of alcohol serving you want, and what type will be the most cost efficient. Open bar is the most expensive option, and the longer the bar is open, the more expensive it becomes. Ask about the different serving options your venue offers regarding alcohol.

Make sure you hear everyone rehearse their speeches before you if they are appointed to speak at your wedding. This way, you will know that it is all appropriate for your big day. There are a lot of different age groups at a wedding. This makes some jokes told by the younger crowd inappropriate to older people.

Use a friend or family member’s property for your wedding. Instead of booking a ballroom, try holding your wedding in a backyard or field instead. You could pay for a cleaning service to come through before and after the wedding and make that the only cost.

You can coordinate your wedding decorations with your wedding garb with simple and charming touches. For instance, the ribbon on your bouquet can go with ribbon for your hair, dress, or centerpiece. Your wedding will be perfect when you add in the small details.

Instead of one large, expensive wedding cake, consider serving cupcakes or several small cakes. There are some bakers who are able to prepare elegant cupcakes that contain less than 100 calories each. They can also use healthy ingredients like fruit fillings, no-calorie sweeteners, and even meringue toppings.

An online itinerary will facilitate a smooth experience, especially for your out-of-town guests. This schedule allows everyone to know when and where they need to be. Give them clear direction, times to be there and what they need to bring, so that things go smoothly.

Having a friend or relative become ordained online can allow them to officiate your wedding. Not only will this save you money by not needing to hire an officiant, it will add a nice personal touch to the ceremony. Take caution, however, to make sure that doing this is a legal option in your community.

If you’re giving your guests multiple meal courses, give them sweets to nibble on in between the courses. You can leave sugar roses, thin crackers or any other type of little treats.

Ask to borrow something from a friend to wear on the day you get married. Not only does borrowing jewelry help you perfect your look without spending extra money, but your friend will be honored to contribute to your appearance on your wedding day.

If the culture of the bride’s and groom’s family are very different, plan the wedding ceremony in the tradition of one side and follow the traditions of the other side at the reception. This allows you to set up a great contrast that will allow both sides of the family to enjoy the wedding as much as possible.

If you plan on making a wedding speech or giving a toast, you should practice beforehand. Don’t wait until the last minute to write your speech, or forget about it once it’s written. If you don’t practice, you might ramble, make silly mistakes or completely forget what you wanted to say.

Your plans for a wedding outside should always include a solid backup plan, in case it rains, or other unforeseen problems occur. You can rent some large tents, or book a outdoor venue that includes a hall that is available in case of bad weather. You might also think about putting wood planks down to prevent guests from stepping in mud caused by rain.

No matter what type of reception you want, keep your caterer informed; for example, if you want an outdoor reception, help your caterer understand that. Some dishes won’t fair well in heat, and others might just not weigh enough to stay place in firm wind. One way that these weather issues can be dealt with is to use sturdy covers for the food. If you need to, have a small refrigerator handy to cool down drinks.

Be sure you consider how to take care of the guests and their method of travel when a destination wedding is being planned. Some guests may have conflicts with the timing or with the costs of attending. Send out your save the date and invitation cards at least six to eight months ahead of time to allow your guests the most time possible to make preparations.

Write your own wedding vows. Though you might find it easy to copy vows from somewhere, you are the one who knows your intended spouse best. Write in things that have special meaning. You can draw inspiration from many places, but making it your own will add a special touch.

Interview numerous videographers prior to picking one for the wedding. Also, be sure to ask for samples of their past work. Make sure that you also keep in mind the quality of the sound and editing that your videographer provides. People used to get great VHS tapes of a wedding, but these days you’ll want a digital video or DVD that will last you quite a while. Base your decision on these things and your own personal feelings about the videographers you talk to.

An improperly planned wedding can go from joyous occasion to disaster in a disturbingly short amount of time. Hopefully, these tips can help you plan a wedding that will be filled with joy and frees of excess stress.