15 Wedding Planning Details to Not Worry About

1. The Wedding Guest List

The guest list's size is the biggest determinant of your total wedding cost, so keeping expenses trim is of the utmost importance. But if you're worried that you'll offend people by not inviting them to your wedding, stop now. Of course you wouldn't leave out your nearest and dearest, and anyone else you're considering would likely be flattered to be invited but not bothered if they're not (think: the group of college friends who live on the other side of the country whom you've not seen in five years). Your best bet to tighten your list is to make some wedding invitation list rules (for you, your fiance and both families) and stick to them. That is, first cousins, but not second. Spouses and live-in or serious partners, but not random dates. Your boss, but not your whole office. One caveat: don't split up groups, says Syd Sexton, owner of Syd Sexton Event Productions, in Denver. 'If you can invite your office gang, great. But if you can't, don't just invite one of them.'

2. The Wedding Flowers

The first time you gazed upon your wedding reception site, you saw veritable fields of flowers, right? It's no surprise, though, that piles and piles of blooms can ratchet up your costs quickly. Sexton notes that you don't need to fill every corner of your venue with flowers for a lovely look. Work with your wedding florist to use the freshest, most in-season blooms to their strategic advantage, then fill in the rest of the decor with budget-friendly candles or greenery. If you just adore flowers, check out botanical gardens in your area-you'll have a bounteous backdrop of blooms at your disposal (for not a penny more).

3. The Wedding Reception Cocktail Hour

One cocktail-hour trend these days is to overload (read: over-impress) guests with everything from sushi bars to towering displays of cheese, to passed hors d'oeuvres to pasta and carving stations. But there's no reason to make this a blowout, says Mindy Weiss, celebrity wedding planner and coauthor with Lisbeth Levine of The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day. 'Keep it short and sweet-this ensures that you'll need less food-and have your hors d'oeuvres hand-passed instead of having stations. This limits the amount of food you'll need.' Stick with just enough food to keep guests from getting too tipsy too early in the evening, advises Meghan Walls, owner of Meghan Walls Events in New York City. A pretty display of cheese, fruit and crackers will do just fine.

4. The Wedding Reception Dessert Table

'Unless you're having a dessert reception, you don't need to go overboard on sweets. Wedding cake is so spectacular that offering a dessert buffet, a crepes suzette station and mini ice cream cones is just excessive,' says Levine. 'After all, you don't want to weigh guests down with so many sweets during your wedding reception that they don't have the energy to get out on the dance floor!'

5. The Drinks

First of all, says Weiss, feel free to skip the champagne toast. It's no longer considered a must-do at weddings. Simply toast with whatever wine you already have on the table. As for your bar options, remember this is your party, so it's entirely up to you, not your hard-partying college friends or the snooty aunts who prefer top-shelf martinis. Work with your reception site or caterer to create a bar you can afford, whether that means offering only beer, wine, water and soft drinks; a signature drink at the cocktail hour and red and white wines with dinner; or less-expensive liquors for mixed drinks rather than pricey brand names. Also, keep mixed drinks as simple as possible: The more varieties of liquor that are involved in assembling the drink, the more you will pay. 'If you're hiring an off-premise caterer and can buy your own alcohol, you can save even more by shopping around and being able to return unopened bottles,' notes Walls. Instruct the wait staff not to automatically top off guests' wineglasses and, finally, arrange to have your bar closed an hour before the end of the party. You'll be doing the drivers a favor.

6. The Five-Course Wedding Reception Meal

We know-you're worried about wedding guests going home either hungry or unhappy with your food choices. Those worries have caused many brides and grooms to go down the path of offering too much-up to seven courses-and paying too much for it. If you're looking to cut costs, 'eliminate one course in the meal, and just serve an appetizer and an entree,' says Walls. You can also stick to offering one or two choices for the entree. Or instead of offering chicken, steak or salmon entrees, assemble a plate that combines, say, a few grilled shrimp and medallions of beef, plus a creative array of vegetables. (You may save 40 percent or more on your wedding reception, because your chef will know exactly what to buy for your head count.) Once you find a caterer that you really trust, you can work with him to find the most economical options. Rest assured quality always trumps quantity, and that no one will end up stopping at McDonald's on the way home.

7. The Wedding Invitations

Engraved or letterpress wedding invitations are the ultimate, yes. And heavy cardstock, of course. But all of this is very costly. Choosing an unusual color, paper or design may also raise your wedding invitation costs more than you're prepared for. If you're a DIY-er (or if you know someone who is), design and make your own wedding invitations by hand or on a high-quality computer printer. Some calligraphic fonts are so good that it's really hard to tell they're not done by hand.

8. The Wedding Cake

A five-tier wedding cake tower covered with intricate sugarpaste flowers, ribbons, butterflies and bows? Gorgeous, yes. Necessary, no. The more elaborate the design, the more your wedding cake will cost. Ask your baker for options to keep the cost down, such as serving a smaller, tiered display cake and supplementing with a sheet cake that is brought out from the kitchen after the official cake cutting; doing less-pricey cupcakes in your wedding colors (always a big guest favorite!); or choosing less exotic fillings and less elaborate sugarpaste designs. You also may want to consider decorating the confection with fresh flowers instead of sugarpaste, as they cost less but give a luxe look. Another option: Instead of a specialty baker, hire a local one to make your cake-more affordable and guests will be just as happy!

9. The Transportation

Will anyone care if you don't show up to your wedding or reception in a white limousine? No. White limos cost more than black or silver ones, so you may decide to cross that off your list. If you do hire a limousine, don't have the car that took you to the ceremony wait for you all day-book another to come for you later (you'll save on hourly rates). Do ask your limo company about wedding packages-they might have just the right one for you.

10. Wedding Favors

The experts don't mince words: 'Unless the favor is food-like some nice chocolates the guests can eat right then-it's a wedding expense you can forgo,' says Walls. Weiss agrees. 'Brides feel they have to give favors, but this should be seen as an extra. I am a huge fan of making donations to charities instead. You can do this and write an adorable note to each guest (and leave it at the place settings), in which you let them know you've donated in their honor.'

11. The Wedding Reception Venue

You've found out the price per person at your chosen reception venue, and it's just plain too high. Don't worry (and don't overspend)-negotiate. But some brides are shy or they think this is tacky. 'Uh-uh,' says Sexton. 'In a tough economic climate, vendors expect it. Be honest about your budget, and ask, 'What can you do for me with this amount?' Or ask, 'I see this is your lowest package price. Can you do a little better?' ' If you are willing to play with days (a Friday or Sunday, say), times of day or seasons, you can work out a better deal. Still unconvinced that you should speak up? 'The worst they can do is say no,' reasons Walls. And even if negotiating doesn't get you a drastic cost reduction, you may get some extras thrown in (like trays of cookies for the tables, or top-shelf liquor for the price of generic brands). Remember: Wedding reception vendors want your business as much as you want a nice wedding.

12. The Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

You've already planned a major event-your wedding reception. You need not make the rehearsal dinner a mini wedding by booking an expensive restaurant or another catering place. 'If you can, have it in the home of someone willing to host,' says Sexton. (Hint: perhaps someone wants to make this their gift to you!). 'Do something casual, like a backyard barbecue. Or ask your wedding caterer if he or she is willing to cater it in a private home for a lower fee, as part of your wedding package.'

13. The Linens

On an unlimited budget, specialty linens add sparkle and a special touch. But the standard white or off-white table coverings included at most reception sites have kept their classic good looks! Perk up the tables with napkins tied with ribbons or rent stylish napkin rings.

14. Wedding Shoes

Focus your energy, your worries and your money on your dress-not your wedding shoes, advises Levine. 'Why spend hundreds of dollars on footwear you'll wear for a single day? Seriously-if you have a gorgeous gown, an amazing hairstyle and a flawless face, no one is going to be examining what's going on below your ankles.' Find inexpensive (but comfortable) wedding shoes that complement your bridal gown, and leave it at that.

15. The Impression

Are you worried about wowing your guests? Don't. Too many couples think it's their obligation to dazzle their friends at their wedding with every extra on the books. 'But all guests really want is to feel taken care of and special,' says Walls, 'which you can do in little ways.' For example, be sure your wedding has good 'flow,' without an uncomfortable time gap between ceremony and reception. Be sure your traveling guests have little amenities in their rooms, and that older guests don't have far to walk. Weiss likes to leave milk and homemade cookies for wedding guests at the end of the night. 'It makes everyone feel loved,' she says. 'And isn't that the way you want them to feel, when all is said and done?'

Photography: Kenzie Shores Photography

How to Select Your Wedding Flower Arrangements

To have and to hold: a bridal bouquet of peonies, andromeda, quince branches, spray roses, geraniums, poppies and tulips.

A tall silver vase is filled with yellow roses, stock, snapdragons, peonies, blupeurum and oncidium orchids.

Special details, like a wrought-iron gate adorned with green ivy, ivory 'Vendella' roses, and lavender 'Sterling' roses, complete a look.

Wedding flower arrangements have been an essential element of nuptials throughout history, thought to drive away evil spirits and to symbolize love and fertility. And of course, they've always been cherished for their lovely scent and fresh beauty. But today, the vast number of choices and the complexity and unpredictability of the bloom business may throw brides for a loop. Never fear! These no-stress steps will help you procure beautiful wedding flower arrangements

Step #1: When it comes to flowers for your wedding, be choosy.

When finding a floral designer, start with personal recommendations, then check the pros' websites to get a sense of their work. You may then decide to visit each wedding florist personally so that you can flip through photos of their past ceremonies and receptions and be sure their vision works with yours. Also, it's important that the two of you hit it off. 'If you don't feel comfortable or don't click, look for someone else,' says Erin Rosenow of Rosenow Floral Design in San Francisco, California. 'Flowers set the scenery for the wedding, and you want to feel confident about them.'

Step #2: Communicate with your wedding florist.

Give the wedding florist as much information about your ceremony and reception as possible, including the location, the color scheme and the look and feel of the entire event. You might even provide inspiration, such as a photograph of your gown or swatches of the bridesmaids' dresses. You don't need to know technical flower terms to get your point across. Show the designer pictures of wedding flower arrangements that depict your favorite details: the ideal shape, a prettily tied ribbon, a gorgeous type of orchid. 'It's important that he or she knows what you don't like, too,' says Kimberly Aurora Kapur, author of Bouquet Chic (Watson-Guptill, 2008).

Step #3: Stay on budget.

Wedding flower arrangements typically takes up 10 to 20 percent of a couple's wedding budget, but this varies depending on the type of flowers they choose, their region and the containers and embellishments they select. Rosenow says her bridal bouquets average about $125 to $200; bridesmaids' bouquets, $85 to $150 each, and centerpieces $85 to $100.Seeking out locally grown, in-season flowers for your wedding will likely save you money. Rosenow also suggests shopping at IKEA or flea markets for pretty vases, instead of paying a florist to do the shopping. Consider arrangements that could be used for both the ceremony and the reception. You can also prioritize; perhaps you'll decide to limit the wedding ceremony flowers in favor of more elaborate wedding reception centerpieces.

Step #4: Know what your wedding flower arrangements will look like.

Have your designer create mock-ups of your wedding flower arrangements, your bridal bouquet or a centerpiece (or both), so you have an accurate idea of what you'll get on the big day. You can even fine-tune the end result. Be sure to build all the details that you and your designer have agreed upon into your contract, including the special requests and the things to avoid.

Top 10 Financial Musts for Newlyweds

Ah, newlywed bliss. So you've just tied the knot and are now adjusting to being Mr. and Mrs. What used to be “mine” is now “ours” and that can be said about everything, including your finances. We know it isn't easy and that's why we're here to help. Here are the Top 10 Financial Musts for Newlyweds:

1. Full Financial Disclosure

Most importantly, you need to share your current financial situation, spending habits, financial expectations with your spouse. and vice versa. Forthright communication of this important information is crucial to forming a strong partnership with your spouse. after all, people argue about money more than sex (it's true!). If this information is kept secret now, you're setting the stage for future financial disaster. For instance, not knowing that your spouse has a low credit score could lead to your debt being combined with their debt, which in turn lowers your credit score.

2. Budget to Reach Financial Goals

Most newlyweds make the major mistake of not constructing a budget to reach key financial goals. Don't fall into this! Without a budget, it's super difficult to achieve financial freedom as a couple. Make sure you construct a yearly family budget to account for fixed expenses (mortgage payments, household and food expenses) and discretionary expenses (travel, shopping) while also allocating some funds for raising children, paying for college, planning a wedding, retirement, etc.

3. Maintain an Emergency Fund

Agree to set aside approximately six months' worth of living expenses in the event that you and your betrothed experience a financial hardship.

4. Plan to Pay Off Debt

It is crucial that you and your spouse evaluate each other's debt levels (credit card, student loans, etc.) and credit scores so that you can put a plan in place to make monthly payments and reduce overall debt. By following a plan, getting a mortgage approved in the future will be much easier.

5. Name Beneficiaries and Update Wills

After marriage, you should evaluate the named beneficiaries of your insurance policy and retirement accounts. Also address the issue if you're currently the beneficiary of someone else's policy. In the event that you have to divide assets due to death, it's always important to have an existing will. However, keep in mind that the beneficiaries you designate for retirement accounts (things like your IRA and 401k) and life insurance policies take precedence over those you name in your will.

6. Review Insurance Coverage Plans

Review yours and your spouse's life, health, auto and homeowners insurance policies since one spouse's coverage may be better than the other. For instance, health insurance coverage can vary dramatically, so be sure to take advantage of the plan that offers the best coverage for both of you.

7. Explore Accountants, Financial Advisors and Lawyers

Whether you have or don't have an accountant, financial advisor or lawyer, you and your spouse will undoubtedly need to make a decision on one for the future. When choosing a professional advisor, it is vital that you do your homework and obtain multiple recommendations from friends and family. While your spouse may be very content with his/her lawyer, you should still seek other references before agreeing to also use the same lawyer.

8. Tax Preparation

When thinking about how you and your spouse want to file for taxes, there are a number of factors to consider, such as your state of residence and individual income level. Generally speaking, it is more tax advantageous to file as married in that you'll do so jointly. An instance where it may not make sense to file jointly is if your spouse has significant liens.

9. Evaluate Checking Account Options

The options are generally as follows: 1) maintain a separate checking account from your spouse, 2) open a joint checking account, or 3) set up a hybrid checking account system. A separate checking account is generally recommended when one spouse has any one of the following: liens against him/her, excessive debt levels, or is not financially responsible. A joint checking account is the most common option because it is convenient and allows for spouses to monitor cash flow together. The hybrid checking account is another option whereby a joint checking account is set up to pay for necessary expenses such as household expenses and two separate checking accounts are maintained by each spouse for spending-money purposes.

10. Last Name Change (If Applicable)

While it may appear rather trivial, changing your last name on your social security card, driver's license, passport and credit/checking accounts is very important since it is a key personal identifier for your financial records.

Ryan Himmel, CPA, is the founder of BIDaWIZ.com, an online marketplace where consumers and business owners alike can get trusted answers to finance, tax and accounting questions from licensed professionals. For more information, visit bidawiz.com.

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