Cheap wedding planning should be practiced for those who are having a wedding on a budget. Don’t ever feel like you are having to settle or “make do” with mediocre wedding accessories. Just learn how to bargain shop for your special day, and you will save tons of money in the long run!

If you’re one of those lucky gals whose fiancé wants to have input on everything from choosing linens to the height of the heel on your pump, then read no further. Give your honey his wedding to-do list and go get a manicure. If you’d like your Price Charming a little more involved, however, then try the following.

1. Ask yourself why you want your fiancé involved. Is it because you feel it demonstrates how much he loves you, or simply because the task overwhelms you and you want help? The answer to this question will determine how you will ask your fiancé to be involved. Is it important to you that he have input into which photographer you choose or would you rather his assistance be in a more detailed-oriented realm (like picking people up at the airport or making sure all the vendors are paid on time)?

2. Keep your wedding planning conversations with him brief. He probably wants to be involved, but an hour of debating the merits of freesias or daisies in your bouquet will have his eyes glazing over. When his input is desired, keep the chat to 15 minutes. If nothing is resolved, bring the topic to the table the next day. If nothing else, you’ll wear him down from sheer tenacity. 

3. At the beginning of the planning process, ask him which aspects of the planning he wants to be in charge of. This will allow him to select areas that interest him (saying selecting a DJ verses choosing cutsie wedding favors). 

4. Get him involved in the selection of food and alcoholic beverages. If you make a “date” out of tastings, he’ll be happy to go along. And the old adage is still true–the way to a man’s heart (or at least keeping his interest) is through his stomach. 

5. Narrow down his choices to two or three before asking for his input. Present him with any more choices of photographers and his eyes will glaze over looking at all the samples. 

6. Whatever you do, ALWAYS give him say in his wedding day attire. No matter how reluctant he is to participate in the other aspects of wedding planning, more than likely he’s going to balk at you telling him what to wear. 

7. If he tells you to simply delegate some vendors/tasks to him, then do so willingly, but be sure you give him ones that align with his interests. If he’s like most men, he’ll be more invested in looking for the DJ, wedding-day transportation, arranging the rehearsal dinner and tuxes than shopping for flower girl dresses. Most guys will want to have a say in their honeymoon destination, so you might want to have him come up with options for that too. 

8. Let him know you value his opinion. He just wants you to be happy, and he may think that the way to make that happen is to defer to you on all of the decisions. If you tell him that’s not the blessing he imagines it to be and that you’re excited to have his input, then he’ll be more prone to offer it. Caveat to this: you’re going to need to listen to his input and honor his suggestions from time to time! 

9. Make it easy for him to participate. Make sure you have a mutually-agreed upon system for organizing the wedding planning so he’s not off doing one thing while you’re doing something counterproductive to it. 

10. Remember to keep dating your fiancé during the wedding planning process. Sure you’re excited and maybe the wedding day is all you think about, but maybe you should relegate some of that chit chat to conversations with your mother and bridesmaids. Set aside at least one evening a week for a “No Wedding Talk” date night. He’ll be much more interested if you don’t flood him with wedding talk 24/7.

She may say yes, but man! That is one mechanical and boring proposal. If you are truly in love, take the time to make your proposal memorable. This is a landmark moment in relationships and needs TLC.

Yeah, you can do the simple drop to one knee and blurt out the question bit. Just don’t forget to set the mood first. Your lady will appreciate you even more for taking the time to “set the stage” if you will.

If your lady is the sentimental kind, why not put together various things that will remind her of the various events in your relationship. For example, why not put all the stuff in a box and go through the contents with her. You can have a “remember when” afternoon with each of you identifying the napkin you wrote her number on, the card from the first bouquet of flowers you sent her, and so on.. Make sure to carefully conceal one more item in the box that you will bring out. Of course, the last item is the ring. Now’s the time to say the lines you’ve been rehearsing.

Too tame you say? Why not take it up a step? Take her on a tour of your favorite places. Make it a day out. Start in your favorite restaurant, do the things throughout the day that you enjoyed most while getting to know each other (try to choose the most romantic ones). How about ending your day by recreating your first dinner date? Pop the question after dessert.

Not inclined to go out in the foul weather? No problem. How about creating a treasure hunt especially for her? Start by creating a note that may simply say something like follow the rainbow to find gold. Next lay her a trail of something she loves that she’ll definitely follow (in this example, how about skittles). Put a few more notes in between that say how you feel like, “you color my world”. Of course at the end of the trail when she opens the door, there you are, in perfect position and saying the loveliest phrase any women can hear.

Of course, you may just prefer to literally ride off into the sunset with her. Take her on a trip with to a place you’ve both wanted to go. As you watch the sun set, ask her to marry you.

It doesn’t have to be anything too elaborate, but your lady will definitely appreciate the time and effort that you put into it. It’ll also help you avoid funny incidents like losing the ring as she flips open her table napkin, if you think the deed through. In the end, it’s still all about one question and the fervent hope that she’ll say yes!

Do I need a Seating Plan?

If your wedding reception is small & informal then a seating plan may not be necessary. However, if you are having a large number of guests & a formal sit down dinner then it is a good idea to draw up a seating plan so that you guests can find a table quickly & efficiently. Many of your guests will want to sit with family & friends so a seating plan will prevent a mad rush of guests all trying to sit together at the same tables! Having a seating plan that places people who will get along together will help to create the happy atmosphere that you want for your wedding meal & will make a difference to your guest’s enjoyment of the day.

Within your wedding planning you will find a number of options available for your seating plan. These range from:

No plan at all – best for standing buffets or small & informal events. Assign guests to tables – you allocate guests to tables but the choice of seat is theirs. Assign guests to seats – you specify the seats at which each guest will sit.

When it comes to deciding on a seating plan, bear in mind that you should do what you think will make your guests most comfortable.

The Top Table Dilemma

The traditional top table is a long table on which sits the bride & groom in the center & the rest of the wedding party beside them. Whilst this is still the favored choice, there are other alternatives being used as family structures become more complicated.

Traditionally the top table would look something like this:

Chief Bridesmaid–G.Father–B.Mother-Groom-Bride-B.Father-G.Mother-Best Man

Alternatives are used where parents are divorced & maybe remarried or have a new partner. Another popular choice is to do away with the top table altogether & just have a table for the two of you.

Top Tips for Other Tables

1. Seating families or close friends all on one table may not do much to encourage mingling between guests, although these guests will be relaxed. Sitting people who don’t know each other may be daunting for those concerned & again may not do much for the atmosphere. The best advice is to mix the tables up so that there is a combination of new & old friends. Consider your guests ages & interests also & try to seat like for like together, they are more likely to get on & have fun that way.

2. Singles can be a dilemma, especially if a large number of your guests are couples. It can be tempting to try a little matchmaking but this could back fire, making both parties & you uncomfortable & embarrassed. Avoid a singles table & try to place them on tables with other likeminded guests whom you think they will get along with.

3. Etiquette rules apply depending on the shape of the tables you are using. For round tables sit male & female guests alternately. If you are using long tables sit couples opposite one another & alternate male/female along the table.

4. Reserve the tables closest to yourselves for close friends & family.

5. Make sure each table has a name or number to identify it. You could theme them according to things relevant to you both, for instance name after your favorite places you have visited together, or your favorite films. Your venue may make these cards for you, but make sure they are shown on your seating plan.

6. If you want to assign a specific seat to each guest then you will need to write out name cards which you can then place at each setting. Aside from the traditional name card, you can use menus or wedding favors for the same purpose.

Creating your Seating Plan

Start putting together your seating early in your wedding planning. You can start even before you have had back all of your RSVP’s as you will know already who is definitely coming.

When you start ask your venue for a plan of how the tables will be arranged on the day & decide on which shape of table you will use. You will also need to know how many guests you can seat at each one.

Putting together your plan can take some time & may involve many revisions to get it right. A good tip is to write each guests name down on separate pieces of paper & do the same for each table. You can then arrange the tables out & assign guests to each one. Experiment by moving them around until you find the right layout for you. In recent years there have been numerous software programs developed to help with organizing your seating plan which can save you time & a great deal of stress as well!