How to Plan a Simple Wedding

For all you would-be brides and bridegrooms out there who want a simple, elegant affair, I have a few suggestions for you. Once you set the date, be sure to take on some other sort of major time commitment, such as graduate school or starting a new business... or both! This will assure that you don't spend too much time making it more complicated than it needs to be. Don't worry, you can fit a lot of planning in between 9 and 9:15 am Sunday mornings. Then, go ahead and invite all your long-lost relatives from across the globe. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity after all! While you're at it, invite all your old baby-sitters and your parents friends. Be sure to plan it during the busiest time of year so that guests have a lot of things to do while they are here. And it is always fun to have it in another town other than where you live, so that not only will guests from out-of-town have to find a place to stay, but everyone will! Don't worry, there will be plenty of high-class housing in that quaint, eclectic fishing village. Don't bother planning activities for all those out-of-town guests, just trust that it will all work out. You can make all your invitations for cheap, unless you choose to try something you've never done before, like block-printing, that requires a substantial investment of money for supplies and time to learn how to do it. Get a friend to help you with the food, they can cook for 120 people and they won't flake on you if they are truly your friend. If you want to use local food and flowers be sure to plan your wedding for late in the summer so things are actually available. If you make your own wine be sure it is palatable. Then, when it gets closer to the date, start thinking about all the projects you can do to spruce up the house before your entire extended family comes to see it. You don't want to show them a dump, after all! Outdoor weddings are lovely and cheaper than renting a big hall, don't worry, if it rains it is lucky! Oh, and be sure to have your mother make your dress. Just because she was finishing your prom dress minutes before your date arrived doesn't mean the same will happen with your wedding. If you start thinking about it 6 months before what could possibly go wrong? Stay tuned for more helpful hints on how to have a simple, stress-free wedding!