______ Select the date! Consider a date that will accommodate your family and friends, such as the summer months when kids are out of school and when most individuals plan their annual vacations. Also, when considering a date near a major holiday, keep in mind that most reception locations increase their prices and are booked well in advance. If you set a date near a holiday or at least one year in advance, think about mailing a "Save the Date" card to your guests so that they can make the necessary accommodations.

______ Determine your budget. Be realistic when creating the budget. Determine WHO is paying for the wedding: the bride's family, the Groom's family, the couple or a combination of the above. Highlight the one or two items that will mean the most to the both of you and budget the other items around these one or two major items.

______ Book the officiant. You want to make sure that whomever you want to marry you both is available.

______ Reserve both the wedding and reception locations. Reserving the location of both your wedding ceremony and reception is one of the most important tasks that must be done once an engagement is announced. If the date of the wedding is in close proximity to a holiday, this task becomes even more pertinent.

______ Hire the wedding consultant. If you are considering using a wedding consultant, conduct your interviews now. Make sure you choose a consultant who is not only professional and a member of an accredited wedding consultant association but someone who is amiable and easy to work with.

______ Purchase a handy wedding planner. You can't plan a wedding without a trusty wedding planner. Trust us! Make sure the planner contains pages on which you can take notes, a daily calendar to keep you on time and pockets to hold those ever-important receipts! In today's technological world, consider a wedding planning software program as a helpful companion that will assist you in maintaining the guest list and tracking the "thank you" notes. Some software programs will even help with the seating assignments!

______ Compile the guest list. Although this SHOULD be one of the fun aspects of planning a wedding, it often becomes the basis of many heated debates. Also, keep in mind that the length of the guest list is often in direct correlation with the budget.

______ Select members of your wedding party. Honor your family and friends by selecting them to stand next to you both on your special day.

______ Choose the caterer. If you are evaluating a caterer, make sure to sample their menu and personally meet with the caterer. Obtain references and inquire the Better Business Bureau on their professional history.

______ Book the photographer. Don't take these professionals for granted! Good photographers are booked quickly! Ask the right questions and view their portfolio. Keep in mind that he/she is responsible for capturing the formal and candid moments of your day that will last a lifetime. Be picky!

______ Book the videographer. More and more couples are opting to capture their wedding day on celluloid in addition to photo paper. Again, ask the right questions and view some sample wedding videos. Make sure the videographer you interview will be the ACTUAL professional who will be there at your wedding.

______ Hire the florist. Considered to comprise one of the biggest shares of the budget "pie." The florist makes it his/her job to assist you in color coordination and bouquet arrangements.

______ Order the wedding gown, veil, shoes and other accessories. The earlier you choose and order your gown, the better off you will be. You want to receive the wedding gown for final fitting weeks in advance... with time to spare.

______ Book the entertainment for both the ceremony and reception. Evaluate demo tapes of the entertainment whether it's a DJ, harpist, soloist, string quartet or live band. Make sure to discuss different music genres in their repertoire. Also, discuss which songs to play during the processional, ceremony and recessional.