Wedding Planning For Dummies, UK Edition

Plan your perfect wedding, at home or abroad.

Planning a wedding doesn?t have to be hard work. Take the pain out of the preparation and let Wedding Planning For Dummies help you design your dream wedding day ? while saving time and money! Whether you?re planning a traditional church ceremony, a quiet family celebration or a romantic destination wedding, this book offers all the budgeting tips, essential checklists and more that you need to make sure your special day runs smoothly.

Content includes:

? Budgeting for the big day.
? Keeping it legal ? getting all the legalities in place in plenty of time.
? Preparing a guest list ? who to invite, and where to draw the line.
? Planning the schedule for the day, and any surrounding events (next day brunch, weekend plans).
? Advice on choosing your dress, photographer, music, flowers, cake, wedding rings and more.
? Destination weddings ? the pros and cons of taking the plunge abroad.

Part I: Getting Started with Wedding Planning  5

Chapter 1: First Things First 7

Chapter 2: Avoiding Those Wedding–Bill Blues 21

Chapter 3: Making It Legal 35

Part II: Preparing for Your Big Day  47

Chapter 4: Finding the Perfect Venue 49

Chapter 5: Setting the Scene 63

Chapter 6: Flower Power 87

Chapter 7: Planning a Destination Wedding 105

Chapter 8: By Invitation Only 121

Chapter 9: Toasters Are Banned!: Putting Together Your Gift List 147

Chapter 10: Rings That Rock 159

Chapter 11: And the Bride Wore    173

Chapter 12: Attending to the Bridal Party 207

Chapter 13: Partying Before and After the Wedding 221

Part III: Ceremony Survival Guide  233

Chapter 14: Creating a Foolproof Wedding–Day Schedule 235

Chapter 15: Sensational Ceremonies Part I: Choosing the Type of Ceremony 245

Chapter 16: Sensational Ceremonies Part II: Determining the Details 257

Part IV: A Rousing Reception  281

Chapter 17: What’s on the Menu? 283

Chapter 18: Let’s Drink to That 303

Chapter 19: A Piece of Cake 319

Chapter 20: And the Band Played On 329

Part V: Pics and Trips  345

Chapter 21: For Posterity: Photos and Videos 347

Chapter 22: Handling the Honeymoon 363

Part VI: The Part of Tens  373

Chapter 23: Ten Top Tips for Perfect Planning 375

Chapter 24: Ten Tricks for Saving Money 381

Index  385

Primary market:

• Newly engaged couples looking for a clear, easy to use guide to help them prepare for their big day.

Secondary market:

• Family and friends of brides and grooms to be, as they become involved with planning the big day and take on key wedding roles, e.g. best man, bridesmaids, parents.
• Wedding planners looking for tips and guidance to update their knowledge.

Dominique Douglas manages a wedding planning and event management consultancy. Bernadette Chapman is known for her knowledge of weddings and has been featured in the national media. Marcy Blum is a wedding expert. Laura Fisher Kaiser writes about consumer culture.