Wedding Dos and Donts

Your wedding should be one of the happiest days of your life — but it can be hard work. Thankfully, whether you're sparing no expense for a lavish affair with 300 of your closest friends or jetting off for a super-intimate and romantic ceremony, you don't have to spiral into a pit of party-planning misery. Here are some tips for your planning so you can also enjoy your big day.

1. Do be a guest at your own wedding.

Be in the moment the day of. Even though you've been anticipating and planning, don't analyze and fixate on if it's going according to plan or on what's coming next. Be present and enjoy the celebration as it comes. That will make the day stick best in your memory and allow you to actually enjoy it and have fun!

2. Don't procrastinate.

Don't ever let this happen to you, you might pay for it somehow. Putting off your wedding planning is a major don't if you have a specific date or place in mind. Make sure you make an organized checklist of things that need to get done and do them accordingly. Enlist friends and family members to help with the big stuff and remember not to sweat the small stuff. If your seating chart isn't perfect, keep in mind that people will probably only sit for dinner.

3. Do be yourself.

If you're not normally the kind of girl who wears lots of makeup and loves to dress up, that doesn't mean you have to be that way on your wedding. Lots of brides overdo it on the makeup, and become almost unrecognizable versions of themselves on their wedding day. Remember that this is your day and you want to be completely comfortable so you're able to enjoy yourself.

4. Do have a backup plan.

It's rare that a wedding goes perfectly as planned. Always have a backup plan: for example, have an indoor location if you're having an outdoor wedding. If you can't have a backup plan for something, like another wedding cake if yours turns out looking awful, then make a promise to yourself before the wedding to take everything in stride. Who cares if your wedding cake looks horrible as long as it tastes good!

5. Don't put yourself into debt by throwing a lavish wedding:

It's not worth it. If you just don't have the budget for it, have a small party you both will love. Times are changing and having a big, lavish wedding is far from the norm. Debt from your wedding is only going to cause marital tension in the long run. In the end, all that matters is that your close friends and family are present and you have a memorable evening.

6. Do book your honeymoon early for the best value and availability.

Some boutique resorts or unique room categories fill up a year in advance. And the cost of airfare increases as your travel date approaches. So, when it comes to booking your honeymoon, the earlier the better. Many resorts offer early booking incentives and most packages don't require final payment until 6 weeks prior to arrival so you'll have plenty of time to pay off your trip too. Not to mention, that it just feels great to mark things off the list.

7. Don't go DIY crazy.

You know that clever bride who sewed her own dress and designed and made her own invitations? Or the one who baked her own three-tiered cake? Everyone's in awe of the girls who can do these things. Good for them—if they did it because they really wanted to and if they managed not to get stressed out. The point of these projects is to use your skills to save money and to put a one-of-a-kind stamp on some aspect of the wedding. But if you are really not the hands-on type, don't drive yourself crazy hot-gluing tulle and folding fiddly favors until 3 a.m. Do only what you can and beg, borrow or rent the rest.