http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0/From the trip down the isle to having a place for us to donate against violence, this couple gets that a wedding is actually fun and can do wonderful things for others!

With all the planning you are doing for the big day, how are you planning on spending the day itself?Will you worry about each and every little detail? Will you allow the guests to run (or ruin) your day? Will you trust in a higher power, karma and your grandmother’s tea leaves that everything will turn out as the universe meant it to be?Most of you are spending a great deal of time (and money, but that’s a given - no matter what your budget) planning out your wedding day. Don’t let the day itself get lost in the details.Make your day memorable, not perfect. It’s the reality that you will remember for years to come!

So I was delivering a cake this weekend at 8am. I needed to wait for them to get a tablecloth from across the street at a sister property. When he got back, he said they were having “serious cake issues” across the street. I went over to see if I could help. A family member had made the wedding cake for the ‘casual’ wedding. It had been placed directly on a piece of uncovered plywood. It was being held in place by being placed on top of drywall screws- that were now sticking out. It had collapsed, slid, slided and basically was a huge mess. The father had left it in the trunk over night, thinking it would be o.k.. I was able to take (2) 8″ cakes back to my place and create a 2 tiered cake out of what I had to work with. When I got back, they had thrown away the whole mess in the kitchen. It wasn’t food safe at this point anyway.

The causual wedding that was not going to break the bank now cost an additional $800 as the function hall charges $8/person for desert. What father is not going to pay that cost at that point in the game. A professional cake would have run around $500-700 in this area.

 I wish I had taken pictures. It broke my heart to look at it because someone took a lot of time and effort and love to get it to where it was. There are ways to save money at your wedding but giving your guests food poisoning is not one of them!

Do try, if possible, to invite all guests to both the ceremony and the reception

Be prompt with your thank you notes. You may have heard that brides are allotted up to a year to express gratitude for their gifts. It is better to show your appreciation immediately- signing, sealing and sending them within 3 months.

I am always grateful to hear how your wedding turn out. Remember to send pictures of you cutting into the cake!

Do take advantage of a wedding consultant’s experience in wedding decision making. Their ability to keep you sane during the planning process is well worth the expense.

Don’t forget about the vegetarians on your guest list. Fortunately, it is easy to accommodate virtually all dining preferences and restrictions with a little planning.

Do arm your guest-book attendants with Scotch tape and instructions to make sure every card is securely taped to the appropriate gift.

Do burn candle wicks slightly before the ceremony to ensure they will be easy to light during the event.

Don’t dismiss the idea of preserving your wedding gown. You may want to pass it on to your daughter in years to come. The best place to have this done is at a professional dry cleaners who will pack it in a vacuum sealed box.