Community Magazine January 2014

WHEN IT COMES TO WEDDING PLANNING, NOTHING IS ETCHED IN STONE. EVERY COUPLE IS UNIQUE AND SETS ITS OWN PRIORITIES. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SOME CARDINAL RULES THAT ALL ENGAGED COUPLES WOULD BE WISE TO FOLLOW. HERE ARE 10 BASIC DO’S AND DON’TS FOR YOU TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU EMBARK ON THIS EXCITING JOURNEY TOWARD YOUR BIG DAY. 1 “I AM ENGAGED TO BE WED TO MY WONDERFUL FIANCÉE WHO HAS TAKEN ME OUT OF THE LAND OF SINGLEDOM.” The first and the primary commandment of wedding planning is to recite this verse twice each day, and to focus on the marriage more than the wedding. Your wedding is the birth of your marriage and your goal is to start your blissful marriage on the right foot. Your wedding should lift off your marriage and send it into an ever-growing spiral of love and happiness. So make sure to focus on your partner and your partner’s ideas during the wedding preparations. 2 THOU SHALL NOT HAVE ANY OTHER PRIORITIES ABOVE THE PRIORITIES OF GETTING MARRIED. Life doesn’t stop because you decided to get married. However, you must put your efforts and concentration above all on getting married and setting up your new family. This is really huge, so do it right. 3 THOU SHALL NOT STRESS IN VAIN. Do not get carried away or get worked up over insignificant trivialities. Attention to detail is important, but attention to your wellbeing is even more important. 4 THOU SHALLTAKE AN OCCASIONAL REST. Take a break every now and then fromworking on putting together the “perfect” wedding and do something completely unrelated, fun, and relaxing. Go out with your fiancée and do not discuss wedding planning issues. 5 HONOR YOUR FUTURE FATHER-IN-LAW AND MOTHER-IN-LAW. Parents (both sets) play a huge role in your wedding and your marriage. Honor their concerns and listen to their advice with patience and respect. Watch the way you express your opinions so that your words don’t entirely disregard someone else’s point of view. 6 THOUSHALLNOTKILLYOURWEDDINGPLANNER. If you can afford it, hire a wedding coordinator to help you stay on top of the wedding planning process. A wedding planner may not be as expensive as you think and may save you a few dollars on some of your wedding purchases, thus partially paying for itself. An experienced planner will make sure that your event is well coordinated and that the numerous design elements of your wedding don’t clash with each other. 7 THOU SHALL NOT STEAL FROM THYSELF, THY FIANCÉE, OR THY FAMILY. Do not spend on your wedding more than you can afford. At the start of wedding planning ask around regarding the cost of things you’ll need for your wedding and make a budget based on your financial abilities. 8 THOU SHALL NOT COMMIT FRUGALITY. Even though overspending is a grave sin, underspending is a sin, as well. You might save a hundred bucks here and there, but the memories will stay with you forever. When you cut corners, you usually end up paying for them with mounds of additional frustration. When it comes to your photography and video, remember: they remain with you for years to come and will bring to life wonderful memories of the day your marriage was born. 9 THOU SHALL NOT BEARA FALSE WEDDING. Do not imitate celebrity weddings. Do not try to make your affair over-the-top and unnaturally glamorous. Your wedding is about you.When it comes to the bride’s make-up, stay true to tried techniques. Radical and edgy techniques, more often than not, end up looking ridiculous. Same goes for attire and other décor. 10 THOU SHALL NOT COVET WHAT OTHERS HAD AT THEIRWEDDING. Your wedding will always be unique because it will bring together your unique circle of friends and family. So when it comes down to it, forget about what you may have seen somewhere else, and let yourself fully enjoy the moment. The Ten Commandments of Wedding Planning Adapted from Jewish Wedding Info, an informational part of the ChossonKallah Network. 66 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE