Planning your own wedding is similar to your first jump off a high diving board. You have to close your eyes and take the plunge. Just accept the challenge and know it will be okay.

      One of the first things you will have to do is decide on what you want. You can never properly get yourself started unless you know exactly what you want, but at the same time, making sure to give yourself options. To do this, sit your fiancée down with you. You can choose to have a piece of paper for note taking. Together, talk about your dream wedding by answering the following questions:

      Is it in a special place?
      What time of year is it?
      How many people and who are there with you?
      Where is the ceremony held?
      Where is the reception held?
      What kind of food is being served?
      What kind of music is playing?
      What are the color of the flowers?
      What is the flavor of the cake?
      What kind of presents do you see?
      What are you both wearing?
      What do your rings look like?

      When you have finished answering these questions together, see which points you agree on. Look at which ones you are willing to sacrifice. For example, your fiancée may have always dreamed of being married in Tuscany, but you simply can't afford it. This doesn't mean you can't plan for a Tuscan type wedding in terms of decoration, food and music, right?

      So first, remove all the details or items that you already know are too expensive for your wedding. Come up with good alternatives or compromises for these items. Be sure that you are both getting what you want. The wedding day is both of your days, and you need to both be happy with the final result.

Page 2: How to Start Planning a Wedding