1. Payments

Of course, planning your wedding will need sufficient amount of cash. Establish who pays for what. This is usually worked out between the couple and their families.

2. Marriage License Requirements

There are different requirements for each state, so be sure to look into yours. Remember that you can’t even start planning your wedding without a license so make it high priority.

3. Booking the ceremony and the reception

Choose a place to hold your wedding. It’d be great if both parties talk about it. Also, planning your wedding means planning the reception well so that there won’t be wrinkles in your wonderful day.

4. Reception Ideas

Planning your wedding by yourself might become tiring, so set up a brainstorming session with your friends and relatives to work out the details. List the ideas in a piece of paper and deliberate on them carefully. Properly laid out plans are wonderful to work with.

5. Invitations

The invitation should be simple yet elegant. An overly decorated invitation just turns people off. Remember to include all the people involved in the wedding itself and address them properly. Be sure to indicate if you’re inviting the children of the family too because most parents don’t take them to weddings if their presence is not specifically requested.

6. Catering

Oohh… the success of every party more often than not relies on its food. Make sure that what you serve is of good quality and that they taste good. Go over the menu with the head chef and ask him for suggestions. Not only that this will give you great ideas, it will form a bond between you and the chef. Keep in mind that when planning your wedding, it pays to be in good terms with most of the staff.

7. Photos and Videos

Talk to the personnel and clarify what you want done. Sometimes, they just do things their own way and the couple ends up with really crappy results. Professionals are your best bet and they understand the need of planning your wedding to perfection.

8. Attendants

List all the people you want to have as your attendants and notify them as soon as possible. Just because you’re marrying doesn’t mean that the world will stop spinning and watch you in all your splendor. Take into consideration that people may have to rearrange their schedules to make it to your big day. Yes, planning your wedding take tremendous effort not only on you but on your attendants too.

9. Showers

No wedding is complete without showers. Since the bride is busy planning her wedding, this duty might fall into the hands of the mothers or the maid of honor.

10. Wedding speeches

In the midst of planning your wedding, take time to stop and list all you want to say on the day of your wedding. An impromptu speech is sincere, yes, but you might feel put out that you neglected to put emphasis on some people that really helped you a lot.

11. Maps

If your venue is in an area that is not so widely known, a map will be very useful. It will lessen the guests’ aggravation on not finding the place and asking for directions.

12. Nitty Gritty Details

These are often overlooked in the chaos that is called “Planning your wedding”. These are the little things that you might forget like having your gown cleaned and pressed ( if it’s an heirloom), wobbling in your high heeled wedding shoes, delivery of gifts, your honeymoon itinerary, gifts and thank you cards. Try listing all of them and have someone look into them for you.

I hope you enjoyed these tips! If you would like a FREE wedding budget planning spreadsheet, please visit www.wedding-budget-planner.com

Are you looking for some help planning your wedding? My Wedding Planning ebook is packed full of tiups and ideas – visit http://www.wedding-budget-planner.com for details. If you would like a FREE wedding budget planning spreadsheet, please visit http://www.wedding-budget-planner.com

One of the most important ways to accomplish this is to set up distinct business hours, and when they are over, don’t discuss business, concentrate on your relationship. It is difficult, but make a concentrated effort at it. Confine your business discussions to business hours or set aside a specific time to discuss the business.

For example, take the last half hour of the day, and discuss the business day; any suggestions you have, what was accomplished, what needs to be done tomorrow, during the week, how are the monthly goals you set at the beginning of the month progressing. Remember to couch any criticisms or suggestions in a positive vein. Think of how you felt in the work situation and how supervisors dealt with you when making suggestions. Negatives only cause resentment. They do in the corporate arena, and even more so, when dealing with a spouse you must live with 24 hours a day. Be sure to set aside time for each other-go for walks, out to dinner, or just for a drive with your spouse. Do not discuss business.

You should have outside activities that are not business related. If not, join a group that interests you. It will allow you to meet with others who are not connected to your business. Running a home-based business can be very lonely; getting away from the home, and having outside interests is imperative.

In addition to the problems inherent to couples running a business, starting a home-based business presents its own set of problems and questions. Before you start be sure to ask yourself the following:

1. Are you self-motivated? Organized? Able to prioritize your work? You will no longer have a supervisor or a boss to tell you what to do. You will be the decision maker. You will have to motivate yourself. One way to accomplish this is to use a To Do List and stick to it. In addition, set definitive business hours, and stick to them.

2. Will you be able to deal with the isolation? You will no longer meet people in the halls, congregate around the coffee pot, or take a break to talk with your co-workers. To combat the loneliness and isolation be sure to join groups that meet outside the home, or schedule luncheons with friends and associates.

3. Write up a business plan. Be sure the business is something that interests you. You might want to start on a part-time basis, and grow from there. Research the business carefully, make sure there is a market, and the competition is not overwhelming.

4. Be sure you have at least six months living expenses set aside. This will give you the time to work through the marketing strategy outlined in your business plan, and avoid bad marketing practices. In addition, if changes need to be made, you can do so, without monetary concerns becoming an issue.

5. Be sure your office space is located in a separate room or area of your home that offers the least distractions. A separate office is best, especially if you are meeting with clients. Remember to always present a professional appearance.

6. When will you do your regular household chores? Make up a schedule of when you will deal with them. Some individuals find getting chores done before the start of the work day is best. At the end of the day, close your office door and then deal with the remaining household items that need to be handled. Time management will be a very important factor in running a home-based business.

7. For husband and wife teams, it becomes imperative to have some form of disability insurance for each other. Remember, even though your partner may be your husband or wife, he or she is still your business partner. An accident or illness to one of you can severely impact the operation of the business.

A business is only as good as you and your partner make it. It takes a lot of dedication, time and energy to run a business, whether it is home-based or not. It can be a very rewarding experience. Think carefully, and ask yourself a lot of self-searching questions before you begin.

Copyright 2000, DeFiore Enterprises

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our “how to” Home Business Solutions Digest, it’s like having your own personal coach: subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com