Examiner.com

When planning a wedding, you're bound to come across tons of ideas and situations that may seem better than what your original plan was. During these moments, you must stay strong! Stick to your plan. Stay within your budget. It is also important to remember that your wedding day, although special, is just one day. In my opinion, there is no reason to empty bank accounts or to re-mortgage a home to pay for one day. The gifts you get will not begin to cover your expenses and if you're lucky, you might break even. My point? Stay smart and know your weaknesses.

Are you someone who is easily influenced by the opinions of others? If so, you're going to have to be confident and stick to your guns. When it comes to wedding planning, everyone has an opinion about what favors you should give, where you should go on your honeymoon, what a "good deal" is, etc. If you feel you're easily swayed or put down by others, maybe you should hire a wedding consultant or planner. Then, you have a go-to person who can keep you in check mentally and financially. That person can also give you some great recommendations. Remember, wedding planners are in the business and they can help you keep a budget. Not all of them are like Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner.

Are you worried that people will think you're "cheap?" If so, stop worrying. You can't spend hours upon hours worried about whether or not your guests will have fun. If your venue isn't by the water, so what? People invited to your wedding should be there because: 1) you want them to be there, and 2) they want to be there to share in your special day. At the end of the night, no one will remember that there wasn't an ocean view or that you didn't have floral centerpieces that cost an arm and a leg.

Are you someone that gets hooked into the extras? If so, you need to start weighing the pros and cons. When you go to the cosmetic counter with the intention to buy one lipstick, but find out there's a free gift if you buy three more lipsticks, do you go for it? If you do, watch out for wedding planning. Vendors, while very helpful, want to get you to buy as much as possible. This goes back to the question: do I really need this? Do you need invitations that cost upwards of $8.00 a piece? Probably not. People throw them away. Do you need to order special orange napkins to match your bridesmaids' dresses? Probably not. Most people won't even notice that touch. Do you need to order the extra speakers that the DJ offers? Probably not. People like to have music at a reasonable level in order to talk--remember, family members and old friends catch up at events like weddings.

These are just a few of the scenarios that can come up and attack you. Try to be prepared. It's your day, no one else's. If you can't plan it on your own without getting demoralized because someone close to you didn't love your idea, hire a wedding planner or use your fiancee for support. What's most important is that you're happy and you like the idea. But, if you can fend for yourself, more power to you. And remember the mantra that will save you at all times: "It's just one day, but it's our day and we are the ones that should be happy."