Weddings

With the average American wedding costing approximately $20,000, online budget planners are ideal starting points for couples. Here they can glean a realistic idea of how much all the nuptial components cost, from invitations to deejays. Online directories often provide contact information for local caterers and photographers so that couples can consult then within the appropriate time frame, a span that seems to dramatically diminish as the wedding day itself approaches.

To ensure that that day doesn’t sneak up, it’s best to use an online checklist that enumerates tasks to accomplish in the six months before the wedding. A bride who cherishes a vision of her ideal dress can create a gown template by using an interactive program to pick and choose from a variety of neckline, sleeve, and skirt styles, and then search for a similar model in the shops. Learning which side of the family pays for what and outlining the bridal party’s duties further minimizes anxiety. Those marrying in a house of worship will also want to select readings suitable for the tone of the ceremony, a responsibility made easier by online compendiums of appropriate scripture.

Marking off all these "to-do’s" on a checklist helps couples breathe a sigh of relief, but what about those post-ceremony speeches that lie beyond their control? For instance, one site advises the bride’s father to prepare his speech at least a month in advance, while many others offer suggestions for the best man’s and maid of honor’s toasts at the reception. Transcriptions of actual wedding speeches deliver inspiration to those faced with the daunting prospect of giving them, proving once and for all that planning a wedding encompasses more people than the two getting married.