1. Wedding Gown
   Ask around. There may very well be an heirloom dress in the family or a close friend may have a gown you can borrow. Most women would be honored by the request. One thing, be sure to get permission for major changes or size alterations you would like to have made. Also, if the dress is going back to the original bride or family member after the wedding, it is only fair that you pay to have the dress cleaned and prepared for storage before returning it.
    
2. Bridal Party
   The smaller the group you have standing up front, the less expense is involved. Even if the attendants pay for their own attire, there are still flowers, gift and rehearsal dinner expenses involved when having a large bridal party.
    
3. Flowers
   Instead of bouquets that bubble over with exotic flower selections from around the globe, a single long-stem rose tied with a satin ribbon for the bridesmaids is a simple and elegant choice. The bride could use a small prayer book or bible with a small bunch of lily-of-the-valley.
    
4. Attendant Gifts
   Take a casual photo of your bridesmaids and purchase inexpensive frames to give each member a memento from one of your bridal showers or a "girls' night out". Be sure to include a message and the date on the back of the picture for an even more meaningful touch.
    
5. Invitations
   Go simple! The most impressive wedding invitations are the sleek, one card type. Also, selecting a card size that does not require extra postage will save money incrementally depending on the size of the guest list.
    
6. Photography
   Professional photographers usually have several options for you to choose from. You can get the album you want without breaking the budget. After you have selected the pictures you want in the formal album, ask about buying the rest of the proofs. If you know someone who takes great photos, ask them to be your photographer. Usually you can buy the film and pay for the developing yourself. At the reception, it is fun to have disposable cameras at each table to get plenty of candid and often very funny shots. Just be sure to include the development costs for each camera in the budget.
    
7. Guest List
   Keep it short. Invite the people that are most important to you, your family and friends. An intimate gathering will be more memorable for you and everyone you share it with.
    
8. Ceremony
   Decorate the church with large bows and simple flower arrangements. Large flowers such as magnolias look beautiful at the end of long, wooden pews.
    
9. Rice Shower
   Some brides substitute rice with bird seed. Cut a yard of netting into 2" x 2" squares, place a small amount of bird see  in the center, gather up the four corners and tie it with a ribbon. With bird seed, there's also no cleanup necessary at most venues.
    
10. Programs
    Wedding programs are not necessary, but if you want them and have access to a computer, you can easily make them yourself. Most paper or craft stores carry a variety of covers. Select your favorite and get creative. Be sure you have the correct spelling for all names.

Read Part 2

Read Part 1

• You should have your dress properly cleaned and stored within 6 months after the wedding to preserve its beauty. You may not see them, but white wine and champagne stains will turn the fabric yellow in a few months.
   
• Where do you find gown preservationists? You should first ask the shop where you purchased the gown. In most cases, they offer cleaning and preservation services. Unless you agreed to it prior to the purchase of the dress, the cost is additional. If the shop does not offer this service, check the Yellow Pages for dry cleaners that advertise expert cleaning of wedding dresses. Be sure to ask the cleaner if they use different solvents on gowns than they do regular clothing. Standard solvents are often too harsh for wedding dresses, which must be cleaned with the gentlest cleaners in an acid free environment.
   
• Do your research to make sure you are working with a reputable professional. Don't be afraid to check them out at the Better Business Bureau.
   
• Spills, stains and body oils are lethal to a dress. Once you have chosen a preservation specialist, be sure to advise them of any details they may need to know about your dress. For example, if you spilled something on your dress, make sure they know about it. If you were married outdoors or at the beach, let them know this as well. Certain elements may cause a reaction with the dry cleaning solvent.
   
• Ask if you can see your dress before it is packed. That way, you can see for yourself if all visible stains have been removed prior to storage.
   
• Wedding dresses should be stuffed with clean, acid-free tissue. Acid-free tissue placed between the folds of the dress and stuffed in the bodice will prevent permanent wrinkles and folds as well as help stabilize the environment of the box.
   
• Make sure all should pads, perspiration shields and anything else made of foam is removed from the dress before storing. These materials do not typically have a good shelf life, and as they deteriorate, they can ruin the fabric next to them.
   
• Don't pack your dress with plastic or metal buttons, pins or buckles.
   
• Never use moth balls when storing your dress. The chemical in this product can ruin the fabric over time.
   
• Never hang your gown for long-term storage.
   
• Don't be afraid to take the gown out of the box and look at it from time to time. That way, you'll be sure the most important dress of your life is successfully standing the test of time. White cotton gloves should be worn while handling the gown to prevent oily fingers from making contact with the fabric and the gown should be refolded carefully to prevent permanent creases.
   
• Once your dress is cleaned and pressed, it is stored in a box and sealed. When you pick up your gown, make sure the box is air tight and no moisture is trapped inside.
   
• Don't store your dress where it can be exposed to dampness, mold, mildew or extreme temperatures (like in an attic, basement or garage).

• A single dramatic white flower tucked into your hair is a stunning accent for a sophisticated sheath style wedding dress.
   
• A wreath of baby's breath woven with tiny flowers will be the perfect finishing touch for a summery halter or sweetheart neckline.
   
• Choose a fingertip length veil for a cocktail length wedding gown at an afternoon semi-formal wedding. 

The white wedding dress hasn't always been the first choice for a bride. In ancient times, brides dressed in brilliant colors, especially red or yellow. In biblical times, the color of choice was blue because it symbolized purity.

Until the 1900's most brides did not have a special dress for their wedding day. They simply wore their best dress. The following traditional rhyme offered advice on what dress color to choose:

Married in white, you have chosen right
Married in blue, your love will always be true
Married in pearl, you will live in a whirl
Married in brown, you will live in town
Married in red, you will wish yourself dead
Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow
Married in green, ashamed to be seen
Married in pink, your spirit will sink
Married in gray, you will go far away
Married in black, you will wish yourself back

A green dress is thought unlucky, unless the bride is Irish. It was said that if the woman had a green gown it implied that she had loose morals, because the green symbolized grass stains from rolling in grassy fields.

White, or a variation of white, was a sign of purity and innocence. Ann of Brittany wore the first known white wedding dress to her marriage to Louis XII of France in 1499. However, it was not a practical color. Cloth was very expensive to bleach and if one wanted a white dress, it would require more than one bleaching. It was believed that the whiter the cloth, the more affluent the person. So when the rich wed, they chose a white dress to show off their wealth.

White did not become a practical choice for a wedding gown until the 1800's when machine made fabrics and cheap muslins imported from India became affordable to common society. The Victorian era placed a heavy emphasis on feminine purity and chastity, and since white represented these attributes, it was considered a most suitable color for a bride. Queen Victoria made the white wedding dress fashionable in 1840, when she broke with tradition and wore white on her wedding day instead of the traditional silver worn by royal brides.

White hasn't always signified purity and innocence. In Roman times, white was the symbol of joyous celebration. In China and Japan, white is the symbol of mourning and thought to be appropriate as the bride is leaving her family of birth to Join her husband's, thereby undergoing a symbolic death. Today, the white wedding dress is worn as a symbol of joy and not as a sign of purity and innocence.

There are many superstitions surrounding the wedding dress. It is thought unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding gown. The bride should not loan her wedding dress to another, for is thought unlucky for the lender, but good luck for the borrower. It is said that the bride should not wear her entire outfit before the wedding day. Some brides leave a final stitch on the dress undone until it is time to leave for the ceremony. Once a bride has looked at herself in the mirror wearing her complete outfit, it is said she must not look at herself again, or have bad luck. If the bride rips her dress on her wedding day, it is said the marriage will end in death. And finally, it is unlucky for the groom to see his bride in her wedding dress before she arrives at the ceremony.

The tradition on the wedding veil dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. They were wary of evil spirits and demons, so to ward off these evil spirits the bride would cover herself in brightly colored veils. Others believe wearing the veil stems from the time of arranged marriages. The father of the bride may have feared the groom would not want to marry his daughter if he found her unpleasant looking, so the bride would be heavily veiled and she would not be revealed to the groom until after the ceremony when it was to late for him to back out of the arrangement.

Many believe the tradition of the 'unveiling' stems from the Biblical story of Jacob and his two wives, Jacob's father-in-law, Laban, tricked him into marrying Leah instead of his true love, Rachel. Leah was heavily veiled and Jacob did not realize he had married the wrong woman until after the ceremony. Thus the Jewish tradition of Bedeken was born, where the groom lowers the veil before the ceremony and raises it prior to the kiss. This way he knows exactly who he's about to marry.

The veil became popular in England during the 1800's as a symbol of modesty and chastity.

In the Christian tradition, the veil is lowered by the father before the processional and is raised by the groom prior to the kiss.

In some Eastern ceremonies, the bride is veiled throughout the entire ceremony and is not unveiled until after it is over.

The wedding veil has evolved over the centuries, and has signified youth, virginity and modesty, Roman brides were married in swathes of brilliant red or yellow, while Viking queens wore metal skullcaps. Many Japanese brides still wear the traditional tsuno-kakushi, a white hood that supposedly hides the horns of jealousy. Veiis made of lace were made popular in the United States by Nelly Curtis, the adopted daughter of George Washington. Legend has it that Major Lawrence Lewis, her father's aid, saw Neily standing behind a filmy lace curtain and he was so taken by her beauty that he asked for her hand in marriage. She then wore a lace veil on her wedding day in order to preserve the effect for her groom.

Most girls dream of wearing a beautiful, long, white gown on their wedding day and they usually do just that. Now, imagine walking into the reception hail and seeing everything illuminated in white as well!

Billowing, white, transparent fabric hanging from the ceiling along every wall with soft candlelight on every table will add to the heavenly mood. Centerpieces consisting of one creamy white magnolia bloom floating in a water filled glass container placed on top of a round mirror will reflect the light, and enhance the room even more.

Keeping all the decor within your white color scheme will look clean and sleek, but very striking. Infusing your wedding with simple but meaningful details will resonate with your guests. If the reception venue has only dark colored chairs, inquire if they have chair covers in white. If they do not, call your local party rental center. This will be an added expense but well worth the overall effect.

Using a touch of silver ribbon here and there will not only tie in the mirrors, but will add a bit more sparkle to the room. Most caterers use white dinnerware, clear glassware and silver, or stainless steel utensils, so the tables will appear uncluttered and very elegant.

Wedding cakes decorated with only white icing are very beautiful. Cake toppers do not have to be the traditional couple standing arm in arm. There are several options available at most bakeries, or search the internet for a unique, all in white, modern figurine. Or, continue your magnolia theme and use three flowers gathered together with florist tape as the cake topper. Simple, yet beautiful!

Now you may be wondering about the attire for the attendants. The bride should be the only one dressed in white! Your attendants could wear dresses in pale gray, or a very pale blue. The groomsrnen could wear light gray tuxedos. The groom may opt to wear a tuxedo in a darker grey than his groomsrnen.

Keep it simple, but remember the details.

Charles Mingus said, "Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity."