Most couples would rather start looking at venues and deal with the money conversation later. But later always costs more — emotionally and financially. Here is exactly how to have the wedding budget conversation before you spend a single dollar.

Before you spend thousands on elaborate florals ask yourself one question — do I have my lighting and candles handled? Because the answer to that question matters more than almost any other design decision you will make. Here is the secret to making your wedding look luxury on any budget.

The night before one of my weddings the best man checked his suit at 11pm and realized he had the completely wrong one. I spent two hours on wedding morning calling Men's Wearhouse 14 times. He walked down the aisle in the right suit. That is the job.

I had a bride book a makeup artist who had no experience with bridal work specifically. The makeup started coming off before the ceremony was over. Those photos exist forever. Here is how to make sure that never happens to you.

Most brides do not research what vendors and venues actually cost in their area before they start planning — and that disconnect between the dream and the reality is where most budget problems are born. Here is what a realistic wedding budget actually looks like.

My husband and I tried to keep our wedding between 150 and 200 guests. We ended up with almost 300. Here is what I learned about guest count that every bride needs to know before she starts planning.

Everyone sees the ring photos. The celebration dinner. The congratulations flooding your comments. What they don't see is the loneliness that can quietly settle in even when you are surrounded by people who love you. If you are in the middle of a hard engagement season right now — this one is for you.

Nobody hands you a roadmap when they hand you the ring. The mistakes brides make in the first month of planning are the most expensive to fix — and most of them are completely avoidable. Here are the five I see most often and exactly what to do instead.

I have had this conversation more times than I can count. A bride tells me she already has coordination covered — through her venue or her big sister — and then realizes after talking to me that neither of them can actually do the job. Here is what every bride needs to know before she assumes she is covered.

Two weeks after my proposal I was sitting on the floor of my bedroom surrounded by centerpiece photos and I broke down in tears. Not because I wasn't happy — but because I had no idea where to actually start. If that sounds familiar, keep reading.