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| Introduction | |
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| About This Book | |
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| Conventions Used in This Book | |
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| What You're Not to Read | |
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| Foolish Assumptions | |
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| How This Book Is Organized | |
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| Comming Up with a Game Plan | |
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| Planning the Ceremony | |
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| Celebrating with Your Guests | |
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| The Part of Tens | |
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| Appendixes | |
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| Icons Used in This Book | |
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| Where to Go from Here | |
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| Coming Up with a Game Plan | |
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| Bringing Your Wedding Dream to Life | |
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| Embracing the Real Magic of Weddings | |
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| Establishing Goals and Identifying Your Priorities | |
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| Setting goals together | |
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| Figuring out your priorities | |
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| Working out compromises | |
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| Estimating Your Budget | |
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| Staying Focused and in Control | |
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| Working with a Wedding Budget | |
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| Figuring Out the Cash Flow | |
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| Establishing who's paying for what | |
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| Calculating what you can afford | |
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| Calling for a Reality Check | |
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| Understanding average wedding costs | |
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| Agreeing on limits | |
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| Getting Others on Board with Your Budget | |
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| Dealing with pushy friend and family | |
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| Handling overzealous vendors | |
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| Matching your Guest List to Your Budget | |
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| Looking at a Sample Budget | |
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| Deciding When to Get Married and Organizing Your Timeline | |
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| Choosing a Date and Time to Suit Your Wallet | |
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| Understanding how dates and times affect prices | |
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| Avoiding expensive wedding dates | |
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| Starting (And Finalizing) Your Guest List | |
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| Reseving the Venue(s) Early to Cushion Your Budget | |
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| Locking in prices | |
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| Exploring early-bird extras | |
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| Wheeling and dealing: Negotiating your deposits | |
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| Set it in stone: Getting your contract in writing | |
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| Filling In Other Details on Your Planning Timeline | |
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| Building your wedding party | |
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| Enlisting the help of family and friends | |
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| Lining up vendors before all the good ones are booked | |
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| Deciding whether to hire a planner | |
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| Ordering wedding attire so you have plenty of time to spare | |
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| Make it legal: Taking care of your marriage license | |
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| Planning the Ceremony | |
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| Deciding Where to Get Married | |
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| Beginning the Search for the Perfect Location | |
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| Choosing an Indoor Location | |
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| Going to the chapel | |
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| Saying "I do" in a reception hall | |
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| Exchanging Vows Outdoors | |
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| Reviewing Some inexpensive Outdoor options | |
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| Considering the climate | |
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| Backyard Nuptials: Getting Married at Home | |
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| Saving Money with Destination Weddings | |
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| Off the Beaten Path: Exploring Nontraditional Sites | |
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| Ahoy, mate: Finding deals onboard boats | |
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| Keeping costs down at castles | |
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| Holding to your budget at historic places and civic sites | |
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| Going Even Further From the Beaten Path | |
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| Minimizing Wedding Party Costs | |
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| Choosing Members of your Wedding Party | |
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| Calculating the number of bridesmaids and groomsmen | |
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| Deciding on a ring bearer and flower girl | |
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| Outfitting the Wedding Party | |
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| Dressing up your bridesmaids | |
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| Finding the best attire for the groom's buddies | |
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| Helping the ring bearer and flower girl look as sweet as sugar | |
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| Accessorizing: It's all about the bling | |
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| Pampering Your Wedding Party | |
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| Gifting Your Attendants | |
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| Dressing for Your Big Day | |
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| Looking Like a Princess on a Pauper's Budget | |
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| Understanding average wedding gown costs | |
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| Finding a bridal outfit that both you and your budget love | |
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| Shopping smarter by avoiding common sales tactics | |
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| Dapper and Debonair: Dressing the Groom | |
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| Picking out your penguin suit: Wearing a tux | |
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| Considering other clothing options | |
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| With This Ring: Selecting the Symbols of Your Love | |
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| Hammering out the Ceremony Details | |
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| Selecting an Officiant on a Budget | |
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| Getting the skinny on general costs | |
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| Breaking down the fees | |
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| Hearing the Music of Your Dreams-for Less | |
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| Opting for recorded music | |
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| Hiring musicians and singers | |
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| Decorating on a Dime | |
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| Picking Flowers (Or Fun Alternatives) | |
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| Thinking About Your Floral Budget | |
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| Envisioning the flowers you'll select | |
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| Selecting a style for the bridal bouquet | |
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| Choosing flowers for the wedding party | |
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| Arranging flowers for the ceremony venue | |
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| Deciding on reception flowers | |
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| Choosing a Florist | |
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| Knowing what questions to ask | |
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| Getting the details in writting | |
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| Keeping Your Floral Costs Down | |
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| Going seasonal | |
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| Creating your own arrangements | |
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| Considering alternatives to fresh flowers | |
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| Capturing It for Posterity: Photography and Videography | |
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| Deciding What Kinds of Photos and Videos You Want | |
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| Selecting from the many photography styles | |
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| Considering video options | |
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| Choosing photographers and Videographers You Can Afford | |
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| Beginning Your search | |
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| Interviewing Candidates | |
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| Negotiating a good deal | |
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| Getting Your Guests involved | |
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| Putting It in Print: Invitations, Programs, and Miscellany | |
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| Shopping for the Best Deals | |
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| Bricks-and-mortar print shops | |
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| Mail-order catalogs | |
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| Web sites | |
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| Choosing an Invitation Style to Fit Your Budget | |
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| Picking out paper | |
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| Comparing printing process costs | |
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| Including inserts (or not) | |
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| Adding postage | |
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| Creating Programs and Other Materials | |
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| Sending save-the-date cards | |
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| Getting Your guests with the program | |
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| Showing guests to their seats | |
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| It's a napkin! No, it's a souvenir! | |
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| Saying thank you to your guests | |
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| DIY: including Your Creativity (And Saving Money) | |
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| Celebrating With Your Guests | |
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| Selecting the Reception Site | |
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| Matching Sites with Your Guest List | |
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| Finding the Best Venue for Your Reception | |
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| Church fellowship halls | |
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| Hotel ballrooms | |
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| Banquet halls | |
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| Clubs | |
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| Restaurants | |
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| Considering Transportation | |
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| Hiring a limousine service | |
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| Arranging bus transport for your guests | |
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| Exploring alternative options | |
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| Feeding the Hordes | |
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| Setting a Food Budget | |
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| Adjusting the Formality Dial | |
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| Sophisticated and relaxed: Daytime receptions | |
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| A sweet affair: Dessert receptions | |
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| Cocktail receptions: A social alternative | |
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| Formality at its finest: Dinner receptions | |
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| Selecting a Caterer to Cook for the Crowd | |
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| Knowing what you're paying for | |
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| Asking Caterers the right questions | |
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| Managing Menu Choices | |
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| Answering the Alcohol Question | |
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| Understanding how you pay for alcohol | |
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| Slashing Your booze bill | |
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| Keeping a lid on drunkenness | |
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| Considering liability issues | |
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| Making Your Cake the Star | |
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| Getting the skinny on average cake expenses | |
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| Selecting a baker | |
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| Cutting your cake costs | |
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| Looking at low-cost alternatives | |
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| Arranging Entertainment and Preparing the Venue | |
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| Using Music to Set the Tone for the Reception | |
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| Enlisting a DJ | |
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| Hiring a band | |
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| Asking the right questions | |
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| Trimming Entertainment costs | |
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| Choosing a budget-friendly wedding date and time | |
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| Saving a bundle with some helpful hints | |
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| Creating a party Atmosphere with Reception Decorations | |
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| Deciding on centerpieces | |
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| Choosing order decorations | |
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| Making the Most of Prewedding and Postwedding Events | |
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| Keeping Costs Down for the Rehearsal Dinner | |
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| Considering the guest list | |
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| Choosing a location | |
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| Planning the menu | |
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| Hosting Gatherings for Your Wedding Party | |
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| Bridal Brunch | |
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| Groom get-together | |
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| Feting Out-of-Town Guests | |
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| Partying with Those who can't Make the wedding | |
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| Honeymooning in style-and in the Black | |
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| Thinking About the kind of Honeymoon you want | |
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| Saving money on cruises and resorts | |
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| Considering hotels, Condos, and other alternatives | |
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| Budgeting for your Postwedding Gateway | |
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| Covering all your travel expenses | |
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| Saving for the trip | |
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| Registering for your honeymoon | |
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| Researching Honeymoon spots with Cost in Mind | |
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| Turning your Internet Know-how into travel savings | |
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| Enlisting a travel agent | |
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| Tweaking Your plans for value | |
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| Hitting hot spots in the off-season | |
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| Choosing cheaper days of the week | |
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| Looking into other transportation options | |
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| The early bride gets the deal: Booking early | |
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| When being late pays off: Booking your trip at the last minute | |
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| Dealaying your honeymoon | |
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| The Part of Tens | |
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| Ten Ways to Get the Most for Your Wedding Dollar | |
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| Shop Around and Get Several Different Quotes | |
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| Get Referrals from Trusted sources | |
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| Hit the suburbs | |
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| Search the Internet for Deals and Advice | |
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| Ask Vendors for Extras | |
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| Negotitate Discount with Vendors | |
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| Use Your social Network to your Advantage | |
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| Opt for services Instead of Gifts | |
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| Become a DIY Expert | |
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| Pay with a Rewards Credit Card | |
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| Ten Inexpensive Wedding Favors | |
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| Bookmarks | |
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| Candles and Candle Holders | |
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| Candy | |
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| Coasters | |
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| Drink Mix packets | |
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| Magnets | |
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| Photo Frames and Keychains | |
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| Plantable Favors | |
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| Soaps | |
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| Swizzle Sticks | |
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| Ten Traditions to Reconsider When You're on a Budget | |
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| A Traditional Location | |
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| Traditional Wedding Clothes | |
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| A Romantic Limo Ride | |
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| Professional photography or Videography | |
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| The Tossing of the Bouquet (or the Garter | |
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| A Traditional Reception | |
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| A Traditional Tiered Cake | |
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| Professional Musicians | |
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| Monogrammed Napkins | |
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| Expensive Favors | |
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| Appendixes | |
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| Your Planning calendar | |
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| 12 to 9 Months in Advance | |
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| 8 to 6 Months in Advance | |
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| 5 Months in Advance | |
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| 4 Months in Adavance | |
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| 3 to 2 Months in Advance | |
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| 1 Month in Advance | |
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| 3 weeks in Advance | |
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| The week before the wedding | |
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| Price Comparison Worksheets | |
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| Baker | |
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| Catering Services | |
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| Ceremony sites | |
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| Florists | |
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| Musicians/DJs | |
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| Photographers | |
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| Printers | |
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| Reception sites | |
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| Videographers | |
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| Your Wedding Checklist | |
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| Apparel | |
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| Ceremony | |
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| Flowers | |
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| Gifts/Favors | |
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| Honeymoon | |
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| Miscellaneous | |
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| Photography/Videography | |
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| Printing | |
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| Reception | |
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| Rehearsal Dinner | |
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| Your Wedding Budget | |
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| Index | |