​There are many cherished wedding traditions and customs, but if you feel like they can be a big snooze, you’re not alone. Now that the new year is here, it’s time for a change. Derrick Valenti, wedding planner for the Warwick Allerton Chicago, shares a few wedding “rules” that need to be thrown out the window this year.  

Did you just get engaged? Congratulations! We know you are eager to tell everyone. Before you start the planning, The Knot has 5 ways to announce your engagement. 

Many engagements take place near the holidays. According to Wedding Wire nearly 40% of engagements occur between November and February. The holiday season is the perfect time for many engagements, given that many couples have time off work and travel home to visit their families. Once you are engaged, Wedding Thingz has great tips for things to do right after your engagement, Congratulations!

Wedding can be very expensive so many brides are  looking for ways to save. Bridal Guide provides 15 tips, from real brides,  to save on costs. 
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​Congratulations on your engagement! Now comes the fun part of your planning: your wedding registry.

We know what you may be thinking. Fine china. A toaster. Fancy serving stuff you’ll never use. There’s nothing wrong with any of these, as long as they’re what you actually want. Your wedding registry reflects you as a couple. It’s your chance to look ahead and choose kitchen and other items that will suit you in the years to come.

​Whether you first move in together after the wedding or you’re already living together, your registry is an opportunity to blend your tastes, needs, and wants – and maybe do some upgrading, too. With so many store and online options available to create wedding registries, the whole process can be daunting. But we’re here to help!

_I found a wonderful wedding shoot to share with you. It is a pretty lavender shoot that is featured on 4lovepolkadots. If you are looking to use lavender for your wedding, you'll love the great elements in the shoot. You will love the flowers, the cake and more. Be inspired!

​As we near the height of wedding season (May through July), those getting married should think about more than just the dress and the flowers. “Everyone planning to get married should sit down and discuss their finances and how they approach spending versus saving,” stated financial advisor Christopher Krell, CFP, CFS.  Krell specializes in bringing couples and families together to communicate about finances, discuss current and future financial planning, and prepare for and prevent the potential pitfalls that are common for those who are not financially prepared.  A 2012 study, published in the Family Relations journal, came to the conclusion that arguing about money is the top predictor of divorce.  “Examining the Relationship Between Financial Issues and Divorce” was authored by researchers Jeffrey Dew, Sonya Britt and Sandra Huston of Kansas State University. “In many cases, these couples could have avoided divorce if they’d communicated from the beginning, had a good financial plan and aligned their finances,” advised Krell.

If your wedding is fast approaching and you are feeling a bit clueless about how to organize everything in time, you are not alone. The vast majority of brides-to-be have no clue how to get everything in place. Most of us don’t know where to begin when it comes to budgeting, and very few of us even know what we have to do legally to tie the knot. Don’t panic! We give you the ultimate guide to your own wedding. Once you have checked this out, you should be fully informed to work out your entire wedding budget.