Bride's Guide: Q&A for the Big Day

May 6, 2010— -- I wonder if it bothers people that all I want to talk about these days is my wedding.

When I say people, I of course mean my family, friends and co-workers, but I also mean the gentlemen who run the coffee cart outside my office, salespeople in clothing stores and the hygienist at my dentist's office.

I'm incredibly excited -- almost giddy -- at this point. I've taken Mindy Weiss' advice and have (mostly) stopped stressing about the little things. It's dawning on me that I get to go on an amazing vacation for my honeymoon in less than two weeks. And that in only nine days I'll be celebrating with the people who are nearest and dearest to me.

And meeting with the band leader of our amazing band last night only made me more excited.

He had one piece of advice I thought was very helpful. Most bands, including ours, give you the option of deciding on the wedding night whether or not to go into a half-hour of "overtime" at the end of the reception. Our band leader told us that the band was always happy to keep playing, but he also reminded us that you want things to end on a high note.

The band will play on with only six people on the dance floor -- especially if one of them is the mother of the bride, he said, although that's highly unlikely in my case. But, he said, you really do want your guests to leave wanting more.

Hiring a great, live band was one element of our wedding that was important to us, and celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss said you should make room in your budget for things that would make a difference to you on your Big Day.

"I always say splurge on what's the most important to you!" she said.

"For some its music, others, the wine or flowers," she said. "This is how you personalize your event."

When considering where you want to splurge, Weiss said to also think about where you can save.