Top 10: #10 Give yourself some time before your honeymoon.

#10. Give yourself some time between your wedding and your honeymoon!

Rounding up my top ten things that every bride should do is the advice to take a fews days, a week, or even a couple of weeks of down-low time before you jet set off on your amazing honeymoon. I know, I know, it's traditional to leave a day or two after your wedding. However, after the insane amount of activities occurring before your wedding, you will be relieved to have some time to relax, enjoy some time setting up house and opening up your wedding gifts, not to mention all the extra time you will get to spend with out of town friends and family that you may not have been able to see much of before the wedding.

The anticipation leading up to the wedding day will be gone, and you'll have some time to let that same excitement and anticipation build up for your upcoming honeymoon. It will also be a great opportunity to get all of those thank you cards done, meaning you won't have to think about anything but enjoying yourself while you're away!

Top 10: #9 Don't be a Bridezilla!

9. Don't be a Bridezilla...

I know, I know, it's YOUR day. But really, it's also your fiance's, and it's a very important event for your friends and family members as well. It's easy to get caught up in a Bridezilla moment and lose sight of the things that really matter, which is why it's so important to to consider other people when planning your wedding. Obviously you should look out for yourself and your big happy wedding, but just take the time to reflect on your decisions and actions before setting them in motion. In the end, your family and friends will thank you for being a thoughtful and gracious bride-to-be, and you're going to prevent endless amounts of stress and drama surrounding your wedding festivities!

(Photo source: http://neorelationship.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/the-beginning/)

Top 10: #8 Be picky with your guests list...

8. Be picky with your guest list.

Not all weddings are size-constrained because of budget. Many are being held in venues that have a maximum occupancy, and regardless of how much money you have to spend, if you have found the place of your dreams you may have to make concessions with your guest list.

Sure, lavish 300-400 guest receptions definitely make an impact, but do you really know all of those guests? Will you be in touch with those guests for years to come? Unless your family is monstrous, you probably don't need to invite the entire town. As I asked my husband to do with his friends list, ask yourself these questions: Is this person in my contacts on my cellphone? Have I talked to this person in the last 6 months? Have I seen this person in the last year? Do I think I will still be close to this person in upcoming years? I dont need to break down the answers to each of these questions as they are pretty self-explanatory, but hopefully you will see the value in asking yourself these.

Although etiquette mavericks across the nation will probably cringe at this advice, don't feel like you HAVE to invite dates for all of your single friends, especially if you're younger with a group of young, single friends. If most of your friends aren't in relationships, why not have them all seated together at a table so they can enjoy each other's company instead of entertaining some wedding date that no one else knows. My logic here is: if you have a limited guest list would you rather be able to invite one more friend or family family member to share your special day with you, or would you rather that spot be taken by someone you've never met before and most likely will never see again? What interest do they have in witnessing the union of two strangers? Probably none. And you never know, maybe some of your single friends will take a liking to each other and you'll be credited as a successful matchmaker!

Guest lists are always tough, but just realize that not everyone can be invited and you might need to make some slightly unfortunate but rather necessary cuts. However, if you have an unlimited budget and massive venue, then don't let me stop you! Heck, you can invite me if you like!

(Photo: http://www.projectwedding.com/photo/browse?photo_to_show=378959&tag=placecards&thumbs_page=5)

Top 10: #7 Accept that you WILL need help...

7. Accept that you WILL need help. Unless you're planning an intimate shin-dig for 30 guests, chances are you will not be able to do everything all on your own. Believe me. I tried. Without trying to be shameless plug, if you want your day to run as smoothly as possible you will need a dedicated friend or family member or a wedding co-ordinator. I pretty much did everything on my own, and I mean everything, up until 3AM the night before my wedding, and after that I let my day-of wedding planner take the reigns. I took photos of how I wanted the centerpieces set up, I drew diagrams and tables for everything you can imagine, and labeled the jars of the candy buffet so she knew which candy to put in which jar. As much as my type-A personality would have loved to have been able to do it all myself, it just wasn't feasible. I was busy getting married. Some brides will ask a friend or family member to do all the set-up and make sure the reception runs smoothly, and others would rather have someone outside of the guest list do the work so they have time to spend with all their loved ones on their big day. Either way, you will soon realize how important it is to have someone assist you on your wedding day.

To keep stress levels down, don't be afraid to delegate pre-wedding projects to your friends. Have a craft night, show them how you want the favor boxes constructed and how long each ribbon should be cut and just go for it! If you try to do it all yourself it will take you hours and hours and hours. And if you aren't able to round up helpers for your DIY projects or for addressing your invitations and so forth, most wedding planners will offer their services hourly for a reasonable rate. Whatever you choose to do, don't try to be the hero and do it all on your own. You will be so happy to have asked for help when it comes down to crunch time and it will make your wedding day that much more enjoyable!

(Photo credit: http://www.wpic.ca/)

Top 10: #6 Prepare for takeoff!

Top 10 things every bride should know...

6. Prepare for takeoff. It is likely that you will never experience another time in your life that the days and week and months will pass by so quickly. The last 6 months feel like 6 days, the hours on your wedding day seem like minutes, and the more you prepare for this time-travel the better you can fight it. In the months leading up to your wedding, complete your tasks and to-do lists early, and try and get as much done as you can before the couple weeks before your wedding. You don't want to have to make a choice between tying ribbon around your programs and getting your nails done or spending time with out of town family. If you get what you can out of the way, you can hopefully relax a bit and tend to yourself in the days leading up. And on the big day, stop for a few moments, breath, look around and take it all in. Repeat every 3o minutes. And enjoy!

Top 10: #5 Don't underestimate the value of photos and video

5. Don't underestimate the value of photos and video. I always find photography and videography a touchy subject for brides. Of course most brides would love to have the best of both, but are scared away by the hefty price tags associated with them. Truth is, I was too, and since I hadn't properly been exposed to the world of creative photography yet I didn't really realize what the value was. If you don't think photography is important to you, then I challenge you to check out some magnificent photography on Style Me Pretty or another real weddings blog. Most likely you'll be overcome with a wave of emotion when looking at the true artistic nature of the photographs. They truly capture the feeling of the day, and after all of the hours of hard work and all the money spent, why wouldn't you want to capture your wedding in the best light possible? Now take a look at the portfolio of a less experienced photographer, and you will probably notice a significant difference. One is art, one is a picture. Sure, many people can photoshop and edit the photograph to look more professional, but determine the style of photography you want and then go for it. If you are completely satisfied with purely portait style photographs, then you can get away with a less expensive photographer. If all your little heart desires is a wedding album worthy of being published in a magazine, with jaw-dropping artistic shots, awe-inspiring detail shots of the little things that matter to you (like the favors you worked so hard on) then you might want to prepare yourself to re-adjust your budget. The one thing I PROMISE you is that you will regret not spending enough on a photographer, but you won't regret spending more for a true artist (as long as you're not getting ripped off). Another important thing to remember with photography is to make sure you ask your photographer for ALL of your photos on a disc. If they give you the best 300-400 edited on a disc, you will still want the rest that were taken. You never know, there might be some hidden gem in there that you truly fall in love with that your photographer may have passed over. My last and final piece of advice regarding photography is to make sure you scour for photos and poses and scenes that you love online and in magazines, and give those examples to your photographer so that they know exactly what you are looking for. This is one piece of advice that I knew before my wedding, but due to time constaints and stress overload, I completely overlooked (every part of me wishes I had done this).

I promise not to drag on about videography as I did with photography, but wanted to stress the importance of hiring a videographer. Now, you don't need to hire the Spielberg of the video production world to get a worthy product, but do do do actually hire a videographer instead of asking your cousin who has never operated a camera in his life to videotape your wedding with the new camera your mom just bought at Best Buy and only charged for 2 hours (yes, this really happened). Think of the joy your kids and grandkids will have being able to watch young versions of you walking down the aisle, dancing your first dance and cutting the cake. Yes, it's great to have for you, but think of the kids! Not to mention, the day goes by SO FAST and you're sort of in a little stress-induced high that by the end of the night you're not really sure you remember everything. A video capturing all of your hard work, all of the guests feelings and emotions, and that perfect day with your new husband will end up being a pricelesskeepsake. I know this isn't number one on the list, but if you asked me the one thing I could go back and change it would be this. I really really wish I had a great video of my big day.

Bella Tip: Get business cards printed online for next to nothing with your contact info, a photo sharing site and upload instructions. Include them in the envelope with your Thank You cards and hopefully you'll get even more photos from your big day. Even the best photographers can't capture every angle (well, unless you have 20 of them), so you'd be surprised how happy you will be to have your guests photos. My favorite shot from my cake cutting at my wedding is a guest photo because I love the angle they took the photo from!

Top 10: #4 Personalize your wedding

4. Personalize your wedding. If you have high expectations for your big day and really want to impress your guests, go for a personalized, signature approach instead of just over the top or traditional. Over the top can be done, and it has been done before, but what guests will really appreciate are all of the little unique touches that they won't find at another wedding. Whether it's a custom monogram, a pattern that is carried throughout the decor, a signature drink, or a unique theme, it will pay off to stray from the path of normalcy and guests will be happy for the change in scenery. Don't know where to start? Get inspired by some of the countless wedding blogs online that feature stunning, one of a kind real weddings. Style me Pretty and It's a Jaime Thing are great places to start. Magazines also offer great ideas, one of my favourite features being a Californian wedding that used a roll of pale yellow and grey paisley wallpaper as their aisle runner to tie in the paisley pattern they used in their printed materials. There are so many truly inspiring ideas out there, and you might regret not thinking outside the box once it's too late to change anything.

Top 10: # 3 When you find "the" dress, buy it!

3. When you find "the" dress, buy it. Ok, so this may be contrary to others who suggest you should try on a gazillion dresses to find the perfect bridal gown, but I believe that when you fall in love, it's for real. I, for one, walked by the store window of a bridal shop and gazed upon my dream dress. It wasn't exactly what I had initially envisioned as my wedding dress, but the more days I spent away from it the more I realized it was perfect. When I went back to the shop weeks later my dress was gone forever and it was too late to order another. I did end up finding an almost equally perfect dress that was very similar, but I still have fond and bittersweet memories of the one I let get away.

Top 10: #2 Be realistic about your bridesmaids

#2. Be realistic about your bridesmaids. Being a bridesmaid is an honor, but it's also a job. A job that comes with such a vague description that it can end up causing major drama throughout the wedding planning process. Not every girl is born to be a bridesmaid, and you're more than likely going to be choosing your maids based on close friend or family ties, and not on helpfulness/ usefulness in terms of assisting you. Just like men, bridesmaids can't always read your mind and know exactly what you want them to do and when to do it. Well, unless they're like me, of course!

The key to "bridesmaid bliss" is to examine the roll you expect your bridesmaids to fill, examine their expectations of being a bridesmaid, and finally, to communicate with them. I am not saying you should give them a long list of tasks as soon as they assume the roll of BM by any means! What I am saying is to make sure your expectations are align, and to be fair, honest and reasonable with them. Don't be a bridezilla, but don't be a push-over.

The best way to communicate this is to let them know what is in store from the get go. If you ask a crafty friend to be a BM, then right away let her know how creative you think she is and how you would love some help with the design elements of the wedding. Is your future sister-in-law completely clueless when it comes to cutesy things but great with numbers and tables, ask her for help with seating arrangements and so forth. And if you're a control-freak bride who wants to do it all on her own, make sure you let your eager beaver MOH know before she starts to get overly involved with planning your perfect day.

The best idea is to politely and graciously delegate reasonably sized tasks to the appropriate people, and this will ensure that things will get done according to plan. Just remember, your bridesmaids may have no idea what to do, so unless you ask for their help you shouldn't begrudge them for being useless (because some of them will be).

Top 10: #1 Expect the Unexpected

1. Expect the unexpected. No matter how thought out or carefully planned it is, every wedding or event WILL have some bumps. Not everything is in your control, and you just need to take a deep breath and accept that. The weather may not be the sunny blue skies that you prayed for, the florist might be an hour late getting your bouquet to you and hence you only get to see it for mere moments before you walk down the aisle, and maybe you'll nervously stumble through your speech in front of all your guests. Perhaps someone will leave their red Elmo tape measure on the podium throughout all of the speeches at the reception and use a hot pink feather boa ( I mean, really?) to gather the linens on your guest table without running it by you (yes, this really happened, but I was too sweet to say anything to the wedding co-ordinator). Regardless, your day will be wonderful and perfect despite it's imperfections, and you just have to embrace the moment and roll with the punches.

Top 10 things every bride should do...

As a newlywed AND a wedding planner, I often get asked what my most valuable advice is for the bride-to-be, and what I have learned through planning my own wedding and others. I don't want to be one of those pessimistic girls dwelling on what could have been, as I honestly did have an amazing wedding day. However, I can look back on my big day and openly admit that there were flaws, however minor they were, that could have been avoided. In the interest of saving other brides-to-be from some equally avoidable obstacles, I compiled a list of the 10 things I would do if I could do it all over again.

Indeed, some brides are no-fuss, no-muss and may not be bothered with the list. I can guarantee, however, that if you're anything like me (a detailed oriented, crafty and creative gal dreaming about the perfect day) that this list is a valuable tool that could save you much duress and emotional pain. Some are things I did in fact do, and am so happy to have incorporated them into my wedding. Others are mistakes, misunderstandings and miscommunications that can easily be avoided with a little forethought. And a few I've learned from helping brides along the way.

Here is the list, and over the next few days I'll break down each number into a lengthier post. Feel free to comment and add some of your best pieces of advice.

1. Expect the unexpected.

2. Be realistic about your bridesmaids.

3. When you find "the" dress, buy it.

4. Personalize your wedding.

5. Don't underestimate the value of photos and video.

6. Prepare for takeoff.

7. Accept that you WILL need help.

8. Be picky with your guest list.

9. Don't be a bridezilla.

10. Give yourself some time between the wedding and honeymoon.