User: My fiancé and I are planning our wedding and we want to know what we need to do to have all of the bases covered as far as the planning goes. We do not want to have a big extravagant affair. Just a simple wedding with a few friends and family members and a small reception. Our budget is fairly limited, but we want it to be as formal as we can to a point. Can you help us maximize the event to our meager budget?
Assistant: Planning a wedding can be a complex process, and unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all formula for a good wedding.  Some couples spend relatively little and just focus on having a meaningful experience with friends and family, while other couples invest a lot of time and money on a highly formal affair.  What makes a good wedding is subjective, but there are some key aspects of a wedding that almost all couples will agree on.  Your budget is fairly limited, but there are important things you should still consider as you plan.  When it comes to the planning, here is some general guidance to get started:

-Choose a date and time for the wedding and reception well in advance to give you enough time to arrange for everything. You’ll also want to make sure your choice of dates is not already booked.
-Select a location for the ceremony.  This could be a church, temple, or other local location.
-Arrange for an officiate.  Your officiant may be a priest, pastor, rabbi, justice of the peace, judge, or another individual authorized to perform marriages.
-Decide on flowers and decorations for the ceremony and reception.  In your limited budget, you may be able to purchase some decorations, but you should strongly consider hiring a florist for most of your arrangements.
-Choose a gown, tuxedo, and other clothing for the wedding.
-Arrange for a photographer, videographer, or other photographer to take pictures during the ceremony and reception.  It’s also important to have a plan for taking friends and family photos at the reception.
-Arrange for music at the reception.  You can hire a DJ, band, or other musicians and also consider providing snacks or small appetizers for guests.
-Arrange for food for the meal at the reception.  This includes planning a menu, locating a caterer or restaurant to provide food, and any other necessary details.  If you agree, you can enlist a close relative or friend to make a wedding cake.
-Arrange the other details of the reception as well.  For planning this aspect of the wedding, you might coordinate your parent’s help and input.  You’ll need to decide on refreshments, decorations, decorations, and whether to have dancing.

Based on that, here is a checklist of things to do for planning a simple but meaningful wedding, often known as a “low key wedding”:

-Secure a date.
-Select and reserve a location.
-Arrange for invitations and/or a save-the-date card.
-Choose the officiant.
-Decide on wedding gown, tuxedo, and other outfits.
-Select a photography or videography service.
-Arrange decorations, flowers, and other traditional and optional decorations.
-Hire a caterer or find a restaurant for the reception.
-Arrange music for the ceremony and reception.
-Arrange food and snacks according to your menu.
-Arrange other details, such as invitations and seating for receptions, decorations, dinnerware, rentals, etc.
-Arrange honeymoon accommodations and transportation.