Five Tips to a Simple Wedding

It is easy to get caught up in the idea of a fancy wedding and all the trappings. It is all about the dress, the ring, the food. Will the banquet hall big enough to hold the hundreds of guests that will pour through the doors eating your food, drinking liquor, and hopefully giving you enough in gifts to cover it all?

Why do it? It is a special day. You want it to be memorable. But do you want to remember the stress of planning your wedding? The friends and family you lost over hurt feelings? Here are five tips to keep your wedding simple and meaningful:

1. KISS. Keep it simple sweetheart. All the fancy stuff won't make your marriage any better. It is the bond you will be creating with your beloved that is important. Trim down the trappings to the essence of the day.

2. It is your wedding not theirs. Even if you're parents are paying for your wedding keep in mind that it is still your day. If they insist on paying- be thankful but clear that this is your wedding. Set a simple budget and establish loving ground rules for what the day. If your sisters want a big party, thank them for the idea, and do what you want
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3. It is the money honey. Weddings are expensive. All that food and drink, the catering hall adds up to the down payment on your first home. Trim down the guest list. Eliminate a couple of attendants. Have a town car instead of limo. Separate the fantasy from the reality and create a workable budget.

4. Elope. I know the idea is absolutely scandalous. But remember the wedding is not about the event, it is the commitment you are making to another to spend the rest of your life together in wedded bliss. Couples have had fabulous and fun Las Vegas weddings. Get a Justice of the Peace and visit the park where you proposed. You can have a dinner party afterward to celebrate with family and friends.

5. Wear comfortable shoes. You will thank me for this piece of advice at the end of the day. Brides can wear heels for the service and change into decent and great looking flats for the dinner or reception. The groom should break in his shoes before the day. Happy feet mean a happy couple. Your day will be really memorable if you are not in pain.

As a wedding officiate I have performed marriages in the chef's kitchen of a restaurant in the meat packing district, a large backyard and in the great outdoors.

My cousin was finally marrying the man of her dream after a devastating first marriage she opted for a simple dinner at a banquet hall that had a wonderfully intimate dining room. Someone else spent their money on the DJ for their backyard wedding. The couple had barbeque, salads and soda and beer for the wedding guests; another choice for a simple outdoor wedding. By the way, the rain stopped and the sun emerged in time for the ceremony.

A wedding is not made special by the extravaganza of the celebration, but by the commitment of the couple. If the idea of a big wedding is overwhelming, or the budget is out of reach consider an intimate celebration.

Spend some time with your beloved and discuss your expectations for the wedding day and the marriage to follow. When you know the kind of marriage you want to have it will be much easier to plan a wedding that represents your love and commitment to each other. Celebrate your love your way.

I have been an Interfaith Minister since 1994. It is not a fulltime vocation. I am honored to perform weddings and other ministerial functions when the need arises.