As you plan your wedding, you must decide on the type of wedding you want.

Weddings can be broken down into 4 basic types.

Very Formal Wedding

A very formal wedding usually includes an elegant traditional gown with a long train and a veil in a complementary length for the bride. Formal attire (white tie and tails in the evening, cutaways in the daytime) for the groom and all the men in the wedding party. Four to twelve bridesmaids in floor-length dresses. Long dresses for the mothers of the bride and groom. A high noon, late afternoon or evening ceremony. 200 or more guests. Engraved invitations, usually the large size, with separate reception invitations enclosed. A large and lavish reception.

Formal Wedding

Formal wedding usually has these characteristics: A traditional wedding gown with a chapel or sweep train and a veil for the bride. Formal clothes (black tie in the evening, stroller jackets with striped trousers in the daytime) for the groom and his attendants. Two to six bridesmaids, usually the long dresses. Long or elaborate street-length dresses for the mothers. Ceremony at any hour of the day. At least 100 guests. Engraved invitations, usually with separate reception invitations enclosed. A festive reception.

Semiformal Wedding

Most formal wedding procedures also apply to semi-formal Weddings. A semiformal wedding usually means an elaborate street-length dress (or a simple floor-length dress) and a hat or short veil for the bride. Dark suits for the groom and his attendants. One or two bridal attendants in street-length dresses. Street-length dresses for the mothers. A morning or early afternoon ceremony. Fewer than 100 guests. A single engraved invitation to both ceremony and reception. At smaller weddings, pew ribbons and aisle carpets are usually omitted but I have seen very small weddings decorated very pretty and charmingly elegant. Small weddings do not have to be without charm and atmosphere and can be decorated very effectively.

Informal Wedding

An informal wedding is usually characterized by street clothes, often a suit, for the bride. Suits for the groom and best man. A maid of honor, but no bridesmaids, in street clothes. A daytime ceremony anywhere, including City Hall. A guest list including relatives and close friends. Handwritten or personal invitations to the small ceremony and reception.Today's couples, besides using their own ideas, have the option of choosing from many different unique combinations and varieties of many customs and traditions to fit their plans. This is only a guide in which to refer to, not a rule book in which to adhere to. Before anything else, the wedding must make the bride and groom happy. Guests at an informal affair seat themselves as soon as they arrive. When it's time for the ceremony, you and the groom, maid of honor, and the best man all take your appointed places in front of the clergyman. At the end of the short ceremony, you can turn and greet your guests.

Location

After you decide on the type of wedding, you have to decide where. If you decide on a formal wedding, you should begin to make arrangements at least six months ahead of time. The date of your wedding day must be chosen with obvious consideration to religious regulations and local customs. The availability of the church, temple, or synagogue, reception hall, and caterer must also be regarded as many of the more popular places and services are booked up to two years in advance. A good banquet manager or caterer can be a tremendous help, so ask questions and rely on their experience.

It's customary for the wedding to take place in the bride's hometown, but this isn't always practical or desired. A couple can choose virtually anywhere to hold their wedding. They can also choose any time. Their religious beliefs, type of affair, the life style they live, the number of guests, would dictate their final choice.

Procedures

The actual procedures of the wedding ceremony vary from religion to religion, on the couple's preferences, and on the clergyman's practices and procedures. Even within a given faith, traditions vary, and many couples prefer to write their own wedding vows and ceremony depending upon the options they have to work with. All the ceremony must be carefully planned and discussed with your clergyman and then, if possible, rehearsed before the wedding in order to ensure smoothness.

Reception

The reception can be anything from a small, quiet dinner to a festive party celebration. It can be held in your home, garden, private club, church hall, large restaurant, or ballroom. You can serve punch and cake, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres or imported champagne and a five-course dinner. Depending on the time of your ceremony, your reception can take the form of a breakfast, a luncheon, or a banquet. Some couples like to hold their ceremony at one time and place and stage a reception later in another time and place. For example, they might have a wedding at 10:00 o'clock in the morning and celebrate their party in the evening. The entire reception is entirely up to you. The important function of any reception is to give an opportunity for your relatives, friends, and loved ones to greet you, wish you well, and help you celebrate the happy occasion. Your personalities and life-style will reflect upon the type of reception you will probably choose.

Special Weddings

The Military Wedding

For brides who marry commissioned officers on active duty, they can have the flourish and splendor of a military wedding. The outstanding characteristic of a military wedding is the traditional arch of sabers (swords in the navy) under which the bride and groom walk at the end of the ceremony. This arch is formed by the ushers - all fellow officers of the groom in full dress uniform. The procession and ceremony follows standard procedures.

The Double Wedding

Any good friends or close relatives may have a double wedding. The main appeal of a double wedding is the saving - emotional as well as financial - it offers to families facing two successive weddings. Double weddings are usually formal and follow the same rules of dress as any other formal wedding.

The House Wedding
 

A home wedding may hold a sentimental attraction for you. Your own home or that of a relative or friend can provide a unique setting for your wedding.

For a religious ceremony at home, a substitute altar and a kneeling bench or cushions may be necessary. These could be set in front of any attractive background a fireplace, or floral screen, for example. Ribbons or ropes of flowers and greens could form pathways to the altar. Usually the procedures of a semiformal wedding are followed; however, I have seen very formal affairs held at homes and done extremely well.

The Outdoor Wedding
 

A formal garden wedding is conducted much as is any home wedding. The "altar" can be a beautiful canopy located in the most scenic spot. Tents can be erected for protection in case of bad weather. Some of the most beautiful weddings are conducted outdoors.

The Second Marriage
 

A second time bride may be married in a formal, religious ceremony if her faith permits, but older widows and divorcees often choose simple ceremonies attended only by relatives and a few close friends. It used to be a rule that a second time bride never wears stark white or a veil but nowadays many girls for one reason or another will choose traditional wedding attire. If it makes someone happy, why not? After all, that's what it's all about.