A handmade wedding just means having all or some of the elements in your wedding hand made. That is, either produced by a local artisan or by yourself (with some help, of course!). Basically, if you can pinpoint exactly whose hands made your dress, flowers or favors, or anything else you will have in your wedding, you have a handmade wedding! I guess you could say a handmade wedding is the antithesis to commercial, mass-produced, expensive weddings. That is another advantage to going handmade- the cost. You might think that having a custom-designed, custom-made wedding will cost the earth, but conversely, a handmade wedding can actually cost less, whilst ensuring a truly unique and special day you’ve always dreamed of.

This uncertain economic climate doesn’t mean that you need to compromise on style. Having a handmade wedding means that you can make the most of your budget, no matter what it is. Plus, you will be supporting local artists and businesses. With the ability to have a personalized day that will not only be a day you will remember for the rest of your life, but also awe your guests (and make them think you spent heaps more than you actually did), I can’t think of any reason why you would not go handmade for your wedding.

A wedding is one of the biggest events in a person's life. It shouldn't be the most stressful event but sometimes it turns out to be. The following is a set of wedding planning tips that are in a timeline form, to help you know when the best time to take care of each aspect of the wedding is. This should keep things from piling up at once, it's much less hassle to gradually space planning out. If you are in need of some wedding planning tips, then you have come to the right place. Below, we are going to give you the same tips we gave our friend this past month when she had her wedding...

How much time before the wedding and what needs to take place:

12 Months - Book ceremony and reception venue

10 to 11 Months - Book caterer, musicians, Attire for bride, groom and bridal party, photographer and videographer

8 to 9 Months - Book florist, cake, and transportation

6 to 7 Months - Book Rentals: chairs, tables, etc.

6 Months - Review Contracts for Vendors, First wedding gown fitting

5 Months - Order Invitations and Flowers; Provide Music to the Musicians

4 Months - Order Wedding Cake; Meet with Caterer and get additional wedding planning tips

3 Months - Provide Menu to Caterer; Book Beauty Appointments; Check on Invitations; Second wedding gown fitting; Meet with Officiant to Review Ceremony

2 Months - Confirm Arrangements with Vendors; Make Necessary Payments

1 Month - Consult with Photographer on Photo Choices; Confirm Music, Transportation, Flower Arrangements, and Rental Needs, Final wedding gown and bridal party fitting

2 Weeks - Confirm with All Vendors Again

1 Week - Make Sure Caterer has Final Numbers for Reception; Pay vendors' final checks day before; Oversee Decoration of Ceremony and Reception Area

Hopefully, following these wedding planning tips will make things easier for you. There is so much to do and the time to do it all in seems to fly right by. Having a plan that is written out should make things easier. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. There's only so much you can do on your own without making yourself frazzled. I'm sure your friends, family and bridal party will be more than happy to help you out.

For more wedding planning tips, download my free article titled "8 Essential Wedding Planning Considerations" (you should find the download box on the right sidebar or on The Handmade Wedding Planner page). The article works very well with the timeline, because it breaks down the main issues you need to consider for your wedding, step by step. Then, you can easily fit these considerations into the timeline to make sure everything you need will move along smoothly towards your big day!