After you have called your parents, siblings and best friends… the next most important thing you can do to start your wedding planning is to present a united front.

It seems like this is a simplistic way of looking at wedding planning but, it isn’t. There are the budget concerns, tricky seating charts and the possibility of having  difficult in laws. How do you handle these? the best answer is: together.

When your budget doesn’t quite meet what you had in mind: have a talk and decide (together) what can be traded. Don’t worry about having a grand affair if you can only afford a garden party, remember that you are getting married and the outcome is always the same.

When a difficult in-law says or does something that offends either of you; stand together and defend one another against all outsiders. Become a team, working together for the greater goal because having a cohesive plan to stick together will get you through all of the tricky wedding planning.

If you have a groom that isn’t interested in the planning process and you bothagree you will be doing the the majority of the wedding planning solo- make sure you have a good support system.  Enlist your most trusted family or friend and have at it. But only if you both agree.

People will inundate you with their opinions and you will have to learn how to politely decline some or most of their advice. People will insist you call their caterer or florist or seamstress or neighbor who does cakes. Tell them you have it under control and change the subject.

If you have a great support system and agree to make all decisions together, you are already off to a great start!

The next best thing you can do is to attend a Bridal Expo – together. Bridal Expo has fine-tuned the wedding planning experience so you can see dozens of vendors in your area who have samples of their work at each show. Kick the tires on a stretch Limo, smell the flowers, taste the cake, touch the invitations, listen to the DJ, sit in an actual photobooth and then relax while Bridal Expo brings to you a Bridal Runway Fashion show that will magically transport you to a New York Runway. Sounds nice? It is. The bonus is that you and your fiancee can literally satisfy all of your wedding planning needs in one place without arguing, planning or even steping outside the front door…. as long as you do it as a team.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago