The ‘wedding package',a one stop shop for your special day, is great in principle but could rob you of the perfect opportunity to shop! You can do it yourself! First:

First off, you need to get the ceremony itself sorted. Some couples want something memorable for the wedding photos http://pinterest.com/paulsstudio/wedding-photography/, whilst others will prefer something a bit more low key

Second: Make the reservation for your reception, and make it whatever you want to do, not how others think you should. It's your party. You can feed people standing up, sitting down, with a buffet, with a formal sit down meal.!There are loads of options for providing refreshments for your guests. Choose what you want. Help yourself out and ignore seating plans, people will sit where they like, so they are more relaxed.

Then: Your selection for wedding photography needs a lot of thought

Finally! Are you ready for this? Now - head for the shops! You've got the budget, you've got the style, go for it! So:

The Dress: What colour will yours be? In days gone by we got hitched in good old ‘Sunday best'. The penchant for white robes came from the royals, and now it seems we've all joined in. Pictures of George VI and Elizabeth, in white robes, were seen on news-stands across the land, then in 1949 the first royal wedding on television, Princess Elizabeth and handsome Philip was beamed to the whole country.

Wedding gowns are always lovely, but the ones that stand out for me are the lavish deep green one, the stunning royal blue dress and cape, and the funky gold striped number. Mine was blue too, my favourite colour. Years ago I asked my Grandma, who was wed way back in 1929, why she chose a green wedding dress? "Why not?" She replied "It's my favourite colour." Her sage green flapper style dress with silver cloche hat, gloves and bag, would be stylish in any decade.

Shoes: Whatever time of year, even when you should be able to rely on the weather, you can't know what it'll be like on your day. Unless you're doing the whole thing indoors, you will need a choice of footwear. Oh, don't forget to break in your shoes before the big day; weddings can be tough on feet, be comfy!

Veil or Not to Veil: Have fun trying things on, but take real friends with you - they'll tell you if something looks ridiculous. There's a huge selection, from full silk veil to a Spanish comb or smart top hat.

All the other bits and pieces: Can be kept in a dinky handbag.

Your bridesmaids: This part can be difficult if you have a big range of sizes and ages. So make sure you choose from your own ideas, and don't feel you have to go with "the norm"

Ok, what's next on our list…..