We want to keep our wedding simple and not make it a big deal.  How do we do that?

The most important rule for keeping your wedding simple is really mapping out what you want within your day before you start making any plans. Things get out of control when you start booking things before you really have a good blueprint, and then once the excitement and the nerves start kicking, plus other people's opinions and wishes, things get out of control very quickly. You can keep things tame by talking with your fiance about creating a united front when it comes to *your* wedding plans. The two of you should really write down everything you want and don't want, and then come up with a plan for staying within your own boundaries. Some ideas for wedding simplicity are:

• Keeping it small
• Staying local
• Booking a very cozy, intimate space like a smaller hotel ballroom, a sitting room at a historical home or estate, a winery's small party room -- you get the picture.
• Tell all of your wedding vendors that you want to stay within simplicity, and they should comply.
• Be assertive. If a wedding pro is pitching you an idea that doesn't sit within your original plans, politely decline
• Do a lot of research on what's available in the simplicity department -- check web sites, read magazines, even visit craft stores to see what you can do yourself.