Here's some advice on the when and where from the book " here to Seat Aunt Edna: And 500 Other Great Wedding Tips" (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $13.95), straight from people who've done it.
“Check around your hometown and nearby area for interesting wedding locales. Living and working in D.C. allowed me to obtain a park permit to get married at the Jefferson Memorial on New Year’s Eve in 1999, at no cost.”
—Diane Hurns, Washington, D.C.
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“We had a small ceremony performed by a local judge: no big church wedding for me. I think that it’s really egotism to bring all those people into a church just so that you can come out in your big, expensive white dress. Getting married is more meaningful without all the pomp and circumstance. I just wanted to get married, not throw a party for 200 people.”
—Beth O’Rourke, Jamestown, N.Y., number of wedding guests: 50
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“I liked planning my wedding: A lot of people don’t. I found all the details to be fun once the date, place and other major decisions were made. There are going to be arguments—just pick your battles wisely and enjoy your time in the spotlight.”
—Adriane, Davie, Fla.
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“We decided to get married in the bowling alley where we met on a Saturday night. It just seemed obvious. We got married on our weekly bowling night and then bowled afterward. Right after the ‘kiss the bride’ part, we both grabbed our bowling balls and threw them down the lane together. I wish I could tell you we both got strikes, but that didn’t happen.”
—Jackie Edmonds, Williamstown, Ky., number of wedding guests: 50
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“I live in Maine and my wedding will be in Minnesota. It’s challenging to plan a wedding from so far away. I’ve gone home a few times and am doing a lot more than my fiancé. My mom is helping me and doing things that I don’t feel I need to participate in, like which sound system to get. Even though it’s crazed, it works for me because when I’m back in Minnesota, I’m completely focused on maximizing my time and planning the wedding. I have wedding momentum; I’m able to accomplish a lot. Then, I go back to Maine and can take a few weeks off from it all.”
—Amy Jeffery, Bridgton, Maine, number of wedding guests: 100
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“Follow your heart: When my husband and I got married, we decided to elope instead of having a church wedding. We didn’t know a lot of people, certainly not enough to fill a church, which I thought was important at the time. Plus, there were some family things going on. So we kept it simple: just the two of us. It worked out just fine, and we’re still married more than 35 years later!”
—Mary Bright, Allentown, Pa.
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“Believe it or not, I ended up getting married on April Fool’s Day. We actually had planned this big wedding without even realizing the implications of the date. It wasn’t until months later that someone pointed out that it was April Fool’s Day. We felt like fools, but it was too late to change it. Luckily it didn’t doom our marriage.”
—Chuck Manion, Bethel Park, Pa
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“We got married on Valentine’s Day: What better time to get married? But so many people get married on that day, you should plan well ahead of time, because halls and photographers get booked early.” —E.D., Pittsburgh, number of wedding guests: 250
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© 2007, Hundreds of Heads Books, Inc.