How to Enjoy Spending $20,000 in Six Hours

You can be a stress-case bride, or you can chill out and enjoy the day. Things are going to go wrong. You will forget one important item from your "Bridal Emergency Kit" (I forgot safety pins and as a result Noel almost lost his trousers during the ceremony). But everything is going to be all right. At the end of the day you will be married and that is what counts. Also, you will have the world's largest stock of leftovers in your fridge. After two days, even your best friends will cry off visiting for fear of being served yet another plate of what will be known as "Wedding Food."

So here's my sage advice: if things happen, just smile and nod. If a crisis comes up, tell the caterer to talk to your groom about it and let him make the decision. I know a lot of you have trouble letting go of control, but trust me, the day of the wedding you're not going to see a classic Mediterranean buffet supper turn into a kegger. The one time when you should just let it all go and not worry about the details is when you are trying to relax and prepare for one of the more important events of your life. This will be an excellent preparation for childbearing, which involves a lot of having to lie back and let people do things for you, even if they do them all wrong.