Before you even set a date, you need to set a budget. If you don't care when the wedding is, this will help you figure out a date. If you already have a date in mind this will show you if that date will work, or if, perhaps you should postpone for a year in order to save some more money. The last thing you want, is to have a date you have your heart set on, say August 9th of next year? (8/9/10) and not be able to save enough by then. By the same token, you don't want to have to cut corners just to make your wedding date, this is your wedding after all.

 When deciding how much you want to save you should also consider your options of where to save. A regular savings account won't garner the same interest that a money market or cd would. However, you can also take the money out whenever you need it. Any of these options though, are better than the old stuff it under the bed routine. If you don't plan on getting married for a few years you may want to look into your money market or cd options. I know I have said before not to merge accounts however, this may be just the time to do it. You could start a savings account together and then simply deposit money from your seperate checking accounts into it. This way you are ready to start your life together with some joint money, but at the same time, if things don't work, you can easily see what each person put in.

When first setting a budget you want to aim high. After all, it is much easier to say, "Wow, look at all this extra money we saved, how should we spend it?" then to try and decide what gets the ax because you didn't save enough. It seems the average wedding will run you almost $30,000. It's a good idea even if you are your boyfriend are just beginning to talk about the definete potential of marriage to start saving now. However, don't merge the accounts just yet, this way, if things don't work out, you've just saved yourself a nice chunk of cash for something else, perhaps a shopping spree? or a pedicure a month?

 Once you've set a budget and a date the next thing to do is figure out where the money is going to come from. It's a good idea to break up the total amount given the time you have alloted. This way you will both have a good idea of how much you each need to put away each paycheck. You can also figure in unknowns such as the loss of a job or a hugh windfall. Are your parents planning on helping? What about his parents? Are you expecting a tax return between now and then? These are all good ideas to take into account, though by no means should you count on them. What happens if one of your parents gets laid off and all of a sudden they can't help anymore? You don't want to have to scrounge around for money at the last minute.

What happens if you have done the math and you've both decided there's just no way you can make the deadline? This is where you can start to cut corners. In next week's hub I'll start telling you where to look for corners to cut. Until then happy planning!