1. Ask your friends and family to do favors, not jobs. Are you asking your cousin to pick up the flowers from the florist before they arrive for the ceremony? Easy peasy! Or are you asking your cousin to be your photographer or your DJ? And for pete's sake don't ask them to officiate! (link)
  2. Have cocktail hour first.
  3. or at very least see each other beforehand!
  4. Only hire pros you gel with. Prickly vibes ahead of time will likely show up on your wedding day.
  5. Wedding dresses should have pockets!
  6. If you're asking your respective parties to dress a certain way, pay for it. Don't leave people scrambling to come up with hundreds of dollars on clothes they'll likely never wear again. Just because they agree to cough up that dough doesn't mean a) they can do so comfortably, and b) they were expecting a huge bill to pay in exchange for the honor of being a member of your wedding party.
  7. Pace yourself! It's easy to get carried away. Don't be afraid to turn down a drink. Memory impairment begins at blood alcohol concentrations as low as .04% - that's one or two drinks for most people. If you must get blotto, remember that you pay the price in joyous memories - to say nothing of the price the following morning!
  8. Do NOT have your bachelor party the night before, or drink to excess
  9. Magnetic boutonnières
  10. Not white dresses
  11. not flower bouquets