If you’re really brave – which I’m not – you can take a crack at baking your own wedding cake.

Wendy Kromer, one of the creative bakers behind the maven’s magazine has written a book, “Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes,” complete with recipes, decorating tips and fantastic pictures.

I haven’t chosen a baker yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be me. However, if you’re handy in the kitchen and ready to put in the effort, making your own cake and mean saving big bucks. I’ll let you know after I pay through the nose for my own wedding cake.

When you're walking down the aisle, you're going to want some music, preferably something fitting to your once-in-a-lifetime moment.

A DJ has posted an article in this vein on ezinearticles.com, and it offers some great suggestions. Weddings aren't just set to the wedding processional any more. People are using classical music, soft rock, love songs . . . one bride even went down the aisle to Springsteen's "Thunder Road." Some of the more popular artists lately have been Nat King Cole, Sting, Andrea Bocelli, Mark Cohn, Peter Gabriel, Enya, The Beatles, Shania Twain, Vangelis, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Tony Bennett, Edwin McCain, Vangelis, Faith Hill, Etta James and Sade.

This DJ also recommends contrasting music between the bridal party and the bride to showcase the big moment. One couple used an operatic piece for the wedding party and Led Zepplin's "The Rain Song" for the bride.

Also keep in mind, a good DJ can edit a song to your needs. If you like the instrumental part of a song, a DJ can make it happen. Don't hesitate to ask for help.

Whatever you like, go with it. The music is sort of like the soundtrack to your wedding. It should fit you and your groom.

A friend of mine has offered to make necklaces and bracelets for my bridesmaids. I love the idea of giving friends something handmade but completely lack the skills. So if a friend is willing to step in and help me execute the design I have in my head, I'm more than happy to accept.

My friends are remarkably talented. I have friends that are musicians, photographers, writers, etc. And many of them are willing to lend their talents to my wedding.

If you have great friends, use their talents. When you walk down the aisle it will be more special if your recognize the photograph, listen to music a friend is playing and carry a bouqet from that super-creative cousin.

If you have a chance, check out 1WeddingSource.com. It's a lot like The Knot -- you can search by city or by subject, and there's plenty of vendor listings.

But 1WeddingSource.com has a cleaner site; it's easier to navigate with lots of articles, some of which are very specific, like finding a wedding DJ in Oklahoma City. Others are more general, like tips for a great wedding cake. The site is still under construction, but stop by and check it out.

If you have any other great sites, post them in comments and let us benefit from your Web surfing.

Charmin and Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com have gotten together to deck one lucky bride out in toilet paper on her wedding day.

It's true, Jennifer Cannon and Doy Nichols are getting married in a dress designed by Hanah Kim, made entirely out of Charmin. There's even a long veil that looks a little like something that would cause you embarassment if you got it stuck on your shoe.

The dress itself is surprisingly pretty with capped sleeves, eyelet trim and a bow in the back. Not sure how you get into it without ripping it though. Check out a picture here.

 However it is the couples choice of wedding venue that has me thrown -- a restroom in Times Square. That's where the bride lost me. I'm all for whatever you can do to bring creativity to you wedding, and I get the bathroom theme -- but a public restroom in Times Square? I hope they clean it first.

The bride and groom received a free honeymoon and an all-expenses-paid wedding.

But check out Cheap-Chic-Wedding.com; there's some great money-saving ideas there. Some of them are free of toilet paper.

If you're in the market for wedding accessories -- thank you cards, the card box and all the other little do-dads you won't think of until you suddenly need it, check out a new Web site me2youweddings.com. Here you can get a bunch of ideas for wedding favors. This site even goes so far as to suggest favors for women and men. By far, my favorite part of the site though is the cost-cutting tips page.

I'm not a huge fan of the wedding favor, or the centerpieces either for that matter. I think most people just throw the favors away. And centerpieces just take up room on the table where there should be food. However, one of my friends had a great wedding favor: Hershey bars. Each was wrapped in a special wrapper that included the guest's name and their table seating. So guests picked up their Hershey bars, found their table and had a neat favor.

My mother and I have compromised: She gets to have wedding favors OR wedding centerpieces, but I refuse to have both. Sometimes, it's just too much stuff.

Ed and I went to check out florists Saturday. We interviewed three florists. I absolutely had no idea what I wanted, so I was depending on the florists to tell me.

So as each florist asked me what I envisioned in my bouquet, there was a lot of me waving my arms in the air and muttering, “You know, stuff.” Pretty . . . flowers.

I did seize upon on flower, which I thought was lovely, only to be informed that it was thistle.

Then there was the completely humiliating experience of telling one florist that I wanted a hand-tied bouquet, which leaves the stems exposed, only to be told, “All of our bouquets are hand-tied.” When I said I didn’t want the stems bound up, she replied, somewhat icily, “No one does that anymore.” Honestly, it felt more like she was interviewing me.

But the turning point, when I really crossed her off my list of possibilities, was when the mailman walked in to deliver her mail. She didn’t even acknowledge his presence, much less say “thank you.”

My friend Cheri agreed to be in my wedding today. I'm thrilled!

I met Cheri about six years ago when I moved to Sunapee. I was working for a local paper and Cheri came on two months after I did in advertising. You know those people you just click with? That's Cheri.

I wanted her as a bridemaid from the getgo, but I wasn't sure if the financial burden would be too much.

It's important to keep cost in mind when you're recruiting bridesmaids. Sometimes the honor can be more of a burden. I tried to leave an opening to allow the women I asked to exit gracefully.

Try setting up a list of what you're going to expect and need from your bridemaids. Once you have it clear in your own mind what you need/want, tell your friends, adding that you would love for them to be in the wedding but understand if they don't feel they can live up to the commitment. That way they're clear on what you expect and you're less likely to be disappointed by bridesmaids who suddenly find they don't have time to fulfill their duties or don't have enough money to buy a dress.

Friendships are important. Even more important that having a perfect wedding party.

OK, I know it's a little late to be bringing you this information for this year, but if you're planning on a holiday wedding next year, I did find a neat article with some cool ideas.

While Christmas and New Year's are the obvious holiday-themed weddings, there are some really neat things you can do with color and wedding favors around this time of year -- dressing bridesmaids in red and green, using fake fur to trim your wedding gown and handing out Christmas ornaments as favors.

But don't forget the less obvious holidays. Thanksgiving, for one. Fall colors can tie into a great themed wedding with gourds as place cards and a fabulous turkey dinner for the reception.

Then there's Halloween -- that' when I originally (and still do a little) wanted to get married. The possibilities are endless.

And keep in mind, you don't have to have a holiday-themed wedding on the exact holiday. New Year's Eve is the exception to this. It's hard to have a New Year's Eve wedding when it's not New Year's Eve. Any November wedding could have a Thanksgiving theme. Get creative and have fun!

There’s a cute story in the Stamford Advocate about a woman who is getting married at work. For real.

She works for a furniture store and after looking and looking for the right reception hall, her boss offered her the store’s showroom.

I have to admit; it’s a fun idea – being married in a bunch of living rooms all at once.

Ed and I have chosen and Irish pub for our wedding. I know there are people on the guest list who may feel a pub is too casual for a wedding, but it has exactly the feel we were looking for – casual and fun.

It’s your wedding day, so if what you want is a little offbeat – go for it!

If you’re having so much fun planning your wedding that you’d like to make it a lifetime career, there is an actual course in wedding planning.

Actually there are several. I was reading an article in The News & Observer about a wedding planning class at a local college. It made we wonder, just how trained are wedding planners? I mean, what is it that people – not me – are paying for?

Well, it seems there’s a lot of online education available for wedding planners, including learning business skills and how to cope with a disaster.

The North Carolina course had students plan a mock wedding, including a 150 page planner (can you believe us brides are doing all that work for FREE?) with a last-minute crisis thrown in.

Often wedding planners are a subset of that mysterious field – event planners; the people who get paid to throw a great party. So if you’re in the market for a wedding planner, look for someone who has been professionally trained, can furnish solid references and has a modicum of experience.

Has anyone out there had a bridal bouquet (or seen one) that they absolutely loved? If so I'd love to hear your ideas for my own bridal bouquet.

Ed and I are getting ready to pick out flowers and I have no idea what to do. People are askin me what my favorite flowers are, what flowers I detest, etc. I really don't have any answers. I think all flowers are pretty good.

I just want them to look natural and fun and not be overly fussy. I'm getting married on a boat and having a reception in a pub. What's flower-speak for that?

If you've got the fabled champagne taste and beer budget, check out Encore Bridal.

This is a California-based company that offers what amounts to an online bridal consignment shop.

Coutre dresses, samples and even the odd new gown are available on the site for much less than retail. There are even uses headpieces, veils, shoes and jewelry. I've been on the site, and although I didn't see anything that I liked, the prices were reasonable and the details on the dresses were good. It looks like in the future there will be some added benefits to the site, such as "Your Perfect Gown," which is purportedly coming soon.

And if you're a bride who's just had her wedding, hop on and pass your dress on to someone else who will love it.

You may have already seen this, but I just had to mention there's agreat video on YouTube. A British couple re-enacts the last dance scene from Dirty Dancing as their first dance as man and wife.

Not something I'd do, since any event that involves me dancing is also likely to involve the paramedics. But it's funny and sweet and captures the essence of how much fun a wedding should be.

Watch and enjoy!

Columnist Steve Bucci at www.bankrate.com recently offered some wise advice for those of us planning a wedding: Don’t charge it.

Bucci recommended a couple pay off all credit card debt and save enough money to pay for the wedding outright before getting married – even if it means postponing the wedding for two or three years.

He has some good points; no sense accumulating more debt when a little planning will keep you debt-free throughout the planning process.

An excerpt (and some scary numbers) from Bucci’s column:

“Three factors in planning your wedding:

1. You want to save $15,000 for your wedding.

2. You need to pay off $15,000 in credit card debt at 12 percent interest.

3. You want to get married in two years.

To pay down your debt before the wedding, you’ll have to make a payment of $710 per month to your creditors and save $602 a month while earning 3 percent. To run your own numbers, check out the ‘What will it take to pay off my credit card?’ and ‘What will it take to save for a goal?’ calculators.

If those dollar figures are too steep, you’ll need additional time to save money and pay down debt. Take three years to get married and your monthly totals go down to $500 to pay off the debt and $400 to save for the wedding. Or, you could shorten your time frame by agreeing to spend less on the wedding.”

Ed and I are lucky that my parents are helping – they’re pretty much picking up the tab. However, we both would like to be free of credit card debt before the wedding. It may not happen entirely, but we’re adamant about not incurring any more debt for the sake of the wedding, operating on a pay-as-we-go basis and trying to cut some of the frills and doing a lot of research to find the best deals.