WELCOME TO YOUR ONE-STOP resource for everything you need to know to plan your big day. In it, you’ll find:

• a countdown calendar that walks you through everything that has to happen from the time you get engaged up to your special day;
• tips on announcing your engagement, sending out invitations, hiring a photographer, reception etiquette;
• gift ideas for everyone in your wedding party;
• helpful lists (schedule, budget, etc.);
• …and much, much more!

YOU’ll ALSO FIND a gift registry workbook (just flip the magazine over to find it) from The Bay and Home Outfitters National Gift Registry that will help you decide what you need for your home, room by room.

BEFORE YOU GO any further, though, sit down with your fiancé/fiancée and decide what your expectations are for your wedding. (Check out our profiles of real weddings in “Real Couples, Real Traditions,” and “Wedding Style,” for ideas and to discover your personal wedding style.) Then jot down your seven main priorities, and as your planning progresses keep coming back to this as a reminder of what’s most important to you two on your big day. Good luck and congratulations!

The 7 main priorities for our wedding are...