Every bride wants her wedding to be the most wonderful day of her life. However, perfect weddings require careful planning, whether the bride and groom are planning a traditional wedding or just a registry office ceremony. Paying for the wedding, which is always a problem, will partly decide the choice.

    The bride's clothes, which are usually expensive, require careful selection. Many brides choose to wear a white wedding dress for a Western ceremony, and a red Chinese wedding gown for a traditional evening banquet. Both are costly to buy, but there are shops from which they can be hired.  These can also supply the groom's outfits(服装): a dinner jacket for the Western ceremony and traditional Chinese clothes for the banquet.

    Flowers are important to most weddings. The bride and the bridesmaids usually carry bouquets. Centuries ago, Western brides carried bunches of flowers, some of which were bad-smelling, to keep evil spirits away. Nowadays, couples prefer more fragrant flowers, so they should contact a good florist(花商).

    The wedding stationery(婚礼用品) may include invitations, photo albums, menus, etc. The best idea is that the couple consult a specialist printer, who can give helpful advice.

    Many people travel to a wedding by car. It would be terrible if the car broke down on the way to the ceremony, so the couple should remember to book a good limousine(豪华轿车).

    After the wedding, the bride and groom may have a traditional banquet or a Western-style reception. We suggest that they reserve the restaurant and select the menu months before the wedding. People who want to be different could hold the event in a park or on a boat.

    Years afterwards, the married couple will want to look back at their wedding photos. It is essential that they resist the temptation to ask a favourite uncle to take the photographs. Otherwise, later, they may wish that they had booked a photographer who specializes in weddings.

    The couple should also think about the place where the photographer will take the photos. It does not always have to be on the steps of the registry office. For example, one couple decided to have theirs taken in a swimming pool!