After all the planning, organizing, shopping, and showers, there are still a few important things to remember to guarantee a truly successful wedding day.

Many brides - and many more mothers of the bride - make the common mistake of trying to do everything themselves. This is a day for you to celebrate and cherish. It is well worth the expense to hire professionals, from florists to bakers to cleaning crews. It is especially important to hire servers if you will be doing the food for your wedding.

Of course, there may be some aspect of the wedding that you wish to handle yourself, whether it is creating handmade favors or making the wedding veil, but do not try to do it all. It is especially important to have help with the food. The mother of the bride and other family members should be free to mingle with the guests and help the bride enjoy her day, and not be stuck behind the scenes in the kitchen. If you overload yourself you will be stressed out and will miss the joy of one of the most memorable days in your life.

Partly because your wedding day is such an all-important day that you have dreamed of all your life, and partly because it is such a huge organizational challenge, it inevitably brings about a lot of stress. Don't get so caught up in the stress and worry that you forget to enjoy the day. If you've planned and coordinated everything in advance, and enlisted the right help, by the time the event has actually arrived there is probably little more you can do. Try to relax and enjoy yourself. You are surrounded with friends and loved ones celebrating a joyful event in your life. If little things go wrong - which they almost inevitably will - think of them as great stories to laugh about rather than being distressed by them. Relax and laugh. Enjoy your special day.

You should also consider ways to relax in the days before the wedding. Such things as getting a professional massage, making sure you are getting enough sleep, and setting a time to go to lunch with your sweetheart and not talk about wedding plans will help you reach your wedding day happy, refreshed, and beautiful.

It is so easy to get caught up in all the coordinating and work of putting together a wedding that at times you can lose sight of what's really important. Remember that it is the marriage, not the wedding reception, that is what this is all about.

Be patient with your family during your engagement and wedding planning process. Realize this is an emotional time for everyone and those people closest to you are just trying to help. They also may be worried about how all the new relationships are going to work once you are married. Your marriage affects a lot of people besides you and your future husband. And remember, everyone feels exasperated with their in-laws at one time or another!

Don't let the celebration overshadow the eternal significance of the day. When you keep your focus on your fiance and the commitment you are making to each other, little complications won't really seem that important.