Whether it's a traditional, formal or off-the-beaten-track wedding, you're putting the whole event together yourself by planning its every phase. These days, with so much available on the Internet, it's easy! All you need is some time and a clear idea of the feeling you want to get across.

Start with a theme and you'll have a coherent image you can use throughout the entire wedding. You may be surprised, in fact, how potent just a word or concept can be, once applied as your marriage theme.

Love angels, for example? What could be more perfect than finding ways to incorporate angels in every phase of your wedding?

From the flowers to the guest favors to the vows, you can find a way to carry out the theme through the entire event. Is it to be a casual wedding of two Renaissance types? The Renaissance theme is compatible with the wedding ritual, and makes for an unforgettable event.

Getting married on February the fourteenth? Hearts and flowers are perhaps the most traditional and best beloved of all wedding themes!

When you're planning your wedding, save time to choose the music with care. Get together with whoever is providing the music and talk about the right pieces for the two of you. There is nothing that sets the tone like music, and your wedding music will live in your memories for the rest of your lives.

The rings, the vows, the wardrobeall the choices you must make to create an intimately personal expression of your love, are made so much easier by following a theme. But the idea behind it all is what counts.

You can choose one word to describe the spirit you wish to be your wedding, as if the coming together of two hearts creates a separate entity with one quality.

Is it joy? Is it contentment? Is it a giddy, bubbly, mirthful adoration? Pick a word or a phrase and keep it in mind. It'll tie everything together and make the experience more perfect. And your wedding theme can become a foundation throughout your marriage.

For your wedding.

For each other.

For your life.