If you have your heart set on a certain destination, you'll probably find honeymoon helps set date for you. Chances are, some dates are good for travel but others involve risk of hurricanes or lengthy rains.

Limited budget

For now, winter is slow wedding season. So it's often (though not always) true that you can get a break on expenses by having your ceremony during holidays. Brides often find that by marrying near Christmas, they benefit from already-decorated churches and don't need to add much themselves. Plus, if they shop year before, they can stock up on decorations at incredibly discounted post-holiday sales. The trick is to avoid competing with office parties for reception venues and limousines (New Year's Eve is particularly competitive).

Another factor to consider, besides possibility of dismal weather, is how many guests are due from out-of-town. Flying in for a holiday wedding can strain any family's Christmas budget, plus airlines often charge extra during season.

If you need to keep expenses in check but want to avoid winter, make sure you steer clear of proms, graduation, "parents' day" at colleges, major sporting events and other local events.

"Life" dates

You might find your own life gives more guidance than you think. Are you a teacher, with set vacation times? Are you graduating from college or ending an internship? Are many of your relations students, available only during holidays or summer? If you're working, is your vacation time limited to a certain time of year? If many guests are flying in, will Labor Day weekend or Memorial Day weekend give them time to get acclimated and enjoy your big day? If none of these apply, is there a date that has special significance to you as a couple, such as date you first met or first dated?

"Auspicious" dates

Many people find little extra jolt of comfort in picking auspicious days for their wedding. In India and China, this is standard practice. But even in West, people often find it reassuring to pick numbers or dates with personal meaning. A Chinese custom is to select a date with as many even numbers as possible (such as 2-18-2006). The Irish believed that New Year's Eve is luckiest for weddings. The Romans (and consequently, modern westerners) favored month of June. For Victorians, it was lucky to marry on groom's birthday.

Q: When I signed up at Store X, they gave me a bunch of attractive registry cards to enclose with my wedding invitations. Should I do it, or is that tacky?

A: Sorry, but consensus is almost universal -- it's uncouth to include any mention of gifts in your invitations. You can, however, tuck those cards into shower invitations. Perhaps best solution is to include a note in your invitations that reads, "Please see our wedding web site at www.xyz.com" and place your registry information there.

Q: How many gifts should I register for? I don't want to look demanding.

A: Typically, you'll want to select two or three items per guest. That gives people room to choose instead of locking them into something they don't enjoy buying, or worse, forcing them to guess what else you might like, giving birth to “second yogurt maker” type of gift.

If you have many guests, you can avoid creating a 16-page monstrosity for them to print out by breaking up your registry over several stores.

At end of day, “more is more.” Many retailers offer discounts on those items you registered for but didn't receive. Many stores also retain your registry for at least 12 months after wedding. You may find it's best to register for everything that you plan to buy, even if you don't expect to get it as a gift; you can then purchase your selections for 10% or 20% off after ceremony. Many brides also find friends and family tapping registries for gift buying ideas for birthdays and other holidays!

Q: What price range should I stick with when selecting items?

A: Generally, you should register for things you really feel you want or need, without worrying too much about price. Some guests enjoy picking up a number of items in low price range, and sometimes guests will group together to purchase bigger-ticket items.

Q: I've set up my registry just fine, but now I’m addicted to checking it online. How can I stop?

A: Sorry, there's no known antidote for registry-checking addiction, though it's a widespread phenomenon. Counting to ten, taking deep breaths or distracting yourself with double-fudge ice cream might be worth a shot.