The Top 10 Mistakes Brides Make Regarding Money

He pays for the honeymoon. She pays for the flowers. They both apply for a mortgage. Figuring out who antes up for what wedding-related expense is just half the battle.

Securing the best suppliers, getting contracts signed and ensuring the bills get paid on time can be among the most challenging tasks facing a bride and groom.

To survive, the bride-to-be must serve as her own chief financial officer. In her book, How to Plan an Elegant Wedding in 6 Months or Less, wedding expert Sharon Naylor points out the biggest mistakes brides make when it comes to money matters. Avoid the following financial mis-steps at all costs:

1. Asking unreliable friends to take on a wedding day task, only to have it botched
2. Planning to cater the wedding themselves
3. Ordering a gown with delivery scheduled too close to the wedding date (A delayed delivery could mean you're out a dress!)
4. Taking the first available vendor rather than researching the options (That's the best way to get scammed!)
5. Not getting referrals from friends
6. Waiting too long to book sites or services
7. Not reading contracts carefully
8. Making decisions in haste or out of frustration
9. Planning too elaborate a wedding for the amount of preparation time
10. Being unorganized: for example, forgetting whether or not deposits were placed, paying twice, or losing contracts (Your life can get hectic during these few months of planning, so have a good organizing system and stay on top of it!)

-- From How to Plan an Elegant Wedding in 6 Months or Less, by Sharon Naylor (Prima Home, 2000) $16.95. Reprinted with permission