A good friend shared an article with me the other day about this awesome woman, Meg Keene, author of the new book A Practical Wedding: Creative Ideas for Planning a Beautiful, Affordable, and Meaningful Celebration. She is totally cool, smart and truly knows whats up. Her website was created to share thoughts and ideas about planning her own 2009 wedding and it turned into a whirlwind of savvy advice, great ideas, DIY projects and more.

Her take on weddings is right up my alley, all the stuff that comes with planning is fun and nice but realistically, it doesn’t matter much. The main thing to keep in mind: how we spend our money is more important than how much we spend. I couldn’t agree with this more! Here are a few tips she highly recommends:

1. Spend your money to support your values – this pretty much means to support what you love and who you admire, especially now. There may not be another time when you have a big budget like this so spread the love.

2. Make it yours, and then let it go – create a wedding that fits you and your partner but don’t stress the small stuff. Most people won’t see your vision like you do so, do the best you can but let it go after that. Everything you include will pretty much tell your guests a little about you both so allow the process to be fun because it only happens once.

3. Spend your money on things you care about and cut the rest – focus on the things that you really feel are important to make the wedding unforgettable. If having the band or dj will make all the difference than splurge on that and cut out some other things. If a decision is between a really expensive dress or an all vegan/organic menu go with the great food, especially if its important to you to spread that kind of compassionate message. The dress will be never be worn again but the menu will encourage your guests to think about something positive and for that reason alone, its all worth it.

Meg states that it all comes down to how the day feels, not how it looks. Although that is a big part of a wedding, it should not distract you from what really matters. Your wedding day is about the love you share with that special someone, period. Sharing your vows in front of your family and friends is a bonus and surrounding yourself with pretty things is a luxury. Have fun, take a breathe and get ready for the ride.

{Read more from Meg on her website. I recommend you check this one out: What I Learned About Money When Planning My Wedding}