getting married 101: *how* do you get married?

for the average human, getting married probably ranks near the top of the list when it comes to life-changing decisions, maybe only second to having a kid. luckily for us, we had enough time to think, figure things out, and plan. but then again, you (hopefully) only get married once, and you obviously want it to be perfect, and there's a lifetime of expectations built by relatives, friends, and even colleagues... a perfect recipe for craziness!

and so, for the benefit of everyone, here's a quick guide to getting married. it's obviously incomplete, since we aren't exactly there yet, but we're close enough now :D

here's how you go about getting married (our list, so far):

1. get yourself a partner
2. make sure it's gonna last forever
3. propose! do it however you want, it doesn't have to be crazy, but it has to be you. take plenty of photos, cos you don't want to forget this moment anytime soon ;)
4. fix the date - it's hard to fix everything else without a date, at least an approximate one!
5. broach the subject with each others' families, if you haven't done it yet - makes life a lot easier.
6. tell your friends - nothing like excited, enthusiastic friends to motivate you to get your act together!
7. budget - atleast an approximate one. don't overspend, your life after the big day is probably not going to be much fun if you're broke!
8. make a to-do list. start off with the list of someone else who recently got married, and preferable in a similar style and budget as you're planning to.
9. fix the venue. all up to you, but keep in mind the budget, your convenience and the convenience of your guests. destination weddings are beautiful and awesome, but they don't come cheap (unless your family lives at the destination :D) and can be a pain to coordinate unless you have a wedding planner at the destination.
10. get an approximate guest count. you're bound to miss out people on the first count, so don't bother getting it accurate. a ballpark will do.
11. fix the exact date, and if it's gonna be a huge affair, the number of days.
12. book the venue. a ground/hall/whatever have you. make sure it can accommodate your guests comfortably. work out a deal for photographer(s), catering, decor, and if it's a destination wedding, stay and transport.
13. send out a "save the date" (optional) - important if you have people traveling from far away, or it's a destination wedding.
14. book your leave at your workplace. factor in your honeymoon, and a few days off before the wedding.
15. plan/book your honeymoon
16. inform your entourage, let them know if they will be helping out with any of the planning, preparation, etc
17. start getting your card, electronic invitations, and website (optional) designed
18. start shopping for outfits, accessories, entourage outfits, etc. if you're getting them tailor-made, get your design etc fixed, but get the size finalized no more than two months before the wedding.
19. start figuring your stay after marriage. setting up can take a while, and you want your new place to be ready to move in right after the big day!
20. send your invites out
21. start checking the rest of your to-do! don't underestimate the small things.