• Plan your perfect church wedding.bride and groom and church image by Pavel Losevsky from Fotolia.com
  
  Prior to having your church wedding ceremony, you must complete several steps. Your minister may require the bride and groom to complete extensive religious preparation. For Catholic weddings, you must inform the church at least six months prior to your wedding. Additionally, you must follow church protocol regarding tradition and decoration, which will influence the types of flowers, music and photography choices you make for your wedding. Use a checklist to have the church wedding of your dreams.
  
  

Minister

• Discuss your intention to marry with the minister at the church you attend or with the church secretary from the church where you are interested in having your ceremony. Inquire about any premarital counseling or religious steps that you must complete prior to your ceremony. Reserve the minister's services and book the church for your wedding date through the church office.
  
  

Attire

• Begin shopping for your wedding dress as early as one year before your wedding. Stop by a local dress shop and try on different styles to determine your preferences and which type of dress flatters your figure best. Also consider purchasing a dress with a chapel or cathedral train, as this is customary in church weddings. Shop at other boutiques, until you find the right dress for you. Order your dress, bridesmaids' dresses, groom's tuxedo and tuxedos for the groomsmen. Schedule alterations as necessary.
  
  

Guest List

• Complete a guest list with your fiance. Include all close family members and friends. The more people you invite, the more expensive your wedding tends to be. Also remember that the wedding planning process is a great time to work on the compromising skills you will need during your marriage.
  
  

Music

• Determine the type of music you would like to have for your wedding. Choose between a traditional organist, an orchestra, solo musician or vocalist. Arrange a rehearsal time if you are considering several musicians. Book the services for the person or group that you like the most. Discuss music selections and other expectations--such as attire or volume level--with the musician. Be aware that many churches have strict guidelines concerning music, and your church may require that you only use religious music, rather than contemporary music.
  
  

Flowers

• Contact your florist to arrange for your ceremony flowers. Peruse books of previous weddings at the florist shop; scour bridal magazines and Internet images for pictures of bridal bouquets. Order flowers for your bridal bouquet, bridesmaids bouquets, boutonnieres, mothers' corsages, pew decorations and flowers for the altar area. Check with your church for any restrictions, such as not removing flowers from the altar area or not using any type of pew holder that can damage the pew. Other churches also prohibit you from using large arrangements that block guests' views of the altar area.
  
  

Readings

• Schedule a meeting with your minister. Discuss which readings have special significance to your future spouse and yourself. Also discuss whether you will use traditional vows or recite your own. Mention any special moments you want to add to the ceremony, such as a unity ceremony or an opportunity to unite your families. You may want to add a sand ceremony, where a member from each side of the family mixes a different colored sand together, until all of the sand particles mix together in a symbol of cohesion.
  
  

Invitations

• Order and complete your invitations. Consider purchasing invitations that demonstrate your religious commitment, such as invitations with a cross or a Bible verse on them. Mail the invitations out six to eight weeks prior to your nuptials.
  
  

Seating

• Determine where your guests will sit. The bride's mother and father usually sit on the first pew on the left hand side of the church, unless they are divorced; if that is the case, the father would sit a few pews back. The groom's mother and father usually sit on the pew on the right hand side of the church. Subsequent guests usually sit on the right hand side, if they represent the groom's side; they sit on the left hand side of the church, if they represent the bride's side. If there is a large discrepancy between the amount of guests that are attending for the bride versus those attending for the groom, instruct your ushers to seat the guests equally amongst the pews.
  
  

Marriage License

• Go to your local county clerk's office and apply for your marriage license. Bring proof of identification. Pay the applicable fee. If you live in Arkansas, Louisiana or Arizona, consider applying for a covenant marriage license, which is a license more deeply rooted in religion that prevents you from getting a frivolous divorce.