We are almost to that most glorious of all seasons: Christmas.

The Duchess loves Christmas because of all the wonder, the decorations, the gifts and those wonderful engagement rings. The Duchess loves sparkle, don't you?

When you get your ring, what do you do after you say "Yes"?

Well, the first thing you do is decide how many guests you are going to invite. I know, I know, you think I've lost my mind...you have to get the church and the reception hall...well, sweetie, how are you going to do that if you don't have any idea how many guests will be coming??

See, when you stop to think about it; it makes sense.

Then you have to decide on your budget. WOW. That is the hard part. The Duchess hates this part, but we have to do it. Otherwise, we will just go crazy and spend our new house down payment. Then your wonderful new fiancee will not be happy with us.

The third thing, if you are really smart, is to hire a wedding planner. I can hear all those gasps, all those statements, "I can't afford a wedding planner". Sweeties, in today's world, you can't afford not to have a planner.

If you find the right one, a planner will save you money, time and stress. A planner will find the best vendors for the budget and ones that fit with your theme. A Planner will negotiate contracts...don't you just hate to have to tell people that their services cost too much; a planner will do that for you. Isn't that worth hiring one?