Here are some Wedding tips that we have picked up or learned from others that we thought where of interest.

· Just say no to the Cell Phone. Etiquette experts suggest a sign in the foyer or a polite note in the wedding program asking that all electronic devices be turned off during the ceremony.

· Timing is everything. Gone are the days when a wedding was the entire focus of a bride's life for a year or more. Time-pressed working brides squeeze dress-fittings, flower-shopping and cake-tastings into weekends and lunch hours. With busy lives it is better to start preparations earlier than ever. Order your invites three to six months before the ceremony. Then maybe hire someone and give yourself a month or more to do all that writing, sealing and stamping.

· Out of sight, off the guest list? Chances are the modern bride is also a mobile bride, whose career has caused her to move at least once. Will family and friends back home view an invitation to a far-away wedding as a transparent plea for presents? Or will they be crushed if they're left off the list? The best policy, say the experts, is to invite your nearest and dearest no matter how far you've roamed. Sending a "save the date" card a few months before the invitations go out can help you get some early feedback about whether people will actually be able to attend.

· Is it the thought -- or the cost -- that counts? Of course it's rude to put a price tag on your guests' presence. Asking for cash remains a no-no and though it's become trendy to enclose a card from your registry with shower and wedding invitations, the pros say it's tacky. Word of mouth is still the proper way to steer guests to your favorite store.

· Programs: Especially in mixed marriages, in which one ceremony incorporates different ethnic, religious and cultural traditions, guests appreciate a brochure or program explaining the significance of the customs and rituals they'll witness.

· Down the Aisle: Just because millions of brides have done it is no reason to think you must do the traditional walk. Some brides choose to have both their parents escort them to the altar. Another twist: Some brides and grooms meet each other halfway down the aisle; when the officiant asks who gives the bride or couple to be married, everyone in attendance says, "We do." This is where the program is helpful.

· Family Matters: Include family and friends in your ceremony in any number of ways. They can light candles, read a love sonnet, even sing a song. One bride had her cousin play a flute solo.

· The Bridal Bouquet: One wedding planner recalled a bride who started at the back of the church without a bouquet but picked up 20 or so blooms along her way to the alter, gathering each one from a specially designated friend or relative.

· Worth a Thousand Words: Don't let a photographer take the cookie-cutter approach to the most important day of your life. Plan specific creative shots you'll cherish forever. Take picures of each other where the wedding is going to take place to see special shots. This could be a good date and help with the confusion of where to go after the ceremony.

· Embrace Your African Heritage: More couples than ever want to honor their African roots by "jumping the broom." Have your Guests write wishes on ribbons that are attached to the broom (which could be included in the invitation and they tie it to the broom), and Bride and Groom hold the broom up to sweep away the past and jump over it to prepare for their new life.

· Create a personalized newsletter. It can include everything from the courtship story and profiles of those in the wedding party, to a complete schedule of wedding events. Your local copy shop can help you put together a 4 page or 8 page newsletter, fold it and help prepare it for mailing.