WEDDING CHECKLIST - 3 Months To Countdown

Hall Arrangements and DécorHave you chosen the place of ceremony and reception hall? Have you made bookings? If you have not,
 

DO IT NOW!Have you ordered the flowers and décor? Have you booked the caterer? Have you booked the band? If you are having it in hotel, have you made the booking and made deposit? Have you chosen the menu? Have you booked the wedding car? Have you this and have you that – the list is endless. If not

 

DO IT NOWHave you ordered the groom and bride attire? What about the pageboy, bridesmaid, bestman, flower boys? Have you bought the jewellery? Shoes? Have you made reservations for the Honeymoon? In the first place you decided where you would like to go? Do not wait!!!

 

1 Month To CountdownYou only have one more month to the wedding. In other words, it is only four weeks. In other words still, you have only 28 days. Do you have everything in place? Have you sent out all your invitations? What? You have not finalised your guest list? Do you think everybody has nothing better to do than wait for you to get married?
You had better send out your invitations now and give enough time for your invitees to schedule their time.
Oh Yes! One more thing! Do not waste your time with `RSVP' Nobody bothers to reply – not in this country anyway. It would be best to follow up by phone calls to every of your invitees and confirm with them. Only then will you able to finalise your guest list and make all arrangements.
Order the Wedding Cake now!
Do your final fitting for your gown and other attire, both the bride and groom and their attendants.
Do you need to arrange for lodging for outstation guests? DO IT NOW!
 
2 Weeks to Countdown - Make arrangements for the marriage licence and registration. Do not goof on this one. There are people who have been `married' for years with children but their marriage was not registered and legally they are not deemed to be married.
1 Week To Countdown - You may not be married yet, but it would be wise to start packing for the honeymoon. Once the ceremony is all over, and with relatives and friends swarming all over the place, you will not have time for anything.
Last day - REST! DO NOTHING ELSE. BE ROMANTIC AND CUDDLE EACH OTHER. SAY NICE THINGS TO EACH OTHER!
With all the pressure, I am sure many a quarrel would have ensued between you and your sweetheart.

If you have your checklist in place and use it as your guide,

CONGRATULATIONS!

You are ready to be married.

WEDDING CHECKLIST - 6 Months To Countdown

Select a Wedding Date and Time

• When your sweetheart and you have finally agreed to tie the nuptial knot, first and foremost choose an appropriate date and time for the wedding. Enough cannot be said about this. You want to have a wedding when most if not all your invited guests should be able to attend the ceremony. Do not for example have it on a day when everyone would rather stay at home and watch the soccer final. Most preferred days are Saturdays or Sundays. Any other day is also fine, but it would be better if it were not a working day. Of course you could consult the stars to see your ` lucky day' , but if you are not the type to believe in such things, choose a day where most people would be able to attend.

2. Discuss Your Budget

• You must know how much both parties are willing to contribute towards the expenses of the entire wedding, reception, attire, etc. Knowing how much you have and budgeting is necessary so that you do not run into the red. Allocate how much you are willing to spend on each item, and do not over spend. Have an item called Miscellaneous. If ever you do over spend, you can take funds from your miscellaneous account.

3. Discuss and Choose Location

• Choose a location that you both like. Infact, in our Asian cultures other family members and friends can also participate in the planning stages of your marriage and it can be more fun. In western culture, the couple decide everything on their own, and though this ensures privacy and non-meddling from others, I do not see `the happy family getting involved' environment.  In the villages, and this is not peculiar to the East, the whole village celebrates, even in the West.

4. Things To Finalise

• 6 months before the Wedding day is not very far away. Start preparing now. Do not wait till the last minute as is so popular with Malaysians. It is now time to choose your wedding attire and place orders. Choose and buy your jewellery and other ornaments. Order other accessories that you would I repeat – Do not wait till the last minute!
• There is nothing wrong in having a written checklist and checking it off everytime something has been done. Add and subtract to the list as you see fit. Let the checklist be your ultimate guide to a successful wedding.

WEDDING CHECKLIST

6-10 Months

1. Set the date
2. Determine the type of wedding you want.  If you intend to have your wedding solemnized by your religious leaders, consult them on this.
3. Check with the Civil Registry that grants marriage licenses and follow their instructions.
4. Discuss the budget with your fiance as well as with both families.
5. Telephone the Catering Sales Manager to discuss the wedding packages available.  Make early reservations to avoid disappointment.
6. Choose the bridesmaid and bestman.
7. Meet with florist and photographer to discuss budgets and options.
8. Select your dress, veil, formal wear gown and going away dress.
9. Choose the bridesmaid's gown and the groomsmen's attire.
10. Decide on the number of guests and make a list.
11. Decide where you will be living after the wedding. If you are moving into your own home, you will also have to plan to furnish and decorate your new home so that it will be ready in time. (Back To Top)
    
     

4-6 Months

1. Mail the invitations and announcements.
2. Write thank you notes as gifts arrive.
3. Prepare the wedding thanksgiving speech.
4. arrange for a second fitting of your wedding gown and formal wear.
5. Put finishing touches to your new home home or your matrimonial room if you live with either parents.(Back To Top)
    

3-6 Months

1. Meet with your religious officials to discuss the service and premarital counseling which many places of worship require.
2. Order the invitations, announcements and personal stationery.
3. Make honeymoon plans and reservations.
4. Make accommodation arrangements for out-of-town guests.
5. Choose and order your wedding rings.
6. See your doctor for a complete physical.
7. Help both mothers select their dresses for the wedding.
8. Ensure Civil Registry's instructions on marriage registration are carried out.
9. If immunisations are necessary for the honeymoon abroad, arrange for them.
10. Check on validity of passports.
11. Compile a list of wedding presents.
12. Confirm wedding ceremony arrangements.
13. Appoint a master-of-ceremony.
14. Co-ordinate colours of dress, flowers, cakes, etc.(Back To Top)
     

 
2-4 Months

1. Arrange a display of wedding gifts.
2. Confirm accommodation arrangements for out-of-town guests.
3. Submit wedding announcements to the newspapers.
4. Schedule a pre-wedding appointment with your hairstylist and make-up artist.
5. Come to the hotel and review all the final details with the Catering Sales Manager .  Confirm the number of guests expected.  Place seating arrangements.
6. Do a final check with the photographer, car-hire company and cake-maker to make sure the bookings are in order.  If it's a church wedding, time the journey to the church.
7. Make sure you have assembled any new or special outfits for your honeymoon and check swimsuit and suitcase.
8. Groom, bestman, fathers and ushers should make arrangements for the hire of the clothes, or double check that their own are in good order.
9. Arrange rehearsals for the wedding party.(Back To Top)
   
    

 
7 Days

1. Notify the Catering Sales Manager of the final number of guests and check on reception/dinner plans.
2. Go over the final details with the florist, photographer and musicians.
3. Confirm honeymoon and travel arrangements and begin packing.
4. Make certain rehearsals are carried out and that any hitches are taken care of immediately.  Give gifts at rehearsals.
5. Make certain your guests have directions and know accommodation arrangements.(Back To Top)
    

 
1 Day

1. Greet out-of-town guests as they arrive or arrange for them to be met directed to their accommodation.
2. Pack everything you will need at the wedding venue. 
3. Make sure you have all bridal accessories, spare pantyhose, safety pins and other emergency items.
4. Find a quiet moment to exchange gifts between you and your husband-to be.
5. Take going-away clothes to the Hotel the night before the wedding and make arrangements for the bestman to pick up your honeymoon luggage.(Back To Top)
    

 
The Big Day

1. See you hairstylist and make-up artist for the final beauty preparations.
2. Have a good breakfast so you won't have butterflies in your stomach.
3. Relax, smile and thank everyone for his/her help.
4. Most of all, enjoy the celebrations you have worked so long and hard to plan for.(Back To Top)
    

 
After The Wedding

1. It's easy to forget that life does not stop after the ceremony.  Someone will have to tie up the loose ends of the arrangements while you are away on you honeymoon.(Back To Top)

 
Ask Family and Friends

1. Check your wedding clothes after you have changed into going-away clothes and return them to your home or hire company.
2. Send wedding cake to those who could not attend the wedding.
3. Pack the wedding presents if on display or given to you at the reception and have them delivered as possible.
4. Send the wedding pictures for development.

Get out of the rut

IT TAKES courage to close the gap between what we are and what we should be. Let us take a good look at the habits which mould our personality.
Are we slaves to our habits? "I never used to be like this before. Why can’t I stop this bad habit? Have I no willpower to change?" These are some of the questions we ask ourselves.
We are not born with a bottle or cigarette in our mouth. Rather, these actions are picked up by keeping the company of friends who smoke and drink.
Such bad habits upset the smooth and harmonious functioning of various organs of the body, resulting in the weakening of the defense mechanism of the body, thereby leading to many diseases.
Habits control us. We create habits but soon become slaves to them. We can break free, but it takes conscious effort to reverse the trend. It is important to find positive replacements for our weak habits and make the transformation a worthwhile and rewarding experience.
Whenever we replace negative habits with positive ones, we should remember our previous accomplishments so that they can energise us for the new effort.
Step outside your comfort zone. Walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator; accept a new responsibility; take a risk.
We become creatures of habit too easily. If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always get. Don’t let life pass you by – get out of the rut.

Do revert with your thoughts...

"The Relationship of Achievement Motivation to Entrepreneurial Behaviour : A Meta Analysis", CJCollins et al, Human Performance 17(1) 2004, Pp 95-117
In this well researched paper, the authors examine what motivates some people to become entrepreneurs and more important, what makes them successful. The study was done on other studies done on this theme by several researches over a period of time. Some key points -

1. Entrepreneurship includes both owners of small business and other managers (in larger companies) with decision making responsibilities.

2. Entrepreneurs, especially successful ones have a higher degree of achievement motivation in both the occupation they choose and their performance in it. This motivation for achievement is therefore an important characteristic for successful entrepreneurs.

3. Multiple methods of measuring achievement motivation of people are recommended. Individuals with such a high achievement motivation are likely to be attracted to occupations that offer high degrees of control over outcomes, personal responsibility , feedback on performance and a moderate degree of risk. By extrapolation, these 4 become ways to nurture entrepreneurship as well.

4. The studies were of only successful entrepreneurs. Other variables that influenced business success were - goal setting, belief in self efficacy, vision, business strategies, skills, and environment. Some had direct effects and others had indirect effects some had both.

Comprehensive Estimation - An Eye Opener

Estimation is a critical planning activity in the life cycle of a project. With the IT industry and engineering processes still considerably immature, estimation still continues to be a challenge. "It is based on estimations that budgets and commitments are made." Standish Group Research, in their latest edition, reports that more than 50% projects overshoot their estimates. What could be the reason? Well, in my thought, this is because project managers focus only on effort estimation. Various aspects like size, effort, schedule, cost, and so on need to be considered for comprehensive estimation.The below listed points bring out some salient features of comprehensive estimation:

The Size of the application provides a sense of estimates. The industry provides a variety of techniques to estimate the size based on project types (like development, maintenance and so on). Development projects make use of FP or cosmic FFP to estimate the size of the application to be developed. Use-case based estimation is also used in some cases. FTE estimation is widely used in a maintenance scenario. More recently, NESMA FP is being used for the same purpose.

Effort Estimation considers the productivity and size. Selection of the right productivity data determines the success factor. This productivity depends on various factors - such as people skills, process maturity, and so on. Every organization has to come up with standard productivity data for every variant of project type. They have to make use of the past data and organizational skills set and decide on the target productivity.
Estimation of the Right Timeframe (Schedule) for the execution of the project is a key facet in estimation. The schedule for a project needs to include factors - such as people leveling, critical path identification, applying crashing or fast- tracking appropriately, and so on. Identifying all important activities form the key to the success of this activity.

Cost Estimation not only includes the effort cost, but also involves various cost factors associated with the life cycle of the project for budget. Budgeting becomes an important activity during the course of the project. Every modification to a requirement requires proper analysis of impact right from size to cost.

Though the above points paint a comprehensive picture, there are other dimensions as well. For example, defect estimation, based on a prediction model, helps the project management to perform objective gating during the course of the project. It may also happen that after defect estimation, the project manager would like to revisit the effort estimation or schedule estimation. Hence, the comprehensive estimation revolves in a cycle, considering all these aspects hand-in-hand. Once the cycle is stabilized, the estimation is recorded and validated with all stakeholders.

Monitoring these estimates happens to be yet another activity throughout all the life cycle phases, as a means to understand and predict risks effectively. Any variation from estimations have to be identified, analyzed and acted upon at the right time, so as to ensure success of the project. A well planned project is half complete. Comprehensive estimation paves the way for the execution of a well planned project. To know more details on comprehensive estimation, please enroll into the Infosys Certification for IT Project Management. This course covers the topic in-depth, providing IT related examples and case studies.

Royal Wedding Prince William and Kate Middleton

The Wedding Carriage
Kate Middleton’s first journey as a princess will be in the very same carriage in which Princess Diana and Prince Charles rode on their wedding day.
It’s called the 1902 State Landau and will carry the newly married couple past the huge crowds expected to line the route from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace after their wedding on 29 April.

Official Royal Wedding Souvenirs
While for the souvenir, the bride and groom, officially approved a set of three English fine bone china commemorative items to be sold through the royal family’s official online shop.

Royal Wedding Commemorative Coins
The Treasury of the Falklands Islands Government have authorized the striking of a commemorative coin to mark the wedding of Prince William of Wales to his fiancee Miss Catherine Middleton on the 29th April 2011.
The coin is minted by the Pobjoy Mint and carries a face value of One Crown (25 pence). The reverse of the coin shows conjoined portraits of the royal couple looking to the left along with the text “PRINCE WILLIAM & CATHERINE MIDDLETON WEDDING 29 APRIL 2011” and the coin’s value which is placed below the portraits. The obverse of the coin carries a head and shoulders variation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley along with the year of the coin’s issue, 2011.

Still, there are many that are not release yet, like who will be making Kate Middleton’s wedding dress? As well as the cake and the Prince’s tux. Therefore, let’s wait and see…

Wedding Congratulation Messages / Wedding Wishes Messages

Imagine atteding to a wedding without a words of congratulation or wishes is weird. Therefore, it is important for you to express you words of congratulations for your buddy wedding.
Below are step-by-step on how to write a wedding congratulation messages/ wedding wishes messages.

Specific ObjectivesFirstly, you must know what is the objective for writing the wedding congratulation message.

Context and taskYour old best friend of your twin school got married. As a friendship symbolic, you have been asked by he/she to write a congratulation message.
Performing the task* Search: Use Google to find examples of congratulation messages. …You can write simple words like: “wedding”, “congratulations” …
* Writing: Try to adapt the texts you find to your context.
* Revision: To check certain expressions; their usage and frequency use the advanced search of Google. …

To do this, choose the advanced search and in the field ‘exact phrase’ write a short part of your text.
The number and the context of the occurrences will help you to correct that part of your text.
* Final correction:If you want to make sure that your text is correct, and it is French, send it to Orthonet. There it will be corrected and sent to you by email a few hours later.
* Publication: If you want, you can send your text with a virtual card.
CommentsLet his/her friends and relatives to give comment on words of congratulations for a wedding.

Here are some words of congratulations for a wedding that you can take as references.
* Happy marriages begin when we marry the one we love, and they blossom when we love the one we married.

* There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage. ~ Martin Luther* Two souls with but a single thought, Two hearts that beat as one. ~ Friedrich Halm* Two such as you with such a master speed cannot be parted nor be swept away from one another once you are agreed that life is only life forevermore together wing to wing and oar to oar. ~ Robert Frost

* To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the wedding cup, whenever you’re wrong, admit it; whenever you’re right, shut up. ~ Ogden Nash

* If two stand shoulder to shoulder against the gods, Happy together, the gods themselves are helpless Against them while they stand so. ~Maxwell Anderson

* Think not because you are now wed That all your courtship’s at an end. ~Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza

* A happy marriage is a long conversation that always seems too short. ~Andre Maurois
* Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing
matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner. ~ Amy Bloom

* The man or woman you really love will never grow old to you. Through the wrinkles of time, through the bowed frame of years, You will always see the dear face and feel The warm heart union of your eternal love. I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. ~ Rita Rudner

* You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore…. but let there be spaces in your togetherness. And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. ~ Kahlil Gibran

What are the key success factors for entrepreneurs?

The “Making of a Successful Entrepreneur” report, published by the Kauffman Foundation (November 2009), sheds light on this interesting question. The study explored the opinions of 549 successful company founders in the US on the crucial factors that led to the failure or success of their businesses.

Companies surveyed were from industries as diverse as aerospace and defense, to computer services, software and programming. Only companies that had made it past the start up stage were surveyed for the report.

The top three factors that had a major influence on whether an entrepreneur was successful were experience, management and luck, according to the company founders.

Statistics from the Kauffman Report revealed the following:

• “96 percent ranked prior work experience as an “important” success factor; 58 percent ranked this as “extremely important”.

• 88 percent said that learning from previous successes played an “important” role in their present success, and 78 percent said that learning from previous failures was similarly “important”. 40 percent of company founders claimed that lessons from failures were “extremely important” (the factor rated second highest as “extremely important”.

• 82 percent said their management team was “important” to their success. 35 percent said this was “extremely important”.

• 73 percent said that good fortune was an “important” factor in their success. 22 percent ranked this as “extremely important”.”

Interestingly enough, the majority of company founders surveyed in the report were serial entrepreneurs – i.e. those who had successfully launched two or more businesses.

As a budding entrepreneur, it is vital to learn from projects that have failed or not been as successful as hoped for. It is also important to take incremental steps that will help you progress towards your business goals.

The Report alluded to “good fortune” being an “important” success factor. If this is the case, then a question that comes to mind is whether we create our own good fortune or wait until luck comes our way?

I have always been a firm believer that it is important to take action rather than sit around and wait for good fortune to arrive. If the law of attraction via action appeals to you, it might be time to welcome some “good fortune” your way and get moving on your next business steps.

The Report revealed some of the most common barriers that prevented people from starting their own business. These barriers included the following:

Risk Taking

The factor most commonly ranked as “important” by 98% of respondees was the lack of willingness or lack of ability to take risks. In addition, 50% believed this to be an “extremely important” barrier to entrepreneurship.

Time and Effort

93% of respondees surveyed felt that the amount of time and effort required to launch a successful business was an “important” barrier to being a successful entrepreneur.

Funding

Entrepreneurs tended to use their own personal savings to fund their first business. 70% of respondents had used their personal savings as a main source of funding for their first business.

It was usually not till after their first business succeeded that entrepreneurs considered securing venture capital. On a related matter, venture capital became easier to secure for subsequent projects once the company founder had an existing successful business in operation.

Education

Only 20% of entrepreneurs ranked university education as “extremely important”.

Key Takeaways

The report has been an excellent resource in providing readers with a lowdown on the key factors of successful entrepreneurs. My key takeaways from this report were as follows:

Learn from your failures. Even better, learn from someone else’s failures.

The report suggests that experience is a key factor to success. However, if you were just starting out on your first business venture, you may not necessarily have much experience. A useful strategy to implement is to find a successful entrepreneur who would be willing to mentor you and help you avoid making the same mistakes he or she made.

Be willing to put in considerable time and effort into your business venture.

Be willing to take risks.

Save hard from your own personal finances to raise money for your first successful business venture.

The report has identified savings to be the most common method by which successful entrepreneurs have funded their own businesses, especially first time businesses.

The report identifies a good management team to be a prerequisite to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Consider developing your own management skills to run your business effectively. Each of us is equipped with a unique set of skills, so it is a good idea to identify your current skill set and any gaps that exist. That way, you have the necessary information to take action to develop necessary new skills.

Another good strategy to adopt is to hire people who can contribute good management or specialized skills to your team. As an owner of a start up, you will find out sooner or later that it’s not feasible to do everything yourself.

Don’t get hung up on whether you have an Ivy League university education.

Only 20% of entrepreneurs in the survey felt that a university education was an “extremely important” factor. Looks like coming from an Ivy League school will not guarantee your success as an entrepreneur.

Armed with some useful evidence from this report on what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur, its time to remove your own personal barriers to success and get cracking with your own business venture.

If you are already part way through your business venture, continue refining and improving upon those systems and procedures that will help your business achieve success. Taking intelligent risks, learning from your failures and getting a good management team in place will help you achieve success even faster.

Love and leadership go hand in hand

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It isn't happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love never fails.”

Paul of Tarsus

ON Valentine's Day, when love took centre-stage, my thoughts started to drift to my apartment in Dallas, situated near Love Field, the home of the “love” airline Southwest. The company's NYSE ticker symbol: LUV. The largest and only consistently profitable airline through tumultuous times, Southwest's model of success has inspired countless others, including AirAsia.

Astonishingly, Southwest founder and former leader Herb Kelleher built the entire business on love. I heard Kelleher at the tail-end of his career attributing Southwest's greatness to love, saying, “If you seek long continued success for your business, treat your people as family and lead with love.”

He named Colleen Barrett, who started her career as a legal secretary, his successor, because “she knows how to love people to success”. Barrett claims that she spends 85% of her time on her people. Kelleher adds that “an infusion of love is an essential, but oft overlooked ingredient in any business”.

According to new research, leaders who put love into their work are significantly more successful that those who rule by fear.

Interestingly, rarely is love described as a leadership competency. Yet, a lack of love in some form is generally the cause of failed leadership. We want our customers to love us and our products. We want our employees to love their jobs and their company. Yet, when we talk about leadership, we ignore love. Says leadership guru Ken Blanchard: “It might sound slightly bizarre, but one of the keys for effective leadership is to be madly in love with all the people you are leading.”

So, why is love ignored? First, love is synonymous with sex, beauty and its physical form. This makes it dicey to talk about or express love in an organisation. Furthermore, love is intangible, causing leaders to be sceptical. Most leaders fear love, believing it is about group hugs, soft mushy talk or holding hands around a company campfire singing Rasa Sayang.

But what Kelleher meant by “leading with love” means truly caring, serving and loving people both employees and customers. “We've never had layoffs,” he once declared. “Our people know that if they are sick, we will take care of them. If there are occasions or grief or joy, we will be there with them. We value them as people, not just cogs in a machine.”

He really loves his employees and customers, knowing all by name and unselfishly delighting in their well-being. Although Southwest is a low-cost airline, its salaries is on par with those of other airlines. Its employees' productivity remains the highest, allowing it to price tickets low. Its pilots spent more time flying and less time on the ground. Southwest can turn around an airplane in 20 minutes while others struggle. Its short hauls are more fuel-efficient than most big airlines' long hauls. Because the leaders at Southwest love their employees and have a “love” strategy, their employees always deliver.

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban's love for customers ultimately led him to becoming a billionaire. When it comes to customers, the owner of NBA team Dallas Mavericks, passionately believes that customers should be happy, even if it means working 24 hours a day to please them.

Love strategy for business

According to “love” guru Patch Adams, every organisation needs a “love strategy” as it delivers a better ROI (return on investment) than any other investment. According to new research, leaders who put love into their work are significantly more successful than those who rule by fear.

Great leaders are fuelled by love. They love what they do and they love the people they do it with. Indra Nooyi , CEO of PepsiCo, reinvented Pepsi by caring for people and the planet, pushing PepsiCo into becoming a “green company.”

Most business leaders have a disinclination towards embracing love as a business strategy because they are conditioned to believe leadership means being cutthroat, aggressive and mean. In their eyes, love is for sissies, and by being nice, they risk being viewed as soft and this can result in losing their grip on leadership.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Leaders who love their people are more likely to push their employees to perform at their potential through honest feedback. They raise the bar consistently just as a parent who loves their children do, disciplining them and ensuring the children face difficulties so they can learn and grow.

My yearly performance appraisals with managers who cared were never pleasant but at the end of the day, I knew exactly where I stood. Milton Mayeroff believes love is “the selfless promotion of the growth of others”.

Love is action

Love is not what you say or feel, but what you do. Mahatma Gandhi's leadership was driven by passion and action. He lived humbly because he loved people and wanted to engage with all walks of life.

Love is action. Love leads to positive thoughts, thoughts to words, and words to action. Negative emotions destroy organisations. Biologist Humberto Maturana notes that love is the only human emotion that consistently generates productive and intelligent actions.

Leaders cannot ignore feelings as leadership is emotional, dealing with dreams, passion, inspiration and love.

The opposite of love is hate. Hate manifests itself through fear. Fear restrains behaviour. Love liberates it. Fear freezes enterprise, suffocates creativity, and deters people from stretching and growing. Fear drives compliance but not commitment. Unfortunately, most of our leadership practices are fear-goaded and insidiously rooted in our work structures and culture.

Love brings success

Basketball coaching legend John Wooden, who won a record 10 NCAA titles, considers love the “most powerful thing there is”. The power of love powered his coaching career. He exclaimed: “Your players must know that you care for them more than just as athletes. Certainly, they understand that they are there because of their athletic ability. But when you have them under your supervision, it's up to you to make sure that they understand that you care for them as individuals. I've never had one I didn't love.”

John must have learnt from Sun Tzu's Art of War “... he who loves them as his own beloved sons and they will stand by him until death”.

Research shows love being more effective in driving organisational cultural shifts than visionary statements or brilliantly worded goals. Even hard-nosed leaders such as Rudy Giuliani believes that “if you don't love people, then don't be a leader”.

In studying successful leaders, we find success driven by the quality of loving relationships within an organisation. These loving relationships are seen through behaviours like compassion, commitment, care, kindness, reflection, intuition, inclusiveness and forgiveness.

Prominent leader John Hope Bryant believes there are four laws of love-based leadership for business:

l Fear fails Leading through fear is antiquated and crippling. Love is the antidote to fear.

l Love makes money Long-term loving relationships with customers and employees make everyone wealthy.

l Vulnerability is power When you open up, people open to you.

l Giving is getting Giving inspires loyalty and confers true wealth. John D. Rockefeller, regarded as the richest man ever, was governed by love and believed it was greater to give than receive. People rallied to him because he gave. He later used his wealth to build universities and fund great causes.

Military love

Surprisingly, we find high levels of trust in military leaders. Most expect fear to be the dominant leadership style but according to retired colonel Scott Snook, it boils down to love, adding “it's a deep abiding love and respect for one's comrades” that matters most in battle.

A study by sociologist Shils and Janowitz attempted to understand why soldiers fought till death and they concluded that a soldier continued to fight well beyond the point when the battle was lost “as long as he gave affection to and received affection from the other members of his squad”.

Soldiers love each other and are willing to lay down their life for each other. If love can be the touchstone of leadership in a vocation as violent as the military, then why not in business?

Snook adds that even during military training at West Point, love is emphasised continuously: Love your country, love your classmates and friends, and love the future officers you will someday serve with and love the soldiers you would someday lead. Great commanders love their troops and put their well-being above theirs.

Final thoughts

Here are some questions you can ask to help you get love into your organisation and start your journey to being a love-based leader:

1. When was the last time you did something unexpectedly nice for someone at work?

2. When was the last time you thanked or recognised someone for a particular special effort for the company?

3. Whom have you not thanked who has done something really nice or been especially helpful to you recently?

4. Who goes the extra mile routinely (for example, working late or doing things technically not part of their job) that you take for granted?

5. What are things you could do regularly to add “love” to your workplace?

6. What are actions that I can take to truly “love” my customers? (Not actions just for marketing reasons)

7. What can I do to bring fun and joy to the workplace?

Decorated army Maj-Gen John Stanford, known for extraordinary loyal troops, claimed that the secret to success is to stay in love. He said: “Staying in love gives you the fire to ignite others. A person who is not in love doesn't feel the kind of excitement that helps them to lead others. I don't know any other thing in life more exhilarating and positive a feeling than love.”

Many of us remember the dizzying joy of being in love. We need to get that energy in the workplace too. Leadership is an affair of the heart.

Love begins with you. So, this weekend, your people need you to take a good long look in the mirror and decide that your people and your organisation deserve a leader who has the courage to stand up and love them.

Young Malaysian millionaires

More and more Malaysians - especially the younger generation - are turning entrepreneurial in their bid for financial freedom. Four young Malaysians who have made it big in vastly different industries share with TAN CHOE CHOE the key to their success.

The number of new businesses registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia went up by 16 per cent - from 268,866 in 2008 to a substantial 312, 581 last year, despite a contraction in the economy.

One of the most oft-quoted reasons for an increase in the number of entrepreneurs is the success stories of others.

"There are legends like Tan Sri Robert Kuok, Datuk Tony Fernandes and others locally. Abroad, there is Microsoft's Bill Gates. In China, there are many youths turning millionaires and billionaires too. They are a source of inspiration for others," said the president of the Small Medium Industries Association of Malaysia, Chua Tiam Wee.

"The spate of financial crises in recent years, particularly the last one which left a trail of retrenchments, has also prompted many to feel that being an employee is no longer the safest or best career option. Naturally, people start to think: why not be your own boss and master of your own destiny?" adds Chua.

The prospect of working in a conventional nine-to-five job is no longer deemed "cool".

"Waking up early to go to work is no longer appealing. Our youngsters want flexibility. They want to innovate and create."

But while there are many inspiring success stories, there are also as many stories of failed ventures.

"Anyone who decides to go into business must realise that entrepreneurship is actually a 'profession' where you will be wearing many hats. You need to be skilled not only in managing the marketing side of the business but also the finances. You have to know what to do and what you can do before you decide to go into business," says Carol Yip, a personal financial coach and author of two books on financial planning -- Money Rules and Smart Money-User.

"Be alert and aware of what's going on around the world. Even something simple, if done well, can turn into a mega business," adds Yip.


Linda Onn, 33, restaurateur and celebrity

SHE never realised she had made her first million until she had spent it, or rather, invested it.

"It was just last year. It was a bit of a surprise because I didn't realise I had that much money," said the 33-year-old.

To think that she started off as an office administrator with a salary of just RM700 a month 11 years ago. Linda Onn has definitely come a long way.

"Since young, I've never been a big spender. I saved at least 50 per cent of every pay cheque I got and because I was so careful with my money, some friends called me a 'cheapskate'."

When she got TV offers and became a spokesperson for various products, her savings grew. In fact, it grew to such a point that six years ago, Linda didn't know what to do with her money.

"So I decided to go into business and open up a family restaurant because my parents had the experience and most of my family cook well."

As her career in the entertainment industry took off (she deejays, acts and hosts various radio and TV programmes), her investment into the restaurant business also bore fruit.

From only one in 2004, she is now the proud owner of five restaurants. Her success, however, came at a price.

"When you're a celebrity, there are people who will talk and create stories about you to get you down. I was called a coward when I didn't turn up for an international event. Actually, I had a wardrobe issue. There has also been a lot of gossip about my love life."

At the height of such unhappy incidents, she thought of leaving the entertainment field. "Just get married and get lost. But then I realised I should not feel down because whether I'm doing good or bad, people will still talk about me. I managed to stay strong and persevered because of my family, friends and loyal fans."

Has she managed to achieve all that she set out to do?

"I dreamt of having a house with a pool and automatic gates and me coming home in a big car. I've got them all, so yeah.

"True success, however, is being able to walk into a designer boutique and buy stuff without looking at the price tag. Being careful as always, I still look at the price tag. Maybe after this, I'll just go in and buy whatever I want."

Her recipe to success? "Count on yourself, save and invest."


Philip Lau, 31, financial agent

PHILIP Lau found out he had hit his first million when he was 28.

"I went out and bought my first Rolex," said the 31-year-old as he flashed a grin.

Founder of Jazz Capital, a financial sales agency that focuses primarily on insurance and savings products, as well as bank loans and mortgages, Lau's agency is now the authorised agent for some of the most reputable financial institutions in town.

Although his agency is only five years old, there are already some 300 agents in its employ.

What is his recipe for success?

"It's just three simple steps: one -- have a clear plan on what you want to achieve in both the short and long term. Two -- execute your plan accordingly and make periodic reviews for improvements, and three -- stay focused and be passionate."

Having a good understanding of the various financial products out there has also enabled him to make good investment choices along the way.

"I think that's the bonus of being in this line. We know what we sell and when it's a good one, we can also seize the opportunity to invest."

Lau believes his wealth and success today is made possible through careful planning. "But it is also with God's blessing."

But his entrepreneurial route has not been without obstacles.

"I was beset with the 'what if' syndrome. Once, I was offered a good position in an investment bank. I was tempted by the thought of steady employment and a rewarding lifestyle with a reputable company. I had so many doubts. It felt like it was easier to make a U-turn and take up the offer. It took a while of self-questioning to find out what I really wanted to do and that conviction gave me the courage to go all out to pursue my own business."

Although rich in his own right now, Lau feels that he has not achieved enough yet.

"I will know that I have enough when my total assets are good enough to generate certain returns to sustain my desired lifestyle throughout my retirement years."

To aspiring youths, he says: "Have passion and patience, but most importantly, be practical."


Ganesh Kumar Bangah, 31, co-founder of MOL and group CEO of Friendster

HIS success story is almost legendary in Malaysia’s field of information,
communications and technology. He built MOL Access-Portal Berhad (MOL) from scratch to become one of the biggest online payment service providers in Asia
with an annual revenue of RM320 million, over 500,000 physical payment channels across 75 countries, handling over five million transactions a month.

He was certified by the Malaysia Book of Records as the youngest chief executive of a public-listed company in Malaysia when he listed MOL on the Mesdaq market of Bursa Malaysia at 23. He won the JCI 2009 Creative Young Entrepreneur Award, the Pikom Technopreneur Excellence Award at the ICT Leadership Awards 2009, and is acknowledged by Society Magazine as one of the 100 people you must know in Asia.

Late last year, he again made headlines when he led MOL to take over social networking site Friendster.

“I’ve always wanted to be the Bill Gates of Malaysia. I saw him on television when I was a cybercafé operator in my teens in Johor. I told my boss then that I wanted to be the Bill Gates of Malaysia,” he says with a laugh.

Having started early in business, Ganesh says one of the biggest obstacles was getting people to understand “the need to be crazy”.

“The last thing I did was buy Friendster and everyone was asking me why. You must think far and see things for the value they can give you. Getting people to understand that you need to be a little crazy or to be different to be special, I think that’s the hardest thing.”

Being in business also means there is never really a day off.

“You will always be constantly thinking about how to do things better, faster, to innovate and create. It is very much a 24/7 ‘job’.”

He also admits that it is never easy to handle change.

“Every time you list a company, de-list it, or buy another company, it is never easy in the beginning. But managing these changes, these jumps, pushed me to grow. Buying Friendster, for example, means that I really had to learn the American culture.”

While it is heartening that many young Malaysians want to be entrepreneurs, he says they should not think in the short term.

“I think our entrepreneurs tend to do something for a couple of years, give up, and move on to something else. They have to realise that nothing worth doing is easy but if you keep at it, you become better at it and you will make it. Don’t give up.”


Joey Yap, 33, feng shui consultant

HE earned his first million when he was 26-years-old. Since then, Joey Yap, who will turn 33 in July, has only been earning more.

Besides being the founder of the Master Academy of Chinese Metaphysics -- the first such global organisation devoted to the teaching of feng shui, Bazi, and other such similar subjects -- he is the chief consultant of Yap Global Consulting, which specialises in feng shui and Chinese astrology services and audits.

He has also authored over 30 books, and hosts his own TV series -- all on the subject of Chinese metaphysics.

He attributes his success to having differentiated himself in the industry right from the start.

"I'm not a fortune-teller. I don't tell people how their life is going to turn out. That's making statements and anyone can do that. I seek to help people understand their profile, their talents, and advise them on what to focus on and how, based on their individual strengths and weaknesses and to maximise their potential."

His client list includes not just individuals but also local and multinational conglomerates.

To be good at what he does, he reads a lot. "Not only books on metaphysics, but also business, management and more. Many consultants try to advise people without even a basic understanding of the fundamentals of business, like go and hang some red cloth somewhere and your business will succeed. How is that going to help a businessman solve his problems?"

His own experience in managing a business has also lent him an extra edge.

"The biggest obstacle I faced was a lack of experience when I first started out. I didn't know anything apart from accounting. Many people think that when your feng shui is good, everything will work out. That's not true. You still have to acquire the skills, the technical know-how to handle your business and make it successful."

Articulate, and able to command an audience of 3,000 or more, it is hard to imagine that Yap was once nervous when speaking to less than 10 people. "Just like the other skills, public speaking was something I had to acquire."

What drives him? "When I first started out, I thought this industry had been sorely misunderstood and misrepresented in many ways. I had a burning desire to rectify this. I'd like to believe that I have."

Success, to him, is not about money. It is about being remembered for one's deeds.

"When we leave this world, people will remember us for what we contributed to society."

Young Millionaires under 25 Years old 2009 listing

1) Mark Zuckerberg - Facebook - $700 Million – 23 years old
2) Blake Ross and David Hyatt - Mozilla - $120 Million – 22 years old
3) Alexander Levin - WordPress & Image Shack – $113 Million – 23
4) Sean Belnick - Biz Chair - $42 Million – 20 years old
5) Robert Small - MiniClips - $23 Million – 24 years old
6) Aodhan Cullen - Stat Counter - $18 Million – 24 years old
7) Rishi Kacker and Matt Pauker - Voltage - $12 Million – 24
8) Catherine and David Cook - My Year Book - $10 Million – 17 & 19
9) David Hauser & Siamak Taghaddos - GotvMail - $8 Million – 24
10) Jermaine Griggs - Hear and Play - $5 Million – 23 years old
11) Ashley Qualls - What Ever Life - $3 Million – 17 years old
12) Alex Tew - Million Dollar Homepage - $1.6 Million – 22 years old
13) Rob Benwell - Blogging to the Bank - $1.2 Million – 23 years old
14) Matt Wegrzyn - Bodis - $1 Million – 19 years old

Richest Young Billionaires under 40 Year

Facebook is definitely in but the guy who created it — Mark Zuckerberg — is out of Forbes Magazine‘s 2009 list of the world’s youngest billionaires.

The 24-year-old Facebook creator was the youngest billionaire in 2010 with around $1.5 billion networth. This year, he was dislodged from the Top 10 as the company’s revenues did not follow the growth of the site’s membership.

The title of youngest billionaire is now held by German Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis with a networth of $2.1 billion.

Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are still the richest among the young billionaires.

Here is the 2009 list of the world’s richest and youngest, ranked based on networth.

2009 List of World’s Youngest Billionaires under 40

#1 & 2. Sergey Brin and Larry Page
Age: Brin (35) and Page (36)
Net Worth: $12 billion each

Both sons of Professors, the two met in a computer science Ph.D. program at Stanford University. Dropped out in 1998 to start Google from a friend’s garage. Google went public in 2004. Fortune down $6.6 billion since last March after stock fell 30% Sales: $21.8 billion. Net margins: 19%.

#3. Sheik Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahayan
Age: 39
Net Worth: $4.9 billion

A member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family, shelled out $300 million for soccer team Manchester City last September. One month later, he rescued British bank Barclays from possible nationalization with a $5 billion cash investment. Wields major clout at home: chairs the state’s oil-oriented sovereign wealth fund; serves as minister of United Arab Emirates Presidential Affairs.

#4. Daniel Ziff
Age: 37
Net Worth: $3.5 billion

Along with older brothers Dirk and Robert, invests in real estate, hedge funds, corporate debt, and equities via Ziff Brothers Investments. Father was publishing magnate William Ziff Jr. (died in 2006), who inherited the Ziff-Davis publishing company from his father in 1953 and parlayed it into niche media conglomerate (PC Magazine, Car & Driver, Boating). Three sons cashed out when family sold 95% of business to Forstmann Little for $1.4 billion in 1994; father retired to Florida. Today, family trust said to be worth more than $10 billion.

#5. John Arnold
Age: 35
Net Worth: $2.7 billion

Became an oil trader at Enron in 1995; said to have generated $750 million of the firm’s profits in 2001 at the age of 27. Founded Centaurus Energy hedge fund after Enron’s bankruptcy. Returns said to exceed 200% a year since 2002.

#6. Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis
Age: 25
Net Worth: $2.1 billion

This year’s youngest billionaire first appeared on the World’s Billionaires list at age 8, but the German prince officially inherited his fortune in June 2001 on his 18th birthday. Attended high school in Rome, studied economics and theology at Edinburgh University in Scotland. Assets include real estate, art, a technology company and 30,000 hectares of woodland in Germany. Tours with a German auto-racing league.

#7. Chu Lam Yiu
Age: 39
Net Worth: $1.5 billion

The only woman on the list, chairs Huabao International which makes fragrances and flavorings for use in cigarettes, detergents, beverages, dairy products and cosmetics. Fortune fell 20% since last March after manufacturing slowdown. Founded the company a decade ago; took it public through a backdoor listing. Sold 9% in 2008; still owns two-thirds of shares.

#8. Kenneth Griffin
Age: 40
Net Worth: $1.5 billion

Started trading stocks from Harvard dorm room; founded Chicago hedge fund outfit Citadel with $4.6 million in 1990. Today, firm manages $13 billion (down 35% from peak last year); accounts for roughly 10% of U.S. equity trading volume. Flagship Wellington Fund plunged 55% in 2008. Shut down Fusion, a $1 billion hedge fund of funds, in October. Net worth down $2.2 billion — 60% — since September.

#9. William Ding
Age: 38
Net Worth: $1.1 billion

Founder of China’s No. 2 online game company, Netease. Was once China’s richest man. Flagship game, “Fantasy Westward Journey,” among nation’s top 10 downloads. Signed three-year contract with U.S. game developer Blizzard Entertainment to distribute “StarCraft II” and Battle.net to Chinese mainland. Netease’s U.S.-listed shares up 9% in past year.

#10. Jerry Yang
Age: 40
Net Worth: $1.1 billion

Met partner David Filo in grad school at Stanford, turned Internet directory project into Web portal Yahoo!. Took it public 1996. Yahoo! co-founder quit as chief executive in January. Yahoo! stock is down nearly 55% since original Microsoft offer last February.

Are you young — and rich enough! — to be part of this list?

Entrepreneurs

“Entrepreneurs are people who are too naive to see the obstacles that are obvious to others”.
I have found myself quoting this phrase a couple times over the past week or so, and while I can’t remember who said it, or if that’s the quote exactly, that pretty much sums it up for me.

"Entrepreneurs play a key role in any economy. These are the people who have the skills and initiative necessary to take good new ideas to market and make the right decisions to make the idea profitable. The reward for the risks taken is the potential economic profits the entrepreneur could earn."

http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/11/13/definition-of-entrepreneur/

A Dream Takes Flight

Dato' Sri Tony Fernandes. Photo: Air Asia
Donning an AirAsia cap, Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes, speaker at the first South East Asian Youth Engagement Summit, goes up the stage of Kuala Lumpur’s Putrajaya International Convention Centre followed by four flight attendants in AirAsia’s chilli red garb. The casually dressed CEO of AirAsia announces that the first person to hand him something red will win a trip to London. Two youth delegates scamper up the stage, one of them tripping on her own feet before reaching Fernandes. The 45-year-old businessman decides to give both of them the free trip anyway. This scenario is a good illustration of how Fernandes built his low-cost airlines from the ground up – by enticing would-be passengers with free trips.
In 2001, Fernandes was the vice president for ASEAN at Warner Music South East Asia. One night, he saw an Easy Jet television ad and got interested in the concept of low-cost carriers. He realised this was what he wanted to do. He called his wife and told her of his plan, and she couldn’t stop laughing.
Fernandes mortgaged his house and then rallied a couple of his buddies in the music industry to set up Tune Air Sdn. Bhd. The Malaysian government, however, turned down the license application. Fernandes quickly arranged a meeting with then Prime Minister Dr Tun Mahathir Mohamad. Dr Mahathir suggested that, instead of getting a license, Fernandes should buy the fledgling AirAsia, a heavily indebted subsidiary of a government-owned conglomerate.
With youthful audacity he announced, “I will buy AirAsia for one Malaysian ringgit!” He got this reply: “Yes, you can buy it tomorrow.”
Fernandes might have gotten the airline at one ringgit (29 cents) but he and his partners also inherited 40 million ringgit worth of debt. His vision, nevertheless, took flight that same year with 250 employees and two ageing Boeing 737-300 flying to just one destination. A tragic event, however, threatened to crash his dream.
The September 11 attacks in the US made people afraid to fly. But Fernandes saw a golden opportunity in what could have been a major setback. Airline leasing costs plummeted by 40 percent, saving the company a lot of money. Airline lay-offs allowed him to hire experienced staff at lower costs. A year later, AirAsia had paid off all its debt and broken even.
“We Asians have this habit of kicking ourselves and saying it can’t be done. Anything is possible when you put your mind to it,” he says. Nine years later, AirAsia is the fastest growing low-cost airline in the world, carrying a total of 85 million passengers to date, with 7000 employees and 90 new airplanes flying to over 130 destinations in Asia, Australia and Europe.
Fernandes, a London School of Economics alumnus, is a laid-back CEO. “I go to work wearing regular clothes. My pants are sometimes older than my employees.” And he runs AirAsia with a unique set of principles. For one, the company has a flat structure, where everybody has access to the big boss. By removing company bureaucracy, he gets everybody talking and giving invaluable ideas. “People are our best asset. Get the best people and let them grow. Let them fulfil their dreams. Help them discover potential they never thought they had,” he advises.
When the company was still relatively small, Fernandes used to try his hand working in the different departments. He was a bag carrier, check-in officer and even flight attendant for a day. It allowed him to get on the ground and see real problems and needs. It also gave him the chance to spot potential stars in the company. When he learned that some bag carriers dreamt of becoming pilots, he sponsored their training. He’s proud of the fact that “18 months later they are flying planes.” AirAsia also boasts of having 35 female pilots in their staff. “If women can run a country, they can certainly fly a plane!” he exclaims.
Fernandes ends his well-applauded speech by encouraging the summit delegates with his credo: “Believe the unbelievable. Dream the impossible. Never take ‘No’ for an answer!”

small victories

Every business needs two things,
" INSPIRATION AND DESPERATION "
Skullcandy CEO Rick Alden:

10 Steps to Kick off Your Wedding Planning

1. Dream Together

Before you announce your engagement to the entire world and they all assume that they’re invited to your wedding, we suggest that you sit down with your fiance and discuss the date, time, size, formality, venue, and style of your wedding. All of these things reflect your taste as a couple, and are decisions that need to be carefully considered. To stay true to what you really want, keep your plans on the down-low for awhile.

2. Create a Planning Notebook

Pictures tell a thousand words. Gather images of things that inspire you and organize them in a way that’s easy to share with others. Search the web for real weddings that are similar to your style, including decor details and color combos. Print out each inspiration so you can be prepared to share it with vendors and a planner (if you decide to hire one).

3. Make Your Guest List

What's a party without the guests? Remember that many of your guests will bring a spouse or significant other and count for two people. Also keep in mind that the more people you invite, the more expensive your wedding will be. Create a "must-have" A-list, and a "would-like-to-include" B-list, and mail your invitations early. That way, if A-list guests can't make it, you can then mail out invitations to B-list guests early enough that they won't feel like last-minute additions.

4. Commit to a Budget and a Plan

The fact is, all that wedding glitz and glam costs money, and setting a realistic wedding budget will save you from heartache after the honeymoon. So take out that calculator, call up your folks and decide how much you’re willing to spend on the big day. Before you start crunching numbers, set your priorities. Is the number of guests you invite more important to you then the venue? Once you know what elements you can't live without, you'll have a much clearer idea of how to allocate your money.

5. Select Your Wedding Date

Do you envision a thick blanket of snow lining the streets as you snuggle close to your new husband en route to the reception? Or, how about a warm summer's night where you and your guests dance together under the stars? Decide what time of year you want to get married and select two tentative wedding dates -- it's important to have a backup in case your first choice isn't available. Don't forget to check your calendar to make sure a holiday or major sporting event doesn’t fall on your desired date -- otherwise you and your guests may be competing with tourists and sports fans for scarce, or more expensive, hotel accommodations and services.

6. Choose Your Venue

Wineries, zoos, botanical gardens -- let your imagination run wild when selecting a wedding location. But remember, the best spot may be one that’s nearby and can accommodate your guest count and travel needs. You'll want to find out how many events each site hosts per day. If it will bug you to bump into someone else’s wedding guests in the bathroom or lobby, you’ll want a venue that hosts one wedding at a time. To be sure that the venue really is within your budget, look out for any hidden fees in the contract.

7. Select Your Wedding Party

She's been your best friend since kindergarten; it's a no-brainer that you would want her to stand up with you on your big day. But the rest of the gang? Ask valued friends or family members to do a reading, be an usher, or oversee your guest book or escort card table. Remember that the more people you have in your party, the more expensive your wedding will be (think: bouquets, gifts, and the like).

8. Shop for the Dress

If you’re planning to tone up or slim down some before you wedding day, you should be aware that most dress shops require at least six months between making the order and receiving your dress. When you arrive at your first appointment, be prepared to find your dream dress. Don't forget to bring stockings, shoes, a strapless bra, and a hair clip to your appointment to help you envision the whole picture.

9. Book the Basics

Top wedding locations and vendors are sometimes booked more than a year in advance, so as soon as you've agreed on the type of wedding you’d like to have, find a venue and book your major vendors. Make reservations in the following order: ceremony and reception locations, ceremony officiant, caterer, reception band or DJ, photographer, florist, cake designer, videographer, stationer, and finally, any rental companies.

Note: While reception sites go particularly fast, many places will allow you to put a courtesy "pencil hold" on the date with no deposit needed. Finding your ideal spot isn't easy, so if a site meets 80 percent of your requirements, reserve it!

10. Set up Your Wedding Website and Registries

The easiest way to share information with all of your guests will be through a personal wedding website. Think of it as your online wedding headquarters. You can share your engagement story and wedding details, and get the word out about your wedding registries. WeddingChannel.com offers a free wedding website with membership, and a chance to create an online registry with gifts from top retailers. You'll enjoy the convenience of viewing your registry and making changes any time, day or night. And, your guests will be thrilled to have one place where they can find all your gift choices and insider wedding info.