In it, he played Fraank, the quirky “artiste” whose wacky creative ideas blew the original wedding budget off the charts. So we decided it was time to set the record straight—to help you get started with your wedding preparations and uncover what real-life wedding planners can offer.

“The first thing couples have to do is have a realistic talk about what their respective dream wedding is,” says Carol Beaugard, founder of Affairs of Distinction, a 20-year-old wedding planning firm in Upper Montclair. Beaugard has coordinated numerous weddings and explains that this step is critical because very often “her” vision is very different than “his.”

Once you agree about the kind of wedding you want, you’ll need to put a dollar figure on it and decide where the money is coming from. Many times the cost is split between the couple and their respective parents, says JoAnn Gregoli, Master Bridal Consultant (MBC) and owner of Elegant Occasions in Morristown. To help manage your budget better, Gregoli suggests opening a new bank account. “This way all the money is in one place, so the couple can easily see where they stand.”

“Two of the top reasons people hire wedding planners is to manage anxiety levels and take charge of the many details,” says Samantha Goldberg, president of Gold Events, a planning firm with offices in Chester and Bridgewater. Goldberg puts the kibosh on the myth that planners inflate wedding costs, saying, a good planner can incorporate a lot of their fees into the projected budget. “We have lots of connections with different wedding vendors, and may be able to reduce their fees by ten to twenty percent.”

Kisha Barner of Pure Ambiance Event Planning in Millburn (pureambianceevents.com) reminds brides that "this is your special day and you only have one chance to do it as you’ve dreamed, so do not be afraid to dream big and think outside of the box." She actually encourages couples to take this opportunity to express themselves. "If you want to have a custom arch, with your monogram made with flowers, go for it! You want a gown that does not seem to measure up to anything you’ve seen, get it," she says. "Anything is possible, so do not get rid of an idea because you think it is not feasible." An expert wedding planner can help make these ideas a reality.