Earlier this week I was excited to learn that one of my favorite co-workers is getting married.  However, this news came as quite a shock considering that this person also swore that she would never have a “formal” wedding.  As a result, our friend is now a bride-to-be who has no idea where to begin and she is wondering how to figure out all the details of a perfect wedding having never dreamed about this day.

Well, the truth is that whether you expected it or not wedding planning can be overwhelming for anyone.  So, relax! There is an abundance of bridal books and planning guides to walk you through the entire process. After all, none of us really knew where to begin either.

To get you started, below are recommendations of some great wedding resources:

Books

• The Best of Martha Stewart Weddings compiles the best ideas from the magazine to provide you with the perfect inspiration.
• Bridal Bargains offers practical tips for planning your wedding on a budget.
• The Wedding Ceremony Planner offers helpful suggestions for both religious and non-religious ceremonies.
• The Best Wedding Reception Ever offers helpful advice that concentrates specifically on the wedding reception.
• The Anti-Bride Etiquette Guide is the perfect guide for a non-traditional bride-to-be.

Planning Guides

• Martha’s  Stewart’s Keepsake Wedding Planner is overflowing with useful features and beautiful pictures to help you plan your big day.  This is the planner that I used for my wedding, which I’ve saved as a keepsake.
• The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner is another great planner full of checklists and worksheets to walk you through every step of the process.

Wedding Blogs

• Check out Bride Tide’s  recommendation for the best wedding blogs of 2009

Tools

• FREE wedding planning tools are also available at About.com

I hope these resources help you get on the right track. Happy planning!