Good planning is the key to a successful wedding, says Margaret Caselton, author of Wedding Inspirations. A former interior design editor for Vogue Living in Australia, Margaret is a freelance journalist and stylist whose work features in leading interiors magazines such as Harpers & Queen and Vogue Entertaining.

Organizing a wedding involves hundreds of decisions - about everything from invitations, flowers and decorations to food and favours. Having a clear sense of what you want to achieve before you start is the best way to avoid a result that looks ill-conceived or thrown together. So planning time is never wasted time.

Stylish weddings do not need to be elaborate and expensive. Early planning gives you time to explore different options and shop around. It also gives you the chance to start again if something doesn't work out the way you wanted.

One way to get the ball rolling is to start collecting things that capture the look you're after. You might end up with pictures from magazines, ribbons, flowers, even inspirational words and phrases.

Enjoy planning the event of a lifetime and don't lose sight of what's at the heart of it all - the solemnization of a loving union and the celebration of a new chapter in your life.

Wedding Inspirations is a treasure trove of ideas for your big day.