When Jess Hauser was planning her spring wedding, she wanted her fiance's input on many things, including the cake topper. But it was difficult for him to be involved. Adam Hester, a Marine, was stationed in Iraq.

His deployment also forced the couple's hand when choosing when to get married. They chose April 21 to build in time for him to return.

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The date made some last-minute planning tricky, however. Hauser said she thinks a spring wedding is difficult to plan because so many vendors have already been booked. Military families aren't the only ones scheduling in spring.

Spring Rush

Cindi Freeburn, vice president of public relations at David's Bridal, said the idea of being a June bride is dimming slightly as spring becomes a more popular time of the year to get married.

Freeburn said 25 percent of engagements occur between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, causing "a bridal Christmas shopping season" after New Year's.

Minnesota's Matthew Trettel and Bruce Vassar -- dubbed The Wedding Guys -- say spring is slow in their part of the country due to weather.

Regardless, Trettel and Vassar said a spring wedding could be stunning because it allows brides to play with color and flowers.

Tulips, daffodils and lilacs are popular for spring weddings, they said. The color from the flowers can be incorporated in the wedding through sashes on the gowns and linens on the tables.

The guys also said spring can give a bride fun options for meals.

"Organic and green are kind of the buzzwords for special events," Trettel said. "It just feels fresh and earthy at that time of year. Everything's kind of coming back to life."

Colors are fun to play with in the spring, too.

"The corals, the turquoise, the ocean blues -- those work really well in spring and summer," Trettel said. "So there are a lot of really new fashions."

Themes This Season

Freeburn said David's Bridal has identified three main themes for this year's spring season: traditional, destination and Hollywood.

Each allows a bride to choose what best suits her.

Freeburn said brides sometimes have problems imagining what their colors will look like all together. She suggested checking out DressYourWedding.com, which allows brides to play with colors and location sites.

Color can make a wedding unique, a characteristic vendors are noticing every couple wants.

"Now, we see the couples really wanting to make it really personal to themselves," Trettel said. "The wedding tells a story of the couple."

Hauser chose chocolate brown and pink. She said that pair emphasizes who her and her fiancé are as a couple.

"I think they bring our personalities," Hauser said. "I think I chose them because they're just fun."

Make It Unique

There are various other ways to make a wedding unique.

The Wedding Guys said they've seen a ballet troupe come and dance for guests at a wedding. Another couple had blackjack tables set up at their reception.

Freeburn said she's also seen brides make an effort with distrinctive attire. One feature David's Bridal offers this year is adding sleeves to wedding dresses that normally come strapless.

Budgets For Any Season

Before a bride chooses her dress or even the location of the wedding, she must do one thing: Determine a budget with her fiance and their families.

"[Planning a wedding] is like building a house," Freeburn said. "I think a budget is the beginning of a framework."

Because people are getting married later, the tradition of the bride's family paying for the entire wedding is shifting. Now, the couple is paying for about one-third of the costs, said Freeburn.

The Wedding Guys advise couples to spend the money on places that will leave the greatest impression on guests.

"Think outside the box," Vassar said. "That's what their guests will take with them."

Another way to add pizzazz to a wedding without adding a lot of costs is through lighting.

"Lighting is a pretty enormous wow factor when you come into a room," said Tettel.

He also suggested having the chef do an elaborate display of the food and making sure a photographer capture that. He said these are the types of things the couple will one day tell their kids about their wedding.

Freeburn said her advice for planning a wedding is to be organized and try to get everything done in one spot. Web sites such as OurWeddingDay.com allow guests to see details on the wedding and keep the wedding party organized.

Hauser discovered an online system that works for her at TheKnot.com.

"I use everything on there," she said.

What Goes Wrong

No matter how well-planned a wedding is, both Freeburn and the Wedding Guys guarantee every bride one thing -- something will go wrong.

But they say to know this will happen and not worry.

"It's not going to be perfect," Freeburn said. "But work toward having a good time. It's your party. It's your day." Other Links:

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