Wedding planning is a not for the faint of heart. It is a daunting task that takes weeks and sometimes months of preparation. With this in mind, do yourself a favor and hire a dedicated professional.

Who you select to plan your wedding can make or break your big day, so a few sage words of advice:

DO: Hire a Wedding Planner.

This point cannot be underscored enough. Whether it is at the beginning when you just started looking at dresses, or when guest are arriving and they need directions to the rehearsal dinner, having a go-to person who is not you will make the process go a lot smoother.

DON’T: Hire your distant cousin.

As much as your aunt may attest to their organizing abilities, you don’t want to entrust planning one of the most important days of your life to an amateur. Having an incompetent wedding organizer creates more problems than it solves.

DO: Your financial homework.

Weddings can take a lot of money to get going. Knowing how much you’re investing up front will save you from wasted hours on details you can’t afford. Similar to getting a loan, do your due diligence and make sure you’re staying within your budget. There a tons of online resources to help you plan, like this budget planner from Wedding Wire.

DON’T: Forget to hire a videographer.

Your wedding day will go by surprisingly fast. Though photos will catch great moments, only a video will add sound, movement and graphics to the day. Don’t miss out on having a live video of one of the best days of your life.

DO: Prepare to have fun.

When you remember that your only job is to be the center of attention on your wedding day, you can set your mindset for joy. This is your day to look gorgeous, laugh, cry and have your love for each other seen by everyone. Let someone else worry about the details.

Oh, and one last thing…

DON’T: forget waterproof mascara.

It’s brilliant.