Generally, brides choose their wedding date based on their preferred season. Spring and summer provide for sunny and generally warmer days, along with flowers in bloom. Hence, the wedding season runs from May through October. This means that venues will not only be reserved early but will be considerably more expensive. Planning a late fall or winter wedding will likely cut costs, as venues that are commonly reserved for weddings may be willing to take your business for a lower fee.

The seasons don't have to be your basis for choosing a wedding day; using significant dates from you and your man's relationship is another fun way to choose the day you say "I do." Here are a few great ways to get your thoughts flowing toward picking the perfect wedding date:

• Day you met
• First Date
• Day of first kiss
• Date of proposal

The two of you may share interesting memories from other specific days that would also serve as a great date - give it some thought!

If you're still stuck, you might just have to close your eyes and put your finger on a random calendar date...OK, not really. But if your date doesn't have any specific significance, you will want to work around the following potential roadblocks.

Some holidays and other commonly celebrated days also tend to be reserved for weddings. For instance, Valentine's Day is one of the most popular days of the year for getting married. Not only will venues be reserved early, but purchasing flowers (especially roses) for Valentine's Day weddings and the days surrounding it, is abnormally expensive due to their high demand. Similarly, New Year's Eve is also a popular date for saying "I do."

Also commonly chosen by brides are dates that allow for longer weekends, such as Memorial Day and Labor Day. Unfortunately, these popular weekends also bring far more traffic, which can cause additional stress for both the bridal party and guests.

You or your fiancé may have scheduling difficulties or conflicts to consider when selecting a date. Some jobs have particular times during the year that are busier than others; vacation time must also be considered. Also, if either of you are students or in the military these arrangements need to be considered as well.

On a similar note, you may want to take into consideration the schedules of those who you wouldn't consider having your ceremony without, such as parents, siblings or your maid of honor. However, do not let the schedules of too many take precedence; otherwise, you'll drive yourself crazy trying to accommodate everyone!

No matter what date you end up choosing, remember that you ultimately won't have complete control of the weather, traffic, who shows and who doesn't. So have fun with the selection process and then get ready for planning the wedding of your dreams!