Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful experiences of a woman's life, but it can also be one of the most rewarding: After all, it's a day most women spend their entire lives dreaming about: The romantic exchanging of vows before family and friends; an elegantly decorated reception hall, candle wedding favors glowing from every table, and the first dance as a married couple.

One of the most important, and often most fun, parts of planning a wedding is deciding how to decorate the reception venue. Most brides choose their decorations based on their personalities: Some prefer the more traditional while others opt for a theme ceremony and reception.

The first step in planning how you're going to decorate your reception venue is to decide whether you want a theme reception, such as a beach theme or a holiday theme, or if you'd rather opt for the more traditional ceremony and reception.

Choosing a themed wedding can be a lot of fun, especially if you get your guests involved. For example, if you decide on a beach-themed wedding and reception, you may send out invitations with your beach theme and invite your guests to wear their beach gear to your reception. The most important thing, if you want to have a theme wedding, is to have fun with it, and get your guests involved.

Second, you must determine your budget. Many brides on a budget, rather than hiring an expensive wedding planner, plan their own weddings, down to the simplest details. If you'll be planning your own wedding and reception, you'll need to be well-organized, keeping detailed notes of what you need to do, what has already been done, and any deadlines to which you must adhere.

Planning a wedding and reception on a budget is a challenge, but it isn't impossible if you know where to look for items, such as discount wedding favors. The good news is you can transform your wedding hall and reception venue into a virtual fairy tale for very little.

Regardless of whether you opt for traditional or a theme, you'll likely discover that the easiest, and the most stunning, way to add ambiance to both your wedding ceremony and your reception is to use candles. Candles add warmth to any wedding ceremony or reception, and often cost very little.