Yellowknife (Feb 19/03) - The perfect wedding starts at least six months before the nuptials.

All the details -- cakes, caterers, halls, hotel rooms and invitations -- should be booked in advance to ensure the perfect day, according to local service providers.

July and August are the busiest wedding months in Yellowknife so book ahead to avoid disappointment.

Chris Zouboules, owner of The Invitation House, said choosing the invitations is the first thing to do after the date and locations.

"Give people three months at least to get back to you because of where we are located," said Zouboules, adding travel arrangements can take time.

Invitations should be chosen five to six months before the wedding to allow for mistakes and to have time to mail the invitations.

And while choosing invitations, couples can colour-coordinate the event from napkins to streamers, he said. Getting it all done at once saves time later.

Once the decorations and guests are settled, the food is the next most important thing.

Mersini Bastas, owner of Mersini Catering, has been catering weddings since 1974. She said planning now will avoid disappointment later.

"It takes a long time," she said of planning the catering. "It's your wedding and you want to do everything perfect."

The bride and groom should start shopping around for a caterer six months before the wedding. They should get references from the caterers, do a price comparison, and ask around to see what the caterer was like at previous weddings, she said.

After choosing a caterer, Bastas suggests making an appointment with the company four months before the wedding to create a menu. Get it all in writing including the service and the method of payment, stresses Bastas.

Then, 24 hours before the event, check in at the venue to ensure everything is going according to plan.

"Be a supervisor or send someone else you trust," said Bastas, adding the couple doesn't want to be worrying about the catering at the last minute.

Flowers aren't quite as sensitive. Michelle Guile, floral designer at Flowers North, said two months is plenty of time to order arrangements, bouquets and boutonnieres.

The couple should book an appointment with the florist to go over options. Bringing in photos of arrangements or a list of preferred flowers is helpful, she said.

"Some people come in two or three times to make a decision. So you should have enough time," said Guile, adding speciality flowers can take time to order.

Fresh flower arrangements should be finished 24 hours before the wedding and kept in a cooler to keep the flowers from wilting.

The cake should also be booked two to three months in advance especially in the summer, said Lori Peddle, Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op bakery manager.

The bride and groom should make an appointment with the baker to discuss the size, shape, icing and cake flavour. Custom orders and family recipes are best reserved well in advance to ensure perfection.