In a past series, we talked about planning during a recession, and how you might have to find some creative ways to save on your wedding plans. But what happens if you already made your wedding plans, time has gone by, and your current finances require that you make some changes now?

Today starts our new series 'Scaling Back Your Plans Because of the Economy,' and we're starting with handling your disappointment over having to cut out some of the things you and your groom really, truly wanted for your day.

Sympathetic friends will say, "What matters most is that at the end of the day, you will be married." That's sweet, but we all know you're still going to be bummed about giving up the band you wanted, the premiere photography package, the horse-drawn carriage or whatever else was on your top priority list.

So here's a first step to help you feel better: journal it out. Write down what you're sad to have to cut out and why. Get it all out of your head and onto paper. Then put it away and go do something fun.

Later, go back and read it over, and then make a new list. Write down the good things you get from making these cuts:

1. We cut down the wedding budget by $3,000, which will prevent us from a debt hangover after the wedding.
2. We'll have money to put towards our house downpayment if we don't spend that money on the wedding.
3. The horse and carriage won't block up traffic and have a huge line of angry cars behind us.
4. We now have a good reason to get rid of his mother's plan for a raw seafood bar.
5. The wedding will be more simply elegant and not too over-the-top

These are just a few sample ideas...you and your groom might take this task a step further and add some humor: "My sister will be a little less jealous of us," for instance.

It's step one in the right direction...getting you to at least balance out your disappointment with the wonderful image of getting that new house or avoiding putting that poor horse in back of car exhaust fumes.