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A lot more goes into choosing a wedding date than you might think. We've broken it down for you to make the process easier.

Here are the top five things to consider.

1. Is your bridegroom a football fan? And are most of your guests?  

Jamie Fender, local wedding photographer extraordinaire and owner of Jamie Fender Photography, shares her advice on this matter: 

“For SO MANY of my weddings in the fall, many of the guests (moreso then men), are doing all they can to keep up with the game and are very inactive at the reception.  For some couples, this is not a big deal at all and they don’t mind, but are you one of those couples?  Many brides, especially if they are not football fans themselves, do not consider it in the planning process and hindsight wish they had chosen another date. So when planning your date, keep your football fan friends in mind, know what you could be getting into.   

However, if you really want your wedding in the fall, but you don’t want to interfere with the game, you should consider getting married on a Friday or Sunday. Not only does it not interfere with a football game, but has the added benefit of increased vender and venue availability and possibly a lower rate."  

2. Is the date in question on or near a family member’s or friend’s birthday?

Think about this one for a second. Your wedding anniversary will always fall on or near this person’s celebration, meaning you’ll probably have romantic plans with the hubby -- maybe even weekend getaway plans -- and will not be able to attend.

You’ll end up frequently missing their birthday bashes/trips, having to reschedule or work around both celebrations or skip your anniversary altogether. Avoid these special dates (try one week before or after) if possible.

3. Is the wedding date you’re considering close to your birthday, Valentine’s Day or Christmas?

If the answer is yes, you might want to reschedule. Why? Do you remember your girlfriend who was born on Dec. 23 or Feb. 14? She complained about that, didn’t she? And why? Because she only got one “big” gift, as opposed to the rest of us, who were born further out from gift holidays.

My sister Ashley has a Jan. 23 birthday. Somehow, on Christmas, our parents seemed to think it was OK to throw her birthday present under the tree too. Or sometimes she’d ask for a more expensive Christmas present that counted toward both. Then, come Jan. 23, she would wish for a gift or two more.

Moral of the story: If you put your anniversary too close to your birthday, Valentine's Day or Christmas your man might be inclined to do a combo gift, as opposed to fun gifts three separate times a year.

This one is a little shallow. But we’re not alone in our thinking, are we?

4. Is the number of guests an issue?

If you’re trying to keep it small for cost’s sake while still inviting the large number of family friends Mom and Dad want, here’s a tip: Schedule the wedding during a common time when folks travel such as spring break week, Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend (weekend before or after, whichever is closer to July 4), etc.

This also works in the reverse. If you want more people to be able to come from far away, you’ll want to schedule it during one of these times so that they don’t have to take extra vacation time  (although airline tickets usually cost more during popular travel dates).

5. Is the date easy to remember?

This one is pretty easy to explain: Pick a number combination that’s not easy to forget. You’ll be sure to drill it into your man’s brain in no time, and he’ll never forget your anniversary.

Got any more advice? What else should brides be thinking about before picking a date? Share as a comment below or on our Facebook wall!

Author Noreen Renier will discuss her 2011 book The Practical Psychic: A No-Nonsense Guide to Developing Your Natural Intuitive Abilities at 6 p.m. today (Feb. 9) at the Clinton School of Public Service, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock.

Renier has worked on over 600 unsolved cases with city, county, and state law enforcement agencies in 38 states and seven foreign countries. She has appeared on television's Good Morning America, Unsolved Mysteries, America's Most Wanted, Inside Edition and Joan Rivers. 

In her book, which takes a practical approach to psychic development, Renier brings awareness to innate psychic abilities and explains how to apply them through exercises and meditations.

Admission is free. To reserve a seat e-mail publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or call (501) 683-5239.

TwinSpirit

Soul singer TwinSpirit, a native of Little Rock, will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 11) at Porter’s Jazz Cafe, 315 Main St., Little Rock.

Doors will open at 7 p.m. Admission is $15, $25 per couple.

Atlanta-based TwinSpirit, whose performance is in support her recent CD release My Beautiful Ugly (which made the top 10 of the UK soul charts), will be joined by special guests Tim Anthony & Buddafli.

To listen to an album sampler of My Beautiful Ugly and other TwinSpirit recordings click here. 

Smittle Band

Smittle Band will perform at 7 p.m. today (Feb. 9) as part of the Live at Laman music series at Laman Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock.

Admission is free.

Smittle Band, made up of Stephanie Smittle (vocals), Wythe Walker (acoustic and electric guitars), Jim McGehee (keyboard), Ray Wittenberg (drums) and John Davies (bass and whistle), identifies its musical genre as jazzy Americana. 

Live at Laman, held on the second Thursday of each month, hosts some of the best musical groups Arkansas has to offer. Previous performers include Runaway Planet, Meshugga Klezmer Band, Lark in the Morning, Michael Carenbauer and Still on the Hill.

Next on the lineup is the Blue Fiddle Band on March 8. For more information call (501) 758-1720.

Join a Mardi Gras parade happening Feb. 18 along Southside Main Street. 

There was no Mardi Gras Parade in SoMa (Southside Main Street) in 2011. But this year it'll be back. And you can be a part of it.

The parade will begin at noon Saturday, Feb. 18 at South Main and 24th Street, Little Rock. Floats, vehicles and walkers will head north on South Main to the intersection of South Main and 12th Street.

Don't have a float handy? Or an elephant? No worries. Costume-wearing walking groups are welcome. There's no entry fee.

After the parade, go to Community Bakery for king cakes, order a bowl of gumbo at Boulevard Bread Co. , listen to music at The Bernice Garden, shop with vendors at Green Corner Store, drop by Oxford American literary magazine's open house at its new space at 1300 S. Main St., and pick up the beads that no one managed to catch. 

To find out more send an e-mail to soma@southsidemain.org or call (501) 412-3768.

The official date of Mardi Gras is Feb. 21.

Blue Man Group will perform Feb. 14-16 at Robinson Center Music Hall.

Techno-comedy by Blue Man Group (Feb. 14-16) and music, frights and laughs from Young Frankenstein (March 6-8) are coming to Robinson Center Music Hall, Markham and Broadway, Little Rock, courtesy of Celebrity Attractions.

Coming in 2012-2013: Cirque Dreams Holidaze, West Side Story, 100 Years of Broadway and Jersey Boys.

Blue Man Group's shows combine comedy, music, and technology to produce a unique form of entertainment. "Blue Man Group packs a wallop," according to a review in the Baltimore Sun. "It's a big, loud, funny, silly, visually arresting production!"

Performances (the show, recommended for ages 8 and up, runs one hour, 45 minutes with no intermission) will be at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14-16 and 1 p.m. Feb. 16. Tickets are $27, $37 and $57. 

Young Frankenstein, a musical based on the classic Mel Brooks movie, follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein as he attempts to create a monster, with scary and hilarious complications. 

Performances (with a running time of two hours, 40 minutes with an intermission, recommended for ages 13 and up) will be at 7:30 p.m. March 6, 7 and 8. Tickets are $17, $27, $37 and $52. 

To purchase call (501) 244-8800, visit any Ticketmaster location, or come to Celebrity Attractions ticket office, 300 S. Spring St., Little Rock, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

For information on purchasing two-show packages click here. 

Lobby of Peabody Little Rock

Peabody Little Rock has reopened its premium club level, an elective upgrade with luxury amenities, after nearly three years of being closed. 

Forty-six rooms and suites on floors 18 and 19 make up the accommodations on the club level. These floors require a room key for access, which provides additional security for guests.

The club level features a heavy continental breakfast in the mornings, afternoon snacks and beverages followed by hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar in the early evening.

Rooms, which start at $199 per night, include wireless and wired high-speed Internet and complimentary access to the Health Club.

The club level is available from 6:30-9 p.m. Sundays through Friday afternoons. Group guest rates and preferred corporate account rates are available. 

For more information call (800) 732-2639. To learn more about Peabody Little Rock click here. 

A benefit masquerade ball is coming to Vino's Friday. 

Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball starts at 7 p.m. Friday (Feb. 10) at Vino's, 923 W. Seventh St., Little Rock, with live music by Rip Van Shizzle, the year's first batch of Vino's Fat Old Bastard brew, king cake (while it lasts) and traditional Mardi Gras throws.

In case you wondered, the official date for Mardi Gras is Feb. 21.

Wear your zaniest costume for a chance to be crowned king or queen of the ball. 

The party is a benefit for Community Theatre of Little Rock and Tulane Empowers, an organization dedicated to Tulane University's efforts to rebuild New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. 

Admission is $10 in advance, $15 at the door. To purchase send an e-mail to KreweOfHogs@att.net.