We're doing a burlesque theme, and are thinking of naming the tables after different burlesque things – Corset, Stiletto, Chandelier, Feather Boa, Martini Glass are some of the ideas so far. Each centrepiece will reflect the name of the table, so Stiletto will have my silver and black stiletto jewellery stand on top of a mirror base with black feathers and dark red rose petals and possibly some votive candles scattered around it.

Now, the trick with this is that depending on the species, it can get incredibly expensive just to buy them. The financial pain there can be doubled by the pain of realizing you didn't think the entire plan through and half of those gorgeous, tri-colored fish are dead (which sucks for them, too). So, if you're going to do fish, here are some research recommendations:

- Pay attention to your set-up. If you have a large space with your music on one side, you can probably use fish on the opposite side of the room in a large tank that is mostly out of the way.

- Find out what kind of tank is going to be the best for keeping them happy (or at the barest minimum not stressed) and in one piece; round bowls are out when this comes up. Don't even think about it.

- Determine if you need a lot of little tanks or if you'd prefer to do one big one off to the side (you can get some nice tanks for incredibly cheap online or at garage sales; just make sure to run water through them for a few hours first to make sure they're still fully sealed). You could also look into borrowing a tank from a friend if they have one they're not using.

- Research how to set up your tank(s). A big one will need a filter, lights, some form of plant-life for the fish to hide in if they're a skittish species, etc;. You will also, regardless of what you do, want a dechlorinator for your tank(s). I recommend API's Stress Coat for this, as it also strengthens the slime coat on the fish and keeps them comfortable.

- Determine how many times you're going to have to feed them, and how much (Yes, they need food just like you do, and forgetting to feed them, even if it's only for a day and you're not even keeping them afterwords, can cause them added stress and contribute to a lot of them dying).

- Please, for the love of all things sacred, do not use candles next to smaller tanks. EVER. If heats up the water and can make a glass bowl (which you shouldn't be using) more fragile, and can be incredibly bad for your fish's health.

I highly recommend planning out what you're going to do with the fish afterwords as well. If at all possible, keep them in a shiny new tank that you've gotten yourself as a wedding present. Another option is to talk to fish hobbyists that you know and see if they would be interested in keeping some. And, last but not least, you can talk to local pet shops that deal in fish BEFORE your wedding, and get in writing that they'll buy some or all of them from you after the fact.

See? Now that you've read through all of this, you're thinking fish are more work than their worth. If you're not a fish hobbyist and don't know the basics of fish care, then yes, yes they are. But if you apply the proper care and knowledge (ALWAYS talk to your local pet stores' fish experts, as they can give you their recommendations as well), you can utilize the beauty and charm of some of our favorite water-dwelling neighbors without causing them any harm and without losing your investment.