First time smoking a brisket, need advice before I start

Planning to smoke my first brisket this Saturday for a small family gathering. Got a 14 pounder and I'm trying to figure out if I should trim it myself or ask the butcher to do it. Also wondering about the Texas crutch thing I keep hearing about. Should I plan for like 14-16 hours of cook time? I have a Weber smoker that I've only used for ribs and chicken so far. Any tips for a beginner would help. Don't want to mess this up and disappoint everyone.