starting a new pond

i am thinking of starting a pond next summer sometime.
i wanted to make my own by digging and putting in cement so that i can place some smaller rocks and pebbles all around the inside of it.....is that a good idea or is cement a bad choice and what are somethings i should know to have a good starter pond? i just starting getting a green thumb and planted some lillies and glads this year and now i cant seem to stop thinking about what i want to do for the garden next year...any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
thanks a bunch

Hello CH, it all depends on what kind of pond you want, the use of cement alone is not really a good idea, concrete would be more suitble, do you want a liner in the pond our all concrete ?, this you need to work out well in advance, both are totaly different.

i was thinking of doing it all concrete and then lining the whole inside with small rocks and pebbles. maybe some sea shells. what would u best suggest for a pond?

it would be an added and not so necessary expence to do both, underlays for liners are very very good now, and it would be easier to do, just make sure you put a concrete collar around your pond first, this will save the sides collapsing and make it easy to hide the top of the liner, but you could put rocks in the bottom, but shells can have sharp edges, and one misshap could be a problem, so think about that one, liners are a better solution, and cheaper in the long run, concrete can crack in a very short time, liners are mostly trouble free, good luck.

are the liners a thick plastic or like a thin pool liner?
my mother has one that is made of very thick plastic.which is best and also, what plants would be best to start with.
thank you for ur help.

Yes the liner can be thick plastic or butyl rubber, its your choice of which to use, the same with plants, find what is hardy for your climate and any which you like.