10 Tips for Staying Organized Before the Big Day
If you don’t feel like a wedding planner fits the budget, be sure to follow these 10 tips for staying organized before your wedding day.
Create an Organized Wedding Binder
Even though most things happen electronically, it’s still worth keeping a binder for vendors who still utilize paper contracts. You can also store timelines, contacts, receipts, magazine clippings, and a master calendar inside. It’s useful to be able to hand this off to a point person on your wedding day. And don’t forget to organize it into sections using tabs. The Martha Stewart section at Staples has everything you need to do right by this binder.
Find a Budget Tool That Works for You
One person may be great with Excel spreadsheets while another needs a little more of a template. Consider downloading a wedding budget app for your phone, like Wedding Budget or My Wedding Budget.
Divide & Conquer
Don’t become a control freak. Split up the tasks and share them with your partner. Start by playing to his strengths: Sometimes the groom is best at choosing a caterer, beer selections, and entertainment. This will allow the bride to focus on floral design, a photographer, and her wedding gown selection.
Utilize Evernote
Use apps, like Evernote, to sync your master to-do list to all your devices: computer, tablet, and phone. That way, you can access it anywhere at any time. You can keep notes “on the go” about things like color swatches, wedding gowns, wedding flowers, etc. You can also share your notes with vendors and loved ones.
Put Pinterest to Work
The hype is real: Pinterest can and will help you organize your wedding details. We suggest keeping several boards rather than just one. Organize them by important details, like invitations, ceremony ideas, centerpieces, bouquets, tablescapes, etc. That way, you can pass the corresponding boards on to the right vendor without overwhelming them with photos that have nothing to do with their job.
Create a Wedding-Specific E-mail Account
When it comes to contacting venues, hiring vendors, reaching out to Etsy artists, and keeping track (among other things,) consider opening an e-mail account just for wedding correspondences. This will help you store everything in one place, as well as keeping your work and personal e-mail accounts free and clear for other important communications.
Block Off Specific Wedding Planning Times
In between wedding planning, you and your fiancé need to have a life. Avoid letting the planning process take over. Set aside specific times to sit down and talk about your nuptials. And when it isn’t time, clear off the kitchen table and store the planning materials elsewhere.
Keep a List of Tasks You Can Delegate
Your friends and family will want to help, so keep a running list of tasks they can work on for you. From shopping for supplies, like votive candles and ribbon, to coming over for a craft night, record these tasks in one place. And if you do it in Evernote, you can pass them along electronically.
Don’t Procrastinate
We cannot stress how important it is to enjoy the days leading up to your wedding, nor do you want to appear stressed or tired for your big moment. Find a calendar, digital or not, that works for you so you can set deadlines and stick to them. Share the calendar with your fiancé or a friend so you have someone to hold you accountable.
Don’t Stress About Things You Can’t Control
Save your brainpower for realistic concerns, like being sure your timeline is polished and your list of contacts is current. Stressing about the weather or the exact images your photographer will take is silly. Have a backup plan for weather and trust the vendors you hire. Do what you can to be prepared, and leave the rest up to the professionals you hired.