Wedding Tip Tuesday: Time To Get Organized!

/

We are kicking off a new segment we like to call "Wedding Tip Tuesday." Every Tuesday look out for some great tips from us to help you plan the wedding of your dreams. This week we want to address one of the biggest challenges our brides face...Staying Organized. We understanding how difficult it can be to keep track of everything, so we have compiled 8 tips on the best ways to stay organized, and make the planning process as stress-free as possible.

1. Invest in a Binder!

Whether you purchase a professional binder, or you create your own, it is so important to have one. From magazine tear outs to vendor contracts to checklists you will be able to stay organized and keep everything in one place. Nothing is worse then when you cannot find an important document, or that great idea that you found in a magazine. Here's a list of different sections that every bride's binder must have.

  • Venue
  • Catering
  • Budget
  • Check Lists
  • Decor
  • Beauty
  • Cake
  • Wedding Dress
  • Vendors
  • Guests
  • Honeymoon

We also found some great Free Templates from Russell + Hazel that you can print for your binder. You'll find checklists, budget worksheets, and more! Click Here.

2. Pinterest. Pinterest will be your new best friend! If you are not acquainted with this website, it is a virtual inspiration board where you can create different categories or "boards," and search the web or the Pinterest website for new ideas, themes, colors, etc. When you find something you like you can "pin" it to your board, and it will automatically save it for you to reference when ever you want. It is a great way to keep track of all your ideas! It is also a way to express to your vendors your style and what you want your wedding to look like. We have started our own pinterest and you can get great ideas from our boards. Check it out! 

3. Creat a Contact Sheet. Create a list of all the important people that are involved in the wedding. This would include the wedding party, immediate family, vendors that you are using, and any other key people in your wedding. This will help keep all your contact information in one place, and you can easily share this sheet with anyone in your bridal party or your wedding coordinator so they don't have to bug you, asking for people's email addresses or phone numbers.

4. Use a Calendar! We can not stress this enough. Whether you use a planner, google calendar, or iCal, find a calendaring system that works best for you. I personally couldn't live without my iCal from Apple. I can schedule reminders on appointments, and color code all of my events based on their category. But however you decide to mark down your dates, and appointments, it is so important that you stick with it. Make sure you regularly check your calendar, and consistently update it. This will save you from headache and confusion. We promise!!

5. Guest Seating Chart Made Simple. While browsing through Pinterest we found this great idea, from Once Wed, for making the daunting task of organizing your guests seating arrangements fun and easy! Click here to learn how!

6. Draw a Diagram. The day of your wedding you will be too busy to worry about how your ceremony and reception room will be set up, so delegate! Draw a diagram of the ceremony and reception area and write in where you want your decorations and wedding items to go. This way  your wedding coordinator will know exactly where you want everything, and you can rest easy the day of your wedding.

7. Create an Itinerary. Creating an itinerary for your bridal party and immediate family is a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page, and you don't have to constantly answer questions on the "when" and "where" of all your wedding events. I love this Wedding Timeline card we found on Etsy! Check it out!

8. Book Your Planner Early! Nothing can help relieve the stress a wedding can bring more than the help of a wedding planner! Planners can help from the smallest detail such as bustling your dress to packing up your things at the end of the night. As a coordinator, I don't want my brides to have to think of anything other than enjoying her day, and being able to help in the planning and coordination can really help with that. However, if you do have a tight budget, hire a planner at the very minimum for "Day of Coordination."  This will still help relieve the stress on the day of your wedding, and can help you stay organized!

There you are! 8 Tips on how to stay organized while planning your dream wedding! Don't forget to stop by again next Tuesday for more great tips from me! Until next time!