5 tips to help you stay organized while you strategize your dream wedding.
1. Have One Master Folder
- Have a master folder to store all documents pertaining to your wedding. A file folder or large three ringed-binder will work well.
- Even better is buying a wedding planner and organizer which usually comes with a large 3-ringed folder and dividers that are sectioned with different wedding categories.
- Unless necessary, don’t let this leave your house! It will become very full as your wedding draws closer and you’ll be devastated if such pertinent information gets lost or damaged!
- Have a light weight 2 pocket folder to store paper documents when you're traveling out for wedding meetings, errands and affairs.
- Get a contract from every vendor you hire and a receipt for every wedding purchase you make.
- Save all of your receipts, invoices, contracts in your large wedding binder at home. Don’t throw any of these documents away, you’ll be surprised when you might need them.
- Much of the wedding business you'll do will be online. Store digital transactions in a folder on your desktop computer. It’s also a smart idea to print a copy to keep with your wedding binder, wether it’s a contract, invoice, receipt.
2. Create Your Timeline
- Use a preassembled timeline as a guide that you can amend to find what works best with your timeframe.
- You’ll quickly learn the to-do list might seem overwhelming to tackle. But remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and it will be impossible to tackle all of your wedding planning in one day.
- Make dates out of the fun tasks such as cake tasting, or plan a nice lunch date before venue searching with your fiancé. Go wine tasting together after you create your wedding registry. It's the little milestones that make the entire journey an adventure.
- Don’t cut corners.
Imagine these scenarios... “Oh we don’t need to keep track of a guest list.” What if a thousand people show up and your venue and catering only prepared for 300. You don't want guests to be standing while they're eating dinner! How about tricking yourself into thinking you have tons of time to mail out your invites. You might have lots of time to send the invites but your guests will have only a short period of time to return them to you. Then don’t forget, you have to turn in your guest count on time to your caterer and still make the table seating chart. - It can feel overwhelming but you have lots of help!
3. Delegate Duties To Your Bridal Party
- You have a team! You've probably already decided who your bridal party will be.
- Ask the bridal party for their help then split up the duties. Make sure you keep track of who you assigned tasks to so there’s no confusion when crunch time gets close. Be sure to have clear communication when assigning the tasks to further avoid confusion and complications.
- Always be thankful for the help you get from big to small. It’s an accumulation of great team work that will present the ultimate reward of a smooth wedding day.
- When you ask instead of demand people will feel happy and honored to help you with such a special ordeal. If someone has an unreliable history don’t give them main duties. Ask your maid of honor to handle x,y and z then she can keep track of delegating tasks within the bridesmaids.
4. Brainstorm Ideas
- Let your creative energies flow as you explore the plethora of wedding opportunities and ideas. Between magazines and online resources there are many exciting choices!
- Use Wedding Wire, The Knot and Wedding Guide to help you find vendors and ideas in your local area or wedding location.
- Create a Pinterest board to keep all your digital ideas in one place. Physical ideas can be stored in your wedding binder or you can make a inspiration collage board.
- Serenade your brainstorming sessions with your favorite music or music you may want to play at your wedding.
- Wedding Music is a new and interesting album filled with modern classical music perfect for weddings. Wedding music on itunes.
5. Create A Wedding Website
- A website is helpful so your guests to see all your wedding details in one location.
- Your website is the place to tell your love story and emphasize your wedding theme.
- Forgetful guests can look at your website instead of calling you!
- Make a free website with wedding wire or the knot!
About Katie Ann
ASCAP member, Katie Ann, is a music producer and music artist who has successfully released many works of art through her publishing company, LK PRO. A certified member of Wedding Wire and Buffalo Bridal Association, Katie Ann is a singing pianist specializing performing weddings and other special events. As an accomplished musician she offers voice and piano lessons to aspiring children and adults.
