Wedding Tips
So you’re engaged – yay!! – And now everyone expects you to have all your stuff together – you need to know when the wedding is, where it is, who’s doing the flowers and the cake, who’s in your bridal party, and when the bridal shower is. Phew! It makes my head spin just thinking about it.
One of the best things I did when I got married was to get organized! That way I knew what was planned and what wasn’t, who was paid and who wasn’t, and what things you don’t need to worry about at all.
Whether you are a DIY bride like I was, or you are working with a planner/coordinator (which I recommend), you’ll find planning your wedding is a lot easier if you follow some of these tips:
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Create a folder in your email just for wedding correspondence.
Or better yet create a separate email just for your wedding. You can create a Gmail account for free. This will keep all of your wedding correspondence in one place, so nothing is lost or slips through the cracks.
If you want to get fancy, you can create separate folders for each vendor. Or use an online project management system to organize everything. I personally love Asana or Trello. And Gmail has add-ons for both that make it super easy to add your emails to your projects.
Pro Tip – DO NOT use your school email. These often disappear after you graduate, which means you won’t be able to reference your emails when your best friend gets married and is looking for a great DJ or when your little sister wants to use your caterer. Or, heaven forbid, your wedding gets delayed, and you lose access to your emails before your wedding happens. Just don’t do that to yourself.
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Create a folder for all your wedding documents (contracts, brochures, invoices, etc.).
One of my favorite places for these is online in Dropbox or Google Drive so I can access them no matter where I am. Plus I can view them on my phone or my computer. You could also keep them in a paper folder or binder. Just make sure you know where they are and can reference them if needed. Remember, all contracts are meant to protect YOU too (not just the vendor). So read them and know what your rights are.
My second favorite place to keep these documents is right in my project management tool, like Asana or Trello. If you are using one of these, drag and drop the document right into your project for safe keeping, both also have mobile apps that allow you to view your projects (and any associated documents) from anywhere with an internet connection.
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Add your deadlines and payment due dates to your calendar
Few things feel worse than getting a “payment overdue” notice. You can avoid this (and keep your vendors happy) by adding all your payment due dates to your calendar as soon as you get the schedule. (Pro tip – set them a week earlier so you can pay your invoices before they are due. Look at you go!)
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Keep a running to-do list
Keep a to-do list somewhere with all of your to-dos on it. You can keep this on paper or electronically. I love, you guessed it, Asana or Trello, but there are a thousand apps you could use: Google Keep, Todoist, Wanderlust, Evernote, a google doc, a spreadsheet, Notes (on iOS), and so many more!
The point is to pick something and use it. Check it often (I recommend at least twice per week) to make sure you are staying on track and making progress on this list. Add things when you think of them or when a vendor requests something from you. If there is a deadline on a task, add those to your calendar.
A perk of using an app or project management system is that most of them allow you to share your list with your support team (see tip #5).
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Recruit your support team & use them
There is A LOT that needs to be done for a wedding, and having a support team will help you so much. These are the people you can ask for advice and guidance when a decision is difficult. They are also the people you can delegate tasks to.
You do not have to do everything yourself – even if you are DIYing your wedding. I repeat – do not do it all yourself! Lean on your friends and family. They’ll likely be more than happy to pitch in and help you tackle some of your to-dos.
For those of you wondering who makes up this team, it’s your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and family members. If you are using a planner/coordinator, they are also on this team.
BONUS TIP: Start a NEW Pinterest board for your wedding planning.
Start a new board specifically for YOUR wedding (not the dream one you’ve been secretly planning since high school). Your taste has probably changed a lot since you started those boards. And what is important to you has likely changed too. Start with a clean slate.
Your planner/coordinator, stationery, florist, and photographer will likely all want to look at this board to get inspiration. Make sure it reflects your current dream wedding.
I hope these tips help you to get organized as you start planning your wedding. Planning your wedding can quickly become overwhelming without a little bit of thought. If you find yourself feeling lost or overwhelmed, I highly suggest contacting a planner/coordinator, like Jaclyn. This is their job – to know what needs to be done, in what order, and when. They also know the vendors and can make recommendations on who would be a good fit (and even who to steer clear of).
Now go organize yourself!
About Chelsea Foster
Chelsea is a graphic designer and workflow & productivity coach. She specializes in creating custom wedding invitations & stationery for engaged couples and helping creatives organize their business and life.
You can find her online at:
Website: www.peonyprintshop.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/peonyprintshop
Facebook: www.facebook.com/peonyprinthop
Now that your getting organized check out these useful blogs to help you with the next steps.
