Wedding planning is hard (understatement of the year) and full of facts + figures, and endless minuscule details to keep up with. It’s even harder when you don’t have a way to manage all the mess. Now we’re not trying to convert any of our fancy-free brides into Type-A organizers, we see you, but we have a little something for everyone in this post.
We tried our best to be thorough and tick all the organizational boxes, but none can quite compare to the support a wedding planner can give you. Your 6-page color-coded spreadsheet won’t wrangle vendors, comfort your mom, or bust a move with you on the dance floor. Stress-free brides hire wedding planners and brides who don’t want to pull out all their hair organize.
Quick Tips!
2: Read Every Contract—Closely.
Contracts keep you informed about vendor expectations, but it’s also the bible for every deadline, timeline, and cost involved on your big day. This is where your big organizational data will come from.
1: Ask for help.
Your friends, family, and spouse are there to help! So reach out! Delegating small tasks here and there will keep your plate clear for bigger, more time-consuming tasks.
4: Prioritize.
3: Email Address.
All wedding elements are not created equal. There will be parts of your wedding day that you care about less than others and those tasks are perfect for delegating to your spouse, friends or family. Plus, now you can put your energy into what matters to you instead of wasting time on which color chair cover looks best with the napkins.
Sign up for a separate email address for all your wedding-related needs. This will keep your primary email address free of wedding clutter and you can tackle wedding emails without distractions.
5: Collaborate With Your Planner!
This seems like a no-duh, but your wedding planner is a resource so use their expertise. Plus many wedding planners, Celebrate Dallas included, use sites that help couples and wedding planners work together.
LITE
These organizational tools are light and casual. You won’t need them every single second, but you can throw it in your purse so you have it when you need it.
Notebook or Bullet Journal
Source | Etsy
A classic monogrammed notebook is perfect for keeping to-do lists and meeting notes.
Photo | Carlo Mendoza , Illustration and cards | Via Calligraphy
Bullet journals give you a space for creative expression and info dumping.
Artful Agenda or Google Calendar
Source | Artful Agenda
Artful Agenda is a fancy (and much cuter) version of Google Calendar, but it comes with a $50 a year price tag. If you don’t need the cute consider using old fashioned GCal for your calendar and notes integration.
Aisle Planner
Source | Aisle Planner
Aisle Planner is a website that many wedding planners use to organize, share, and collaborate on your wedding info! It’s a one-stop-shop to check off to-dos, track RSVPs, and share wedding inspo and timelines.
MEDIUM
Medium organizational options give you more bang for your buck. Your bases are covered, but you’re not chained to the system.
Wedding Planner
Paper
Source | Erin Condren
Wedding specific planner come in many different shapes and sizes, but Erin Condren is one of our favorites. Of course, there are many other more affordable options (see: Purple Trail or Recollections at Michael’s.
Digital
Source | Etsy
Digital planners are for the tech-savvy and available on Tablets or iPads. You can take notes and fill in important info using your apple pencil or the Android alternative.
Binder
Source | Etsy
Binder pages are old fashioned, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. These resources are all over the internet and you can find in-depth options very cheap or free. *Note these don’t come with a binder, decorating and organizing your binder will be your DIY activity (I feel a scrapbooking montage coming on…).
Dropbox
Source | Dropbox
Have a lot of information coming from a million different places? Consider Dropbox. You can scan all your contracts, receipts, notes, and invoices in one place. Dropbox can be organized, re-organized, and organized again. The more folders, the better.
MEGA
This is for the bride who can’t get enough of the wedding planning process. These systems are for the faint of heart, but if this is your thing it might take your breath away.
Scrum Board
Photo | Scrum Your Wedding
Scrum boards break your task list down to it’s absolute tiniest detail. Anything you’re doing in the name of your wedding day goes on the board. You won’t forget anything, we promise you that much. You can also create a digital scrum board on Trello and other project management apps.
Spreadsheet
Source | Etsy
Spreadsheets are the Grand Poo-bah of organizational systems. With the right spreadsheet, no wedding detail will go unnoticed. If it matters, there’s a cell for it.