How to Stay Organized When Planning Your Wedding

April 5, 2022

Use our tips to plan the best wedding day ever!

newlyweds walking barefoot across a bridge

Planning a wedding is supposed to be one of life's most special experiences, but it can also be one of the most stressful. It takes a lot of work and organization to make sure everything comes together without any problems. Here are our tips for staying on top of your wedding planning.

1. Create an event timeline so you know what needs to happen when

Create a list of everything that needs to be done before the wedding. How far in advance does each item need to be arranged and booked? When you have a solid idea of what the big picture looks like, begin by making a timeline. You can do this by hand or on the computer.

Start by working backwards from your wedding date. Highlight the major milestones in your timeline, such as when you need to send out invitations or reserve a venue. Then, you can mark down all the other tasks that need to be completed in between.

2. Create a budget

Once you've determined when your big day will take place, it's time to create a wedding budget! There are many different kinds of costs associated with weddings, including catering, decorations, music & entertainment, and photography & videography. It's best to get an idea of how much you can afford to spend on each area and then prioritize. Do your best not to go over your budget! Your guests mustn't pick up the tab, so you must plan accordingly.

3. Set up tasks with deadlines to stay on track

Write down all of the small steps that go into your wedding events, then set yourself a deadline for each one. For example, you could write, "Call the florist to book wedding flowers" with a deadline of two weeks from today.

Keep track of your progress by marking things off the list as you finish them or color-coding them if you want. You can make it fun! Don't forget to treat yourself when you get something done; take your partner out to dinner or enjoy a bubble bath.

4. Make sure everyone who needs information gets it as soon as possible

Take a breath and think about what you need to do for your wedding to be successful. Now, think about the people you will depend on: family members, bridesmaids, groomsmen, photographers, caterers, etc.

For each person or vendor, decide how you will communicate with them to ensure that they have what they need when they need it. Will you always email? Is a phone call better? How often are updates needed? Once a week? Make sure everyone's contact information is logged in the same place so you can access it as needed.

5. Use an online wedding tool to help you stay organized

Using an online planner or a program like Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers can be extremely helpful. There are lots of options out there—just search for a "wedding planner" template and take your pick! It's also a good idea to use the note feature to keep track of things that need to be done, names of people you need to contact, any questions about the wedding, and useful links. Linking all your information together will save you time when you're looking for something later on.

Below are two wedding planning apps recommended by former brides to help keep you on track:

Wedding Wire App – The Wedding Wire app helps you organize all of the details for your wedding day. You can easily record and locate vendor information, to-do lists, budget items, guest counts, and more.

The Knot Wedding Planner App – The Knot app makes it easy to plan your entire wedding in one place! Start your wedding planning journey here and keep it as a keepsake after the big day.

6. Keep all the important documents together

Wedding planning can be chaotic. You need to make sure that you are saving important papers in one place so they don't get lost. An accordion file or a large envelope work well to keep documents organized.

Important documents to save might include budget, guest list, vendor contacts (phone numbers, email addresses), invitations (wording ideas, RSVP cards), timeline, and contracts.

7. Consider hiring someone else to help you

Wedding planning can be stressful, time-consuming, and sometimes hard work. If you don't have the time or patience to do all of it alone, consider hiring a wedding planner. A good wedding planner will make sure that all the small details are taken care of so you can enjoy your special day.

8. Set aside time every day or week to work on your plans

It is important to set aside dedicated time to plan your wedding. If you don't, the days will pass by, and you'll have no idea where the time went. So decide on a specific time of day that you can work on wedding-related activities.

If you have a specific amount of time set aside every day, make sure to treat it as your most important job. Put aside all distractions, grab a cup of tea or coffee, and get ready to work! Once the time is up, take a break for at least 10 minutes before getting back to your regular daily activities.

9. Engage in regular communication with your partner

There will be days when you are so busy planning your wedding that you might forget to talk about the things that are most important to both of you, especially how you feel about each other. Try setting aside time every day or week for just the two of you.

Remember that they are about to become your life partner, so it is important that both of you feel good about what will happen next. If you can't find time alone together, try calling or video chatting with each other at the end of the day just to say hi and catch up on each other’s lives.

10. Relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy the ride:

Most importantly, remember that this is supposed to be fun! There's no need to stress about anything. Your wedding should be about enjoying each other's company and celebrating with your nearest and dearest friends and family.

Everything will work out in the end, so just go with the flow. Before you know it, your wedding will be here and you will have created some wonderful memories to cherish forever! If push comes to shove, remember that everything is fixable. Most of the time, vendors are understanding if an unforeseen circumstance pops up. And most importantly, don't forget to have fun!

Organizing your wedding can seem daunting, but with these tips, you'll be able to stay on top of everything. By keeping all of your important documents in one place, creating a timeline, and setting aside a specific time every day to work on wedding plans, you'll be well on your way to having a stress-free wedding day. And don't forget to enjoy the process!

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