Wedding planning can be an amazing and fun process, but it can be stressful. There are so many methods to staying organized, but I am going to tell you what my fiance and I have decided to do to help us with our wedding planning timeline, and also keeping all information together.
When Eric and I got engaged on Saturday, I knew that I was facing a shorter timeline than most and I needed to find a way to not feel so overwhelmed. I know that I have a tendency to look at the big picture and just feel weighed down with all of the things that I need to do. So, I sat down with Eric and we started our own timeline. We created a Google Doc and made tabs with different dates on them. Each tab has a list of what needs to be done, by whom, date that it was completed, and any notes that should be made. Starting with what was most important and/or would take the most time, and simply continued on until the day of the wedding. I also was sure to add a contact tab. On the contact tab was all of my fiance’s and my info, as well as the info for our parents, maid of honor, and best man. Once vendors are booked, we will go back and add all of their information as well. It’s so helpful to have all of the information gathered in one location, so you’re not trying to track down a single person and having a hard time finding their business card. I know myself well enough to know that my purse is a black hole, and it’s a miracle if something that goes in there ever emerges again. After we finished crating the document, I shared it with Eric, my parents, and his parents. I realize that this method might not work for everyone, but for us, this is perfect. We are all in different towns and it is so helpful to have all of the information for what needs to be done in one place.
When I was done with that document, I moved on to one specifically for Eric and myself. This document is where we are listing our potential vendors, their contact info, and pricing if we know it. I then have gone through and highlighted the cell with which one I am really hoping to get, so that I can touch base with them first to figure out their pricing and availability. It’s an easy way to stay organized, but also keep tabs on who we are really wanting to book. It’s also an easy way to eliminate anyone who is out of your price range.
The last document that I made was for the budget. I broke down every item and included what percentage of the budget it should be. That way, if you need to, you can adjust the budget at the top, and it will go through and adjust each line item based on the adjusted budget. There is also a column for the actual amount spent and the variance. This way you can keep a very accurate accounting of what you are saving on, and what you overspent. This has been shared with my mom so that we can keep a really close eye on all things money related.
The last thing I did was purchase a planner for all things wedding related. I very rarely check my phone calendar, but I love having something physical to look at. I also truly believe that when you physically write something down, you remember it better. If you don’t want to buy one, but you already use one for work or anything else, use that! There are so many dates that can easily be mixed up. Between cake testing, dress alterations, meetings with venues, and any other meeting you can think of, you will want to be sure you have every appointment on a calendar of some kind.
Written by Haley from My Fashion Chronicles as a guest writer.
Leave a Reply