Planning a wedding may seem like a lot of fun but the reality is it can get stressful very quickly. Between balancing your everyday life and the wedding to-dos, it can be tough to keep up. In my experience so far, the only saving grace has been creating a system to stay organized. I’ve done this with a simple tool we’ve all used since we were children; a binder.
In the midst of attending wedding expo’s, touring venues, and researching other vendors the paperwork began piling up. I would come home from work each day and shudder at the sheets of paper scattered everywhere. It was after our third venue tour that I hit a breaking point. I had to get organized if I was ever going to clear my mind enough to make a decision for the specifics of our big day.
I eventually purchased an adorable 3-ring binder and sorted through the mess of wedding research lying around. From there I created several categories; To-do, Budget, Contracts, Research, and Inspiration. I hole punched all my paperwork (which is surprisingly therapeutic), created a couple dividers, and took a big sigh of relief. Everything was finally all in one spot! It wasn’t long after that Brian and I officially set our date and booked our venue.
Our wedding binder is not only home to all of our research, but also some other documents that have helped us stay organized and get things accomplished. Here’s an abridged list:
The Knot Wedding Checklist – This is free to use once you sign up on The Knot and has been a saving grace. It tells me exactly when to focus on certain parts of the planning process – without it I would probably forget half of my tasks!
The Knot Wedding Budget Planner – Another great freebie once you’ve signed up on The Knot! You can explore different budgeting options and it helps calculate how much you’ll be able to spend on each part of your wedding.
Tone It Up Bridal Program – My favorite fitness guru’s are the girls over at Tone It Up and they created a bridal program when they got married. It doesn’t just have health tips and workouts, but also inspiration and planning tips too.
Who would’ve thought a simple 3-ring binder would keep this bride sane? 😉 The earlier you become organized during the wedding planning process, the less stressed you’re likely to be. Creating a system for yourself can prove to be extremely valuable when making these once in a lifetime decisions. You can also apply this organizational method to other parts of your life like budgeting, vacations, etc. Happy planning!
What is your go-to method for staying organized? Share in the comments below!
