As you enter the season of engagement in your life, there will quickly become (what feels like) a never-ending to-do list. The good news is that with just a few simple tactics, you can wrap your arms around all of the tasks that will need to be done.
With the right structure in place, you’ll be able to plan the big day of your dreams. Here are 5 ways for how to get organized while planning your wedding.
Ways to Get Organized During Wedding Planning
If you’ve ever planned an event or party, you might be comfortable with some of the basics of what’s involved with putting together an important event. From the invite list to the food, and to the décor, there are plenty of details that will need to come together.
Having said that, keep in mind that a wedding isn’t just-another-party. From the ancient meaningful traditions to the size of the guest list, there are many things that set weddings apart---which often makes them more complex to plan.
The Best Wedding Organization Tips
Here’s how to get organized while planning your wedding:
1. Pick one app (and actually use it). If you do a search for the best wedding apps on Google or in the app store on your phone, you’re likely to find thousands of options. Try not to get overwhelmed and take some time to select one that will meet your most critical needs. Comprehensive apps, like The Knot, can help with everything---from budget tracking to RSVP management. If you don’t need all of that then you can choose an app that is more specific, like one that is dedicated to a task list or a budget.
2. Have two sources for taking notes---not more than that, though! We recommend a digital format (i.e. the ‘Notes’ app on your smartphone) and one physical notebook. Your phone will be helpful to document quick notations, add reminders that you don’t want to forget, or to save hyperlinks. An actual notepad will be best for more detailed planning. Leave it sitting in a prominent spot that’s easy to grab when you receive a phone call from a vendor. The reason why you want to keep things focused in only two sources is so that everything is in one place. (There’s nothing worse than having very important notes written into 4 separate notebooks, because you wont be able to find anything!)
3. Take advantage of online platforms that offer shared folders. One of the things that can become difficult to organize is the important files that will send back in forth via email. To keep everything in one place, we suggest leveraging a sharable folder (like Google Drive or DropBox) to provide documents to key vendors. For example, you can create a folder for your wedding planner so that you can save things like music lists or reception slides.
4. Create one email address to communicate with your vendors. Speaking of email addresses…there are going to be a lot of emails! Creating a new email address which you and your spouse both have access to will allow you to use a central location for all your wedding-related email communications. The Budget Savvy Bride shares this: “We started an email address for wedding purposes, which will be a shared email address after we’re married. We decided to do digital save-the-dates and digital RSVPs. This shared email address will make communicating with guests easy and simple. Also, this a great email to use when registering for gifts and signing up for deals that you don’t want cluttering your personal inbox.”
5. Document key dates and set reminders for ones that you can’t miss. One of the hardest things, especially as you get closer to the big day, will be to keep track of dates. Sure, you know your wedding date. But your florist will have a different date required for the deposit than your photographer.
Whether it’s a paper calendar, digital one, or another method (like reminders set on your smartphone), it’s important to have one standard way to keep track of dates. Here are the types of dates that you will want to take note of as you set up a plan for how to get organized while planning your wedding:
Vendor payment schedules (deposits, final payments)
Wedding license needs
RSVP requirements
Vendor questionnaires (i.e timeline and shot list)
Dress/suit alteration appointments
Hair/makeup trial appointments
Venue walk throughs
Final headcount needs for vendors (i.e. the baker)
Transportation or guest services (i.e. booking a limo or hotel room blocks)
We hope you enjoyed learning about how to get organized while planning your wedding. Regardless of if you have a wedding planner, month-of, or day-of coordinator, you will need to have some level of organization. It’s important that you strive to set yourself up for success and follow a plan for keeping track of your priorities.
If you’re still putting together a full plan as you strive to build out your wedding team of professionals, we’re here to help! Let us cover the bases for your wedding photography and videography. Browse our portfolio here and then get in touch with us to learn about our services.
[Photoshoots in the spotlight: Madison + Haley, and Loreana + Luis in Houston, Texas]
Choose Joy,
The Joy Team