Photo courtesy of Kylie Crump Photography

Ok, let’s be real… Planning a wedding can be stressful and feel scattered at times. With all the little details, it is fair to say that the fun part of planning can get lost. To keep the experience enjoyable, and keep you sane, here are some tips to stay organized while wedding planning.

Create an email address strictly for wedding details

Personal emails can easily become cluttered with business, promotional, and junk mail. When you add wedding related emails to that, you can end up with quite a mess on your hands. Making an email specifically for all wedding details prevents an overcrowded inbox and eliminates the chance of important wedding emails being lost. Give the password to your future husband or any family members helping you plan.

Another benefit of having this separate email, is you can choose when to check it. If you’re like most people these days, you probably have your phone set to notify you whenever you receive an email. There’s no need to stress yourself out – turn off notifications on your wedding email account, and deal with them when you’re in the best headspace to think about your big day!

Photo courtesy of Simple Moments Photography

Keep everything in one place

Nothing is more confusing or stressful as trying to track down where you wrote, saved, or typed something. To avoid this, decide if you are a hard copy kind of person, or someone who prefers to have everything stored online.

I have seen quite a few brides buy those pretty planning notebooks to keep vendor contracts, write details, and keep to-do’s. For the people out there who need to write things down to remember them, this is a great option for you! Here is a planner from Etsy that is functional and cute.

On the other side, we live in a world full of technology! These days most contracts and payments are done online, so having something like Google Drive to keep those files in makes sense. Keep it extra organized by having specific folders for each vendor. You can also keep your to-do’s and notes in there. Online and app solutions can also be accessed by multiple users simultaneously, so if you’re planning from out of state, this can be very handy for sharing all information.

Whether paper or technology appeals to you , commit to one format and stick to it. That way you won’t lose any details by switching midstream.

Photo courtesy of Lauren Peele Photography

Write it down

Now that you have this folder or online system, utilize it! Write or type any important points discussed in meetings to refer back to later instead of trying to remember what was said. Also, add appointments or to-do as they are scheduled or thought of. You never know when you will need to recall a detail!

Dedicate specific time

“I’ll do it tomorrow” can easily turn into a month out from the wedding. Setting time aside strictly for planning ensures not everything will be done last minute. Whether it’s an hour after work, at lunch every other day, or every morning of your day off, schedule it into your calendar so that you know you can get it done.

Scheduling time helps you manage all the details. You don’t want to randomly return calls at the market, where you’ll more than likely forget any plans that were discussed. Use this dedicated time to log into your wedding email, answer the emails, and then immediately store that information in your folder or drive. Update your to do list and check out what’s on the horizon, so that you’re ready for the next step!

We can all agree that planning a wedding can easily become stressful. Let’s keep the fun in planning and get organized! Or, if this just doesn’t appeal to you in the slightest, let us help you out! Our packages are all structured so that we build in the organization for you, allowing you to have the headspace to simply focus on decision-making and all of the pretty!

Photo courtesy of Miranda Marrs Photography

When it comes down to actually planning your wedding, there is a lot to consider. The best way to avoid feeling overwhelmed is to get ahead of the planning process. One of the tasks you will have right away is figuring out who is wanting to contribute to your wedding (financially or with guidance). That means there may be some awkward, but necessary, conversations are in your future with your family. Whether it’s about budget or family traditions, it’s better to have these conversations at the beginning of the planning process. Knowing what to say and what information you need can go a long way towards making these conversations less awkward. So here are some things to consider and questions that you can ask word-for-word to make the whole planning process smoother.

Photo courtesy of Coburn Photography

The first step is to sit down with each person you think might contribute – financially, emotionally, or both – so that you can make sure that you are all on the same page. A great question to start with is “How involved do you want to be in the decision-making process?” This allows you to open the discussion with a neutral topic that is not directly about the budget, but may provide a good segue. Perhaps they want to be very involved in decision-making because they plan on contributing a significant amount. Maybe they want to show support for you and your fiancé by helping with the planning and design. Whatever the case may be, you can now have an open and honest conversation about what that involvement will look like. You can then easily transition to the financial aspect or what compromises can be made.

Photo courtesy of Lindsay Davenport Photography

In terms of finances, a simple “Do you want to contribute to our wedding?” is a great way to start the conversation without assumptions. If the answer is yes, then you can dive into the specifics. In addition to how much they are willing to contribute, you will also want to find out more about how they expect the money to be managed. Would they be comfortable with you managing how that money is spent, or would they like it spent in a particular way? Alternatively, we have seen couples assign a specific vendor to a family member who like to contribute to the wedding. For instance, if you know that the bar service is going to be very important to your side of the family, your parents might agree to pay for that part.

Photo courtesy of Dot & Anchor Photography

While you are discussing expectations in regards to money, you might also want to find out about any family or religious traditions they want include. Do they want you to get married in a specific spot – church, family home, etc.? Who do they think should be there and involved? Are there any particular traditions they want to see incorporated in the ceremony or reception – a tea ceremony, unity candle, the dollar or hora dance? Is there a cake topper that has been handed down for generations that they want you to use? What traditions have you seen at other family events? This is your opportunity to find out and learn a little family history while you’re at it.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Shae Photography

You want to understand what key family member’s roles and expectations are so you can make plans with that knowledge in mind. It doesn’t mean that you have to incorporate every aspect of what the contributors expect, but it does mean that you can make an informed decision about what you want and are happy to include. This may lead to another awkward conversation in which you tell the contributor that you have made a different decision that is more in line with what you want as a couple. But that is ok, and if it will help save you the drama or hurt feelings on the day of the wedding then it is well worth it. Ultimately it is you and your fiancé’s wedding day!

If you need further help navigating these tough questions contact us! If you want more, you can read about things to consider before you start planning you wedding.