Staying Organized While Planning Your Wedding

If you ask anyone who has actually been through it, successful organization and planning are the key to putting on a great wedding. While it may not be the easiest thing to do, making a plan and sticking with it can be one of the best things you can do to reduce stress, eliminated unnecessary tension with your future spouse, and really enjoy the entire process. Consider these simple tips to ensure that your day is planned properly so it goes as smoothly as possible.

Don’t Cram

This isn’t high school, so trying to cram everything you need to do in a short period of time really isn’t going to work. Many couples make their lives much more difficult by simply waiting too long to actually begin planning. Putting things off until four to six months before the scheduled day is often a nightmare. Many vendors require at least six months to order and prepare everything they will be providing for you. Of course you should take a little time and enjoy simply being engaged, but don’t get carried away and expect everything to just turn out for you in the end.

Schedule Wedding Time

Taking just one day a week for a few hours to focus on wedding details can make the process go smoother than you ever could have realized. If you have a tight timeline, make it a few hours a few days a week. That way you will not feel guilty that you aren’t spending enough time planning, and you can actually enjoy life during the process. You should do this together, so there are no surprises and everyone is on board.

Get a Calendar

Trying to plan a wedding without writing it all down is a mad proposition. Brides and grooms have to have some way of staying organized. Considering all of the meetings with vendors, including taste tests, fittings, shopping, and creating a vibrant invitation design, you may find the most success by staying organized with a calendar or datebook. A fun way to jazz up a calendar and help you get excited for the bid day is ordering a photo calendar from an online printer. These calendars can be customized with photographs of you and your future husband or wife. This will make the planning really hit home and help you enjoy the process all the more.

Once you have your calendar or date book, set your date and then set goals for individual tasks. How soon do you want to have your location booked? When do you want to have the flowers ordered? This timeline can really help you feel less overwhelmed and also gives you a sense of where to start in a huge pile of things that need to be done.

Don’t Be Afraid to Share

You aren’t toddlers anymore, but sharing can still be difficult. This is especially true when one person has been dreaming of the wedding his or her entire life. Sharing duties, however, is the most efficient and helpful way to get everything done on time. It may also help prevent planning burnout and instances of bride- or groomzilla. Although many grooms may think this is entirely bride territory, the truth is that they should be involved in the process too. So get together with your future spouse, make a list of everything that needs to be done, and split it in half. If the groom is able to choose what he wants to do, he will have more fun doing it. Even if one of you doesn’t really care about the details, he or she should step up and take care of business anyway.

Communication Is Key

If you are sharing wedding duties, it is imperative that you share details with one another. This will prevent some potentially embarrassing issues from arising at the time of the wedding. If you take care of the caterer, make sure you both mark it off the list so no one thinks it hasn’t been done and double books. This will also help you modify your to-do lists as new issues arise. Moreover, it will help you both feel connected to the wedding and to each other.

Stay Legally Minded

There are some amazing wedding professionals out there who are eager to make your day the best it can possibly be. There are also some less-than-stellar folks in the wedding industry who may back out without notice or mess orders up. To protect yourself, clarify all of you expectations at the initial meeting. If you do not get a written contract with all of your details and expectations included, find someone else. If you have a concern, make sure it goes into the contract. Also, read the fine print before you sign anything. Cancellation fees and policies can be brutal, so make sure you understand what you are signing before you put pen to paper.

Planning a wedding doesn’t have to be overwhelming or a difficult process. Following these simple tips can help you actually enjoy yourself – and your future spouse – while you work together to plan your big day.

Bryan Passanisi is online marketer and writer living in Redwood City, CA. He graduated from The University of San Francisco with his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. Bryan has managed a popular wedding blog and has created viral content. He currently is a blogger for Shutterfly.