1. Start with a thorough checklist
After planning my own wedding I know the importance of a well-organized system. There are many tools that you can utilize, pre-made online as well as your own systems. I myself used
The Knot as my starting point as they have a very thorough checklist. It starts at 12+ months out from the wedding date and breaks down the items by number of months. If you sign up with their website (it's free) you can actually check things off the list as you do them. It was so satisfying to see my to-do list shrink as time went by. You're also able to move the items around (their timing is simply a suggestion) if you plan something for a different month.
2. Over-organize your materials
Going along with a good checklist, you should have a thorough system of organization for your wedding materials. About a month before my wedding, I found one of the most thorough planning guides I'd seen. It's a series of printable worksheets that you can use to plan and organize all your wedding materials with. I have since made a binder of them for each of my friends that have gotten engaged since and they all love it! The sheets are available from
Russell+Hazel and are free to download and print. I highly recommend using these! In addition to this great planning guide, having your own organization system is a great idea. I used Microsoft Access to create workbooks for my guest lists. I had a separate sheet for each of the following:
- master guest list including last name, first names (all names to be included on one invitation), and address (with number and street, city, state, and zip listed separately)
- save the date list with just the last name, number of guests, and a checklist for when it was sent out
- invitation list with last name, first names of the guest(s) and their date, first names of children, and checklists for when it was sent as well as for whether they were attending or not
- thank you list including last name, first names, what gift they gave, what occasion it was for (engagement party, bridal shower, wedding, etc.), a checklist for when it was written, and another for when it was sent out
- a separate list for each party that an invitation needed to be sent out (engagement, bridal shower, bachelorette, rehearsal dinner)
- wedding announcement list
Be sure to keep all your materials (hard copies, not those on the computer) in one place. Buy a binder and folders and keep everything together in an organized way. This is especially helpful for contracts and other materials from your vendors.
3. Set a budget
Setting a budget, and sticking to it, is an incredibly important part of planning. There are tons of tools online to help you decide on what to spend and how and it is extremely beneficial to make use of them. Budgeting isn't just about figuring out how much to spend, but the best places to spend the money. Of course you want the dress of your dreams that makes you cry the second you put it on, but make sure you allot only what you can actually spend on the dress. There are gorgeous dresses out there for $10,000 and others just as amazing for only $1,100. Making sure you allow some wiggle room is also important. Sometimes things come up and you have to spend a little more such as my friend who interviewed four florists and fell in love with one. She had budgeted $2,000 for flowers but spent around $2,200 with this florist. And other times you will spend less than anticipated, especially if you're DIYing. I made my centerpieces myself and ended up spending less than I had budgeted thanks to sales and coupons plus cutting down on the number of tables at the reception. I ended up having about $150 to spend elsewhere on the wedding.
4. Be aware of others
Yes you're bridesmaids and groomsmen are there to make your lives a little easier by helping out, but make sure not to overburden them. It is an honor to be asked to be part of a wedding party, but the bride and groom need to keep in mind that not every aspect of their friends' and families' lives can revolve around their wedding. You may be able to spend thousands of dollars on a wedding dress, but all your girls may not be able to afford equally expensive bridesmaids dresses. Although you don't want to give up your vision of your wedding, take into consideration what your girls (and guys) can afford to pay and work within that. (Unless you're incredibly generous and are buying them their dresses.) Also be aware that not everyone has the same schedule, so give them plenty of notice when planning something wedding-related. When we scheduled a day to go dress shopping for the girls' dresses, I let them know at least a month in advance so they could take the time off if necessary.
5. Make use of other's ideas
Pinterest has become a go-to tool for planning any type of party or celebration. There are a million ideas there to help you plan your wedding. From budget-savvy tips to ideas for which flowers to use, there's great ideas for every bride. I found a ton of ideas that helped me figure out what I wanted to do for different aspects of my own wedding. I was able to pull ideas from hundreds of different people and websites. Definitely think about signing up for an account but beware, it's addictive even after the wedding! The Knot also has many great ideas on their website which are wonderfully organized and easy to search. Look through their Real Wedding photos by color or topic (flowers, reception, dresses, etc.) and save photos and articles you like to the notebook part of your account.
6. Do it yourself
Do everyone is into crafts or feels particularly creative, but there are tons of easy, money-saving projects that you can do to make your wedding more unique and more...you. To save money, I did many things myself which not only cost less but made my wedding more special. For example, I wanted to be able to keep my bouquet long after the wedding day. Flowers are incredibly expensive as is freeze drying them afterwards, plus we had already decided not to do floral centerpieces. Therefore, I searched for ideas online for non-floral bouquets and found several ideas that I liked. I ended up combining a few ideas into something completely unique: I made bouquets using jewelry wire, pearls, and beads with brooches mixed in. (You can see them
here on my wedding planning website.) I also made matching boutonnieres for the groomsmen which will last forever. All of my bridesmaids have their bouquets displayed in their homes which I love! There are so many projects that anyone can do, especially since Pinterest almost always includes the instructions for them.
7. Be unique...and you
Make sure that your wedding reflects who you and your husband are. Obviously if others are helping pay for the wedding, they have a say in the planning but don't let them overshadow what you really want. Pick out what you want to wear, not what everyone else says you should wear. And decide on decorations, readings, and other details that you are comfortable with and like. Pinterest and The Knot have so many great ideas, but don't be afraid to put your own spin on them. I've seen bouquets made out of sheet music for those brides who love music or play an instrument. Table names based on places the bride and groom have gone instead of simple numbers. A guestbook calendar for guests to write their birthdays on instead of a generic book that they sign. It's so easy to plan a wedding that reflects your life and your relationship which makes it more memorable for you as well as for your guests.
8. Pay attention to the details
You may not think that centerpieces are a big deal in the overall scheme of wedding planning, and they're not, but they are still important. That's not saying that you absolutely have to do them but, if you do, make sure they're something you like and can be proud of. My husband and I didn't want flowers, so we used floating candles and glass bowls instead. We made all of the centerpieces by ourselves (they were assembled by the reception venue's team) and we absolutely loved them! We got compliments on so many different aspects of our wedding which made me feel like all my hard work was worth it.
9. Read vendor reviews
Before making a final decision on a vendor or venue (photographer, videographer, DJ/band, etc.) be sure to read any reviews about them. Wedding vendors and venues are expensive and you don't want to end up spending a lot of money on someone or something of bad quality. Use
The Knot,
Wedding Bee, local friends, even
Angie's List to read up on the people you're looking to hire. You'll be able to get real people's advice and experience along with knowing who to avoid booking. Meet with the people before deciding as well to get to know them and their style to see if you're compatible in your visions. Don't forget to write your own reviews after your wedding giving your own experience!
10. Enjoy yourself!
Probably the most important tip I have for anyone planning their wedding is to enjoy the planning! You're going to spend so much time on it that you have to enjoy it all, especially since the actual day goes by so fast! There will be times when you get frustrated or angry, but your husband, friends, and family are there to help you through those times. Be sure to have fun and make the whole process a memorable experience!
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