Wedding Planning Project

As a bride it is easy to forget or look over what seems to be minor details during the wedding planning process. Because of the excitement and nervousness that comes along with the territory of planning a wedding, some really important things can be overlooked without you even knowing it. Here are a few tools and an easy "DIY Bride" project that will be a surefire way to keep you organized and focused:

Tools:
View Finder Three Ring Binder
Color Coded Dividers
Labels (sticky labels or use the small tabs that come with your dividers)
Highlighters (at least three colors)
1 Pk of Page Protectors (for contracts and important documents)
1 Receipt Envelope (plastic 3 hole punched envelopes at local office supply stores)
Printer (for printing documents, calendar, copies and forms to go into your binder)
Legal or Notepad (for quick notes and jotting down pertinent information)
Grid Paper (for floor planning and drawing out design ideas)
Three hole puncher (optional but useful)

The first thing you want to do is label your binders' cover, back cover and spine. You may use a printer to get really creative. Labeling it with your name and wedding date and placing a one year calendar on the back cover is a great idea. Next begin arranging your binder starting with your dividers. You may use the following section titles or your very own.
1. Wedding Ideas (design, magazine clippings, color swatches, articles, pictures..)
2. Vendor Profiles (vendor services, contact info, menues, price lists, estimates..)
3. Wedding Budget(this section can contain the receipt envelope and budget breakdown)
4. Wedding Agenda/Program (rough draft is fine)
5. Finalized Wedding Details (vendors booked, payment plans, agendas, schedules)
6. Wedding Entourage
7. Honeymoon Details
8. Wedding Insurance Policy (if applicable)
9. Contracts and Vendor Agreements
10.Full year Wedding Calendar (this can be a simple printed calendar with squares)
11.Miscellaneous (always keep this section packed with paper or your notepad for detailed instructions, notes and reminders)
12. Wedding To Do/Reminders

Using your binder you may place your materials where you feel they will be most needed. Remember to always stick to a timeline or planning agenda. Along with hiring a professional wedding planner this tool will keep you focused and help you to keep track of everything that you have done and need to do. Consider hiring a professional wedding planner to supervise, direct, organize and schedule for you when you want to relax or when your normal life obligations begin to kick in. It happens to the best of us. So if you work or go to school full time, its a good idea to have a professional there to be sure all the details are covered. Do not entrust this job to just anyone. We all love our family members and friends but planning can become overwhelming to someone not trained to handle the madness when the wedding day draws near. You don't want them to experience burnout right before the big day. Knowing how to communicate and negotiate with vendors, evaluate contracts, properly inspect venues, manage both the people in the wedding as well as the guests and produce, direct and supervise the entirety of your wedding is a feat fit for a professional. You want family and friends to remain calm and enjoy your day along with you, not work for the event. Even if they say they don't mind you may give them small tasks to take care of to keep them feeling wanted and needed. However keep in mind that a professional has been there and back before and knows each phase of the planning process and has the expertise and knowlegde of the local wedding market.