Organizing a Wedding - 9 Steps You Can't Miss

Organizing a Wedding - 9 Steps You Can't Miss

Organizing a Wedding - 9 Steps You Can't Miss. Mobile Image

Feb 18, 2011

Stay Organized

Organizing a Wedding - 9 Steps You Can't Miss

Keeping yourself organized is no easy task while planning a wedding. Emotions will run high and far too often Brides make things more complicated than they need to. So let's focus on 9 things you need to do to stay organized. If you are organized you will have a calmer attitude, which means you will enjoy your day. If you are unorganized you will be a frantic mess on one of the most important days of your life, is that what you want? No, so crack the whip and let's get started.
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1. The Budget
  • Talk with your fiance and all parents or family members who are involved in the financials of the wedding. I would suggest meeting with your family members separate and asking them what they think and how they can help.
  • Talk about budget, style, size of event, location, time of year and attendees. Check out the link for the budget planner in our resource Box. Once you create a realistic budget, you can decide how to allocate your money. You must set priorities. If you do not set a budget you cannot plan smart and you will actual spend more money than you ever thought possible.
  • Your budget will keep you organized in many ways. It is so easy for Brides to say, "It's only $150, that's not bad." "Wow, I can get it for $600, great" Pretty soon all these great deals get you way too much in debt! Don't do it, as the bills come in so does the stress. This is the type of stress that will ruin your day. Better to have a little and be happy, than with an abundance and be miserable.
2. Make a Month by Month Checklist.
  • You can post the to do lists on you calendar as reminders. As a wedding planner I take the total number of months I have to plan and divide that time into a doable list. I plot out what needs to be done. I set reminder for myself on my Outlook Calender, as those things need to be done, ding I get a reminder, "Remind Cara to schedule First Dress Fitting." Ding another reminder, "Shaw/Early Invitations order deadline next week, send email remind them." You get the point. You can use any Personal Website Hosting group. Wedding Wire, The Knot, Lobster Wedding, whichever one you choose is fine. They all have great planning tools and they are FREE.
3. Support Team
  • Organize your support system. Know who you can lean on. Is it Mom, your best friend? I would hope it is the person you plan to spend the rest of your life with. This is a great time to learn to rely on each other. Share your fears and hopes with each other. Learn to talk things over when things get a little heated. Find joy in each others ideas, and learn to laugh at what you see as really stupid. Think of it as practice for the rest of your life. It is a good time to start.
4. Find a Trusted Friend that will act as a liason between you and the world the day of your wedding. You will owe this person big time!
  • If you do not have a planner, appoint a trusted friend to be your helper the week of and the day of the wedding. This person should not be someone in the wedding party. What if they have to run to the store for pantyhose during pictures. Or the 2-year-old flower girl, who is being potty trained and didn't make it to the bathroom and needs new underwear? Things happen! You need a person who is reliable and one that can take care of last-minute "oops."
  • Someone has to be there to fix your dress as you start-up the aisle. This can't be your Mom, she is already seat. It can't be your Maid of Honor, she is in front of you. Your ceremony venue will often have someone who can help. This is great but you will still need someone to help the week of and the rest of the day.
  • This person will be your go between, your liason with vendors and often times guests that need something. Believe me someone always need something and for some reason they feel like they should call the Bride or her Mom to ask! This Friend will take all that stress from you and your family. See you will owe them big time!
5. The week of the wedding get a one or two baskets or a large sacks of some sort, put it where you will see it every day. Throughout the week put the things you want taken to the Church, to the Reception. If you keep this where you will see it you won't forget Grandma's handkerchief you wanted for the ceremony. The night before go through it check to see if you are missing anything. You won't be because you have been adding to it all week and now you are set and ready to go. 6. One Month, One week before the wedding double-check all vendors. Make sure everyone is on the same page. Double check times and delivery addresses. Do not assume that Suzi the nice girl at the desk put your rehearsal Dinner Reservation down at 8PM, make sure. Mistakes are a reality in a wedding. 7. Make a list of all vendors and cell phone numbers where they can be reached in case of an "oops moment." I hate to break it to you but you will have at least one "oops moment." You will, let me stress, you will keep this list on hand the weekend of the wedding in case of emergencies and that is right your trusted friend who you now owe your life to will also have that list. 8. Make an itinerary for the Rehearsal and Day of. Print this out for the entire Bridal Party.
  • Start backwards from the end of the reception with major chunks of time and important events, from your Grand Exit to the first thing you do that morning, Breakfast with Dad.
  • List times like Hair and Make Up, Photographer start time, Limo to pick up at...
  • List Everyone's cell phones - It never fails, it is time for pictures and the groom's Best Friend from College is nowhere to be found. But you have your list of cell phones and your trusted friend that will call him for you and hunt him down like the dog that he is!
  • List All important Locations with addresses and phone numbers, as well as important times.
9. Reality Check! Learn to be flexible.
  • Understand that no wedding is really perfect, shocking eh! Things just happen. Staying organized sometimes means learning to punt when you have to. Expect the unexpected and roll with it. Believe me twenty years from now it will be funnier than you think.
So hopefully this will help you stay focused and a little more organized on one of the most wonderful but completely crazy days of your life. So, You're getting married, keep it in perspective, enjoy the moment.
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Simple Elegance Events and Wedding Designs serving Central Illinois Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement: Event Planning entrepreneur Margaret Moore with Simple Elegance Events and Wedding Designs publishes information you can use at http://www.aweddingtodreamof.com/2011/01/plan-dream-wedding/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Margaret_Moore