Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Wedding on a Budget: Getting Organized


I'm sure there are plenty of people in the world who don't care about having things organized.  They're totally fine with things being in piles here or there or just setting things down wherever.  I am not one of those people.  Don't get me wrong, I do have a messy side - especially when it comes to clothes (mine are all over the place) and dishes (I hate doing them).  But, I like to know where things are when I need them.  And, with something as important as the wedding, I have to be organized.


That's why I created my wedding binder.  It keeps all the info I need in one place and is easily put into my laptop bag or backpack and taken along with me when I need it.  If I need a phone number for the venue's building manager or the DJ's, or need to confirm the date of a fitting or hair trial run, I have it right there at my fingertips.  No matter how badly I stress, even on the big day, all the information will be right there in one place easy for anyone to find - even if I'm busy doing something else.


I created custom printable pages - I love making custom organization printables which you will see more of (someday when I find the time) in my home management binder and kitchen organization binder.  I made a contact sheet for the wedding party for my binder and will also distribute copies to each of the party members the week before the big day.  I also included monthly calendars for each month leading up to the wedding to keep track of meetings, due dates, and appointments.


I have a very specific vision of how I want the venue to look for both the ceremony and the reception.  I've had friends and family who are helping out ask me, "how many centerpieces do you need?" or "where is the DJ going to set up?"  I addressed these questions by drawing out very rough sketches of my ideas (Don't judge me - I'm no artist!  Even stick people are a challenge for me!).  Because we're having the reception and ceremony in the same venue, we have a very special challenge ahead of us.  During dinner, while the guests are downstairs eating, drinking, and being merry, the upstairs (where the ceremony was held) will need to be transformed into a dance floor with a few seats, as well as having the DJ set up.  This is one of the biggest reasons why I made the sketches - so someone else can see my idea and carry it out while I'm enjoying newly wedded bliss.

I printed out copies of the invitations (I personally designed, printed, and trimmed each one), our wedding app posters (that'll be another post...), and the program and added them to the book for color and style comparisons (and also just to show them off a bit - I'm really very proud that I designed them all myself).  My binder is also home to a simple pocket folder and a spiral notebook.  The folder stores any and all vendor worksheets and receipts.  I like to keep the spiral notebook with everything else in case I need to jot down a few notes and am away from my computer.  Of course the binder, notebook, and folder are all in our wedding colors.  As well as being organized, I like to color coordinate.

I'll be adding to the binder as time goes on and I find more information that I'll need to keep track of.  One thing that I know I'm going to make and add to the binder: a day of itinerary, which I will (again) distribute to all VIP's a couple days before the wedding.  How did you organize your wedding planning ideas?  What would you suggest that I add to my wedding binder?  I love hearing from you - let me know your ideas in the comments!

-C


No comments:

Post a Comment