Get Your Wedding Planning Efforts Organized

There are hundreds of minute details that go into planning a wedding. Some details are more important than others, but the first wedding task you need to tackle when planning your wedding is to get organized.

Get organized and then plan

Planning a wedding isn't any different from other major projects. Whether you're planning a vacation or writing a research paper, the first thing you have to do is organize the project into doable tasks. After you get organized, it's imperative that you stay organized. It makes your wedding planning experience more enjoyable and allows you get everything you need to get done completed.

There are a variety of ways you can organize wedding planning. There are wedding planners for sale in your local bookstores and online. These books contain checklists, pockets to store items and everything you need to know about planning a wedding. Each chapter covers a specific area of the wedding and walks you through what you need to do to cover this area of planning your wedding. Wedding planners range in pricing from $27.95 to $100. Some cost even more.

There are also websites online where you can take care of every detail of your wedding from building a wedding website for guests to follow to a complete set of wedding planning tools (all at your fingertips). Wedding Tracker by The Knot offers bridal couples a premium wedding website package that includes:

* Choice of 30+ customizable designs, including HTML and Flash templates
* Personal .com address (i.e. stephanandnicole.com)
* Gift registries upload – all gift registries on one page
* Events calendar with accommodations info
* Upload photos, music and video
* Advanced planning tools including a guest list manager, seating chart, gift tracker, task checklists and more

You can even test the site out before committing to using it for all of your planning needs. Start your Wedding Tracker free trial today!
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There are also free resources where you can build your own wedding website. These free sites do not offer as comprehensive of a package of planning tools as the paid versions, but sites such as MyWedding.com do offer you:

* Designer website templates
* Blog
* Online RSVP system
* Online gift registry
* The ability to send group emails

And last, but not least, you can create your own wedding planner. Buy a big three ring binder, sheet protectors, business card holders for binders, and a plastic pencil case for binders. Use the dividers to separate your notebook into sections that represent each aspect of the wedding.

Sample sections include:

• Budget
• Guest List
• Churches/Ceremony Locations
• Reception Venues/Locations
• Food/Beverages
• Invitations/Wedding Stationary
• Attire (Dress, Tuxedos, Bridesmaid Dresses)
• Decorations
• Flowers
• Linens
• Favors
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Wedding Contacts
• Wedding Vows
• Music
• Honeymoon
• Entertainment (Non-music)
• Transportation
• Calendar

Use the sheet protectors to hold pictures of items and ideas, swatches of fabrics and ribbons you like. Use the business card holders to store the business cards of wedding vendors you meet or want to schedule an appointment with. Place pens, pencils and highlighters in the pencil case so you'll always have a writing instrument handy when you take your wedding notebook along with you. You can create your own spreadsheets and checklists.

Whether you buy a pre-made wedding planner, use an online website as a resource, or create your own wedding notebook, the key to getting through the wedding planning process with your sanity is to get organized and stay that way.

Wedding Cake: Good Investment or Waste of Money?

My favorite part of the wedding is always the wedding cake--not necessarily watching the bride and groom struggle to cut it (because they never now how to do it), but the eating part of it. I'm the exception to the rule though because when I was a wedding planner, I saw most of the cake slices end up in the trash rather than the bellies of the guests.

Why?

Believe it or not, many people do not like cake. Even if they like cake, they may not like the flavor of the cake you've chosen. So why spend hundreds of dollars on a sugary delight that is only going to be delighting the trash can?

Two ways to save the wedding cake (and your money)

1. Have the bakery or cake designer create a beautiful cake--making only the bottom layer real, making the other layers fake. You only cut into the bottom part anyway. Since your cake is taken into the kitchen to be cut and put on plates for guests, nobody will be the wiser.

Buy sheet cakes to be sliced and served to the guests. With a sheet cake costing in the neighborhood of $20, you can literally save hundreds of dollars that can be put toward covering the cost of some other wedding aspect.

2. Forget the cake and choose a dessert bar. Again, many guests do not like cake, so why not give them the option of choosing their own dessert. You can buy a variety of cakes, pies, and pastries from your local bakery, and simply by removing the word wedding from your vocabulary, you'll spend a lot less than if you opt for the wedding cake.

To Hire a Wedding Planner or Not to Hire a Wedding Planner

Thousands of women each year embark on their own journey down the aisle. For most brides, this is their first journey. For some it is their second (third, fourth, or fifth) journey. Especially for those making the walk for the first time, planning this very special day can be completely overwhelming. There are so many details that go into this type of planning that it quickly sends brides into a panic. Many turn to a professional wedding planner for help. Is this the right thing to do?

5 ways a professional wedding planner is your friend

1. They know what they're doing. Unless you're their first client, your wedding is not the first wedding a wedding planner has planned. Some have dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of weddings under their belt. They know what works and what doesn't work. They know what the etiquette is, and they know how to steer you in the right direction, so you don't make mistakes along the way that can cost you time and money.
2. They save you money. Most brides think that hiring a wedding planner is an added expense they can't afford, but this isn't necessarily true. Since wedding professionals are repeat customers to wedding vendors, they often receive discounts that the common bride wouldn't receive. Wedding planners also know cost effective ways to provide you with the same look as an expensive Martha Stewart wedding look without the expensive price tag. They have an inside scoop on ways you can cut down and cut out costs completely that you may not think of on your own. When it all boils down, all of the money they can save you more than covers the wedding planner's fee.
3. They know the big players. Wedding planners already have their own network of wedding vendors. They've worked with these vendors. They know that they're reputable, that they fit into your budget, and that they're going to show up and do their job on your wedding day. What may take you months to do, wedding planners can do in a matter of hours--put together a team of the best wedding vendors in your area.
4. They keep you on track. Wedding planners are the ultimate of anal individuals. They live by their calendar, their lists, and their plans. They are super organized and make sure that you are always on track and on schedule with your wedding plans. They are the "mothers" of the wedding world.
5. They remove the stress from your shoulders. You have enough stress in your life with work, family, friends, etc. Add in the stress of planning a wedding to the mix and it may just send you over the edge. Wedding planners remove the stress from your shoulders by handling all of the minute details that go into planning a wedding. They are a friend, professional, counselor, and organization guru all wrapped up in one package.

Resources for finding a wedding planner
National Association of Wedding Planners
Association of Bridal Consultants
The Knot
Party Pop