Happy Engagement Season everyone! Whether you’re fed up with seeing relationship changes on Facebook or dreaming of a blue-box-Christmas yourself, you’ve probably heard horror stories of how “hard” wedding planning is – evil mother-in-laws, last minute catering changes, etc. I, however, am in the “Can I just help Bliss Events and plan everyone’s wedding?” camp. It’s easy – IF you’re organized.
My wedding is exactly 163 days away, and I only have a few things left to do:
- Finalize catering menu (appointment 1/11/14)
- Select groom/groomsmen tuxes
- Purchase wedding bands
- Plan honeymoon
Everything else – you know, the venue, caterer, flowers, dress, bridesmaid dresses, photographer, etc – is done!
How did I plan a wedding in 124 days you ask? Organization.
Within a week of getting engaged, I invested my time into making a Wedding Binder, full of worksheets from MarthaStewartWeddings.com. Look – I don’t care if the woman went to jail – she knows how to plan a party. These worksheets will help you narrow down your vendors, and the website itself can house your guest list, vendor list, check list (bet you didn’t realize so many lists were involved in wedding planning!) and more.
If Martha isn’t the woman for you, Lauren Conrad has a fabulous wedding timeline to follow (especially if you have a long engagement!)
Once you’ve got your binder ready, it’s time to start researching vendors. I definitely had a venue in mind, but it’s important to look at a few – you never know what factors could affect your decision until you’re ready to decide! Personally, I think the date & venue need to be the first two things you choose – everything else is based on this!
After setting the date, it’s important not to slack – once you get on a roll, everything seems to come naturally. Enlist all the help you can get – your mother, future mother-in-law, a wedding planner, bridesmiads, whoever – to help you research, narrow down and book your vendors. I had the benefit of a former florist for a mother and a fantastic wedding planner (who happens to be doing a giveaway on her blog that’s perfect for the organized bride!) to help me narrow down my choices, shop for flowers (don’t rule out fake flowers – Hobby Lobby has some beauties that can be used in various arrangements) and finalize my guest list.
Disclaimer: I’m also incredibly lucky to have a laid back fiancé who is happy to just show up and say “yes dear.” Keeping everyone on the same page helps a LOT!
What tips would you share for easing the wedding planning pain?
The Parks Department 