I’ve been there. Just six short years ago I was planning my own wedding. I remember running out and buying every planner, setting up a site on The Knot and The Honey Fund, and crossing my fingers that I could find every tidbit I needed as I worked through the planning process.

This was the wrong way to go about it. Amid all my attempts to be organized, I actually created chaos.

Don’t do what I did. Focus your organization in ONE central location— whether on paper or digitally. Here are the basics I wish I had known prior to planning my wedding. I hope these help you navigate the year-long process and keep you from pulling your hair out!

Keep Receipts.

All of them. Keep ALL receipts. We are all human, and we make mistakes. Receipts are the one sure-fire way of keeping tracking of what was purchased and when. Keep records of all deposits, payments, and receipts for all vendors, favors, and wedding-related purchases.

Commit to One.

Stick with one folder, binder, or digital system. Put these items inside— receipts (see above ;-)), a calendar to keep track of due dates and appointments, contracts, your budget, your guest-list, and anything else wedding-related.

Wedding E-mail.

Create one wedding-only e-mail address for all wedding-related communication with vendors. Free providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo are perfect for this.

One Spot.

Designate a specific spot in your home for wedding-related mail or papers you need to file in your folder or binder. Because, hey, we all have lives outside of wedding planning!

A Single Task.

Limit yourself to one task at a time. There is a lot to plan— from the venue, photographer, videographer, florist, caterer, DJ, favors, gifts, decor… the list goes on and on. Prioritize and focus on one vendor or task at a time before moving on to the next.

What organization method has worked best for you? Drop your ideas in the comments!

QC Wed Me is the Quad Cities’ first comprehensive wedding blog and vendor directory. If it’s love and it’s in the QCA, we want to know about it!

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