10 Easy Steps to Getting Organised like a Wedding Planning Pro

The key to having a successful wedding day is PLANNING! Get yourself a plan and then execute it.
Below are 10 easy steps to getting organised like a  wedding planning pro'.

1 START IT
Start organising yourselves NOW!!! There are so many things that are out of your control, people to involve, decisions to make and things to pay for, that you need a system to keep tabs of everything,

2 WRITE IT
Using a spreadsheet or large sheet of paper, divide into columns with the following headings

• WANTS
  Make a list of key things you want in order to make your big day a success.
  
  
• NEEDS
  Decide who will be needed to get the things you want.
  
  
• TIMING
  Decide how much time you have to do everything and how much time your vendors/helpers need to get things done.
  
  
• PRIORITY
  Decide the order of priority that things need to be done. This will vary according to your wedding location, number of guests and budget.
   
  Separate your list of jobs into two halves with you both taking a share of the responsibility in the  execution of your plan.
  

3 TIME IT
Set yourselves timescale targets to get jobs done and stick to it. Be accountable to each other to stay focused and motivated. See this sample timeline from 'Real Simple'

https://www.realsimple.com/weddings/weddings-planning/wedding-planning-checklist:

4 FILE IT
Set up a simple filing system to make life easy. Get yourself a FILE/FOLDER with dividers to which you will allocate different headings eg Venue, Food, Photos & Videos, Flowers, Music. Colour code each section. Eg Green for flowers, pink for makeup artist, grey for venue.
KEEP FILE UPDATED and ACCESSIBLE

6 KEEP IT
Add wallets or envelopes to your file for vendor contracts, receipts, important documents, colour swashes and everything relevant in each sub-sections.
 
 
7 DISPLAY IT
Create a spreadsheet so you can see everything you’re doing at a glance. This is especially useful to keep tabs on time and spending.

8 MARK IT
Put all appointments and deadline dates on your calendar so you can easily see when things need to done.

9 SIMPLIFY IT
If you’re internet savvy use free apps to save time and share things with each other, family, your wedding party and vendors. Eg WhatsApp to share Pinterest board or pins, Emailing “Save the Date” to reduce postage costs and creating a private Facebook Group to keep those abroad in the loop with your planning.

10 SHARE IT
Whichever way you divide the jobs, ensure that everyone knows what has been done at any given time. Schedule regular update meetings at an agreed time. It could simply be updating your spreadsheet together or over dinner sharing what you have done on your individual lists and the next steps. Let the other person know if you had time to do something on their list and avoid duplication.

 'Brides Magazine' have created this one year wedding planning timeline, which you may find particularly useful if you plan to marry in the UK..
http://www.bridesmagazine.co.uk/planning/general/miscellaneous/2015/wedding-planner-advice-guide-12-month-organiser

Don't forget to join me next Wednesday for more wedding planning tips.
Marlene x

(P.S. If you missed the previous post, see below.)