Wedding Planning: 12 Tips to Help You Get Organised

Planning & Advice

Planning a wedding is a big undertaking so we’ve put together some useful wedding planning tips to help you get on top of things!

1. List Making – If you weren’t a fan of lists before the engagement ring, believe us you will be by the time your wedding band makes its way on to your ring finger. Pick yourself up a wedding planning notebook (we love these personalised one’s over on NotontheHighstreet – and it’ll make a lovely keepsake), a sharp pencil and get acquainted with the wonders of list making. They’ll free your mind from a constant cycle of reminders and you get to draw a satisfying line through each task when it’s done and dusted.

2. Email Account – One of the first things to do once you start planning is set up either an email address specifically for all your wedding planning emails from suppliers etc (for example [email protected]) – you’ll more than likely be setting one up for RSVP’s so you can keep on top of who is going but if you want all your emails in one safe place, it could be helpful to have a dedicated account from the start. The other option is to create a little folder in your own personal email so that you have everything to hand!

3. Checklist – Download a wedding planning checklist so that you have an idea of what you’ve to do and when. We’ve a handy little checklist with all the tasks you’ll encounter along the way to help you keep on top of things – see your ultimate to-do list here! Once you know what needs doing, be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get things sorted – you don’t want to set your heart on a particular band or photographer, only to hear they booked out two months before. But be sure to have a life outside the planning too, it will make it way more enjoyable if every other sentence doesn’t start with ‘the wedding’.

4. Think ahead. When it comes to the likes of invites ensure you stock up on stamps the week before you plan to write them. Also get things like addresses sorted in advance whether it’s getting your mam round up the relations addresses for you or texting friends to clarify their house number, so you’re all ready to go the minute the invites come back from the printer. And if you are sending out RSVP cards, be sure to number or put tiny initials on the back of your cards – guests may forget to fill in their name and it will make life easier if you know you can check your list to see who’s RSVP you’re holding.

5. Reminders – Between meeting caters, booking dress appointments, choosing flowers and attending showcases, your little calendar will be overflowing with appointments. Make sure to pencil them in a diary, mark the time and date in the calendar on your phone or set a reminder to help you keep on top of them.

6. Sharing is Caring – As tempting as it may be to get stuck in and do it all yourself just to get things done, getting the OH to share the duties will make it a much more meaningful and fun experience for you both and it means you’re not snowed under a sea of invites either. Your family and friends will more than likely want to pitch in too – so let them help whether it’s tying twine to one jam jar after the next or gluing tiny crystals to your candle holders. They will only be too delighted to get out the Pritt Stick and you’ll have a few less things on your plate.

7. Communicate – Make sure you and your other half are on the same page – from how much you have for the wedding budget to who is doing what (the last thing you want is to have booked one car too many). Talking about developments and plans will save time (and possibly fights) in the long run.

8. Legal Requirements – Be aware of legal requirements. There are certain things that have to be done – you need to give at least three months notice to the state of your intention to marry. Deadlines fly up and can be forgotten with all the other wedding tasks so make sure to have a post it on the fridge with the cut off date for this, as this is one date you don’t want to miss. Also keep on top of all the other paperwork you may need to fill out whether it is ordering your baptismal cert from your church within six months before the wedding or filling out a pre-nup form with the priest. Set yourself little reminders so there’s no fear of forgetting. For more info on Planning your Church Wedding click here, or Planning your Civil Ceremony click here!

9. Book Early – Make your final dress fitting appointments early as you will more than likely have a few and you’ll need to squeeze them in a short space of time. The majority of brides are going to want the same few appointment slots (evenings and weekends) so be sure to make them well in advance so you get the times that suit you best.

10. Keep Track – Have a spreadsheet with how much you’ve paid out and the balance for each supplier and when it is due – this will make it easier to remember how much you owe. It’s also a good idea to check how much you can transfer from your bank on any given day. The majority of suppliers will need to be paid the month before your wedding so you’ll need to make sure you have enough funds available to transfer to the relevant supplier on the set day (or do several transfers over a few days if agreed).

11. Work Ahead – Don’t leave things until the last minute – the week before your wedding should be stress free so you’ve time to enjoy the build up and get on with the pampering. So get all the little things out of the way early.

-Have any money for suppliers ready in envelopes the week before with each supplier clearly marked on it, ready to give to the best man or bridesmaid to deal with on the day.

-Whether you’re getting ready at home or at your venue, gather everything you will need a couple of days before (from PJs to jewellery) so there’s no last minute running about.

-You can also do up a little timeline for the morning itself so you know when the dress is going on and who’s up for make-up first!

12. Enjoy! There will be moments when you wish you’d eloped but all the planning will be worth it in the end – the most important thing to remember is to enjoy this amazing experience. It will be one the happiest days of your life, hiccups or no hiccups.

Looking for ways to have a stress free wedding day? Check out these 10 top tips!

Image via NotontheHighstreet