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Guide To Planning Your Wedding

Sometimes brides and grooms e-mail me requesting information about planning their weddings. The typical inquiry is as follows. " We just got engaged. What do we do now? Where do we begin?"

"How to choose and work with wedding vendors, Professionals and service providers."

The information I'm giving you includes tips about how to best work with each of them, by category, as well as a comprehensive list of questions you need to ask before deciding on the wedding vendors, Professionals and service providers you feel most comfortable working with.

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You'll find important detailed information geared to help you with each different category.

So, you got engaged and are looking forward with anticipation, to your dream wedding but do not know where to start and what to do. You are not alone! This article is dedicated to the many engaged couples facing this dilemma and those who want to be focused.

To be focused, you must be organized. That is, you must have the things you need when you need them. As you plan your wedding you will accumulate among other items, brochures, phone numbers, vendor estimates and bids, song sheets, contracts, receipts, pictures, contracts and receipts. You'll surely collect pictures of wedding gowns, bridesmaids' gowns, flower arrangements, centerpieces and bridal bouquets, jewelry, photo samples given you by photographers, wedding accessories and other pictures that will help you plan your dream wedding. You'll also need to schedule appointments with different wedding vendors, professionals and service providers.

To be organized you need tools. All are easily accessible and inexpensive. You'll need:

A large wall calendar and attached pen and - or
a computer or other device that is easy for you to enter detailed information in
To do lists (add the information to your calendar).
A 3 ring binder with dividers and sheet protectors inserted in it.

THE CALENDAR

Actually your calendar and to do lists go hand in hand. Not only your appointments but your to do lists are time sensitive and should always be available to you. Whether you need to make a phone contact, set an appointment or go to interview a potential vendor, professional or service provider you need the information at your finger tips. It is better to enter too much information than not enough. If you contacted a vendor, write down your FIRST impression. This will help you later with your selection. If you received recommendations enter them too and so on. Do not forget to mark the calendar with the dates and times of special celebrations honoring you and your upcoming wedding.

THE TO DO LISTS

Planning a wedding is laden with details large and small. You will need to check out many magazines and catalogues, visit wedding related web sites, purchase items, contact a myriad of professionals, set up meetings with your wedding attendants, just to name a few. Always keep your to-do lists with you. Be ready to add your ideas for tasks you need to accomplish and to mark the ones you completed.

THE 3 RING WEDDING BINDER

Using a 3 ring binder for your wedding planning, affords you an easy way to be organized keeping all your wedding information in one place. It also saves you money, time and aggravation. 3 ring binders come with various spine widths from ½ an inch to 3 inches. Choose the one that is right for you.

Since it will eventually become a keepsake, you may wish to purchase a 3 ring binder that has a top window so you'll be able to enter a pretty cover or your wedding picture. In the folder, place top insert plastic sheet protectors to serve as pockets for all the wedding-related papers you've accumulated.

Additionally, insert dividers and a 3 hole zippered pocket for pen, pencils, paper clips, etc...

Mark the dividers tabs with the wedding related category such as: Bridal Gown, Ceremony Site, Reception Site, Catering, Photography etc… with the most active or most current in front, so that each topic will have a specific area in the binder allowing you quick referencing and retrieval.

In addition to sections dedicated to vendors, professionals and service providers, you need to allocate sections to important aspects such as:

Wedding planning time table,
Favorite wedding web sites,
Do it yourself - make your own....,
Tips and ideas,
Recipes,
Crafts and decorations,
Guest lists,
Guest replies,
gift lists for pre wedding gifts and for wedding gifts,
E-mail address and phone numbers of all your bridal attendants,
Seating charts,
A print-out of your registry,
Lists of thank you notes you need to send - sent,
Lists if gifts you want to give family, attendants and other important people,
And even fabric swatches for wedding attire and or decorations.

To benefit from your 3 ring binder be sure to:

label each category and each section
Place new papers or new information in the correct pocket of the correct section of your binder as soon as you receive them.
Clean your binder once a month. Toss any information that is no longer relevant. Keeping it will clutter your binder and cause unnecessary confusion.

Do not take your main binder with you to interviews. Use a separate binder divided into categories, in which you place all the information, including our articles and most importantly the questions to pose to each vendor, professional and service provider. Keep all the information you collected in any category, so you can make educated decisions based on a comparison of the available packages, prices and services.

What to carry to the Interview

Always carry a note pad and pen to write down important information and questions that may arise during your interview. Have your list of questions to pose to the wedding vendor, professional or service provider with whom you meet.

In order to comparison shop and select wisely, interview at least 3 wedding vendors, professionals or service providers in each category before you choose the one you feel will accommodate you best.

After each interview, insert your notes and answer sheets in your 3 ring binder so they are available to you when you need them.