Keeping it all organized

Back when I was first engaged (ok...why lie...it was at least a month before we got engaged :)), I purchased a wedding planning book. I had done some research in the bookstores and I had experience as a planner myself, so I knew what I was looking for.

Unfortunately, the most perfect book for me, was also spiral bound. So I bought it, demolished it and put it in a 3-ring binder. Over the months, my binder became stuffed with inspiration photos, business cards, informational articles, invitation mock-ups, vendor contracts in mid-contract, etc. I always had the notion of someday making it all 'perfect' and organized, but the reality was, I didn't have time to figure it all out, and I knew where everything was, so when I needed information, I just went to it.





A few days before the wedding, I pulled out the final contract for every vendor and put them in a separate binder with tabs. I printed a spreadsheet of what needed to be done between that day and the wedding as well as a spreadsheet of our vendors and put them in the front and back cover.

This is what it looked like when I handed it over to my Day-of-Coordinator:





Today, I finally went through both binders and shredded/tossed everything. But I decided to post these pictures because I think sometimes we forget that we are all human and we try way too hard to be the best. bride. ever (with the perfectly-organized-from-day-one planner to boot)...which just ends up stressing us out in the end.

If you are sitting at home stressing out over your bridal notebook that is anything but organized, go right ahead and stop worrying about it. In the end, you can just pull what you need together and no one will ever have to know that your ceremony musician contract was stuck between some inspirational pictures of hair styles and a muffin wrapper from a cake tasting.