If you are currently planning your wedding, congratulations! Savor and enjoy this exciting time in your life. You have so many decisions to make and details to keep track of. In this blog, I’m explaining how to stay organized while planning your wedding. Additionally, I’m sharing my recommendation for two wedding planning tools that I would consider if I were a bride right now!
What to Look for
When shopping for a wedding planning binder, I recommend looking for a tool that is simple and well-organized. There are lots of options on the market, but many of them are too busy for my liking. Your wedding planning binder or book should be a helpful tool, not a source of added stress. Here are a few things I recommend looking for before purchasing one of your own:
- Sections to help you organize your thoughts and sort out important information
- A product built with heart from a company who cares about helping you make the most of this time! This is such a special season, why not choose a product that will remind you to savor it?
- Beautiful design – while not essential, it’s more fun to use something that is pretty and makes you smile!
- Bonus points if it’s from a small business, too!
Below, I share two recommendations for wedding planning tools. The companies behind these products poured their heart into them, and it shows! And bonus points, they are both pretty and useful. They are both perfect for the classic bride!
My Recommendations
Joyful Wedding Planner
Things to Note:
- It has a section for marriage planning, which is dear to my heart!
- Sections include: First Things First, Gathering Inspiration, Budgeting, Working With Vendors, The Look, Planning Your Ceremony, Planning Your Reception, The Gracious Bride, Logistics, and Marriage Planning
- It is a digital download, so you will need to get it printed and hole punched (I recommend Staples Copy and Print!). You will also need a binder to put the pages in. I recommend this one or this one – pretty and functional!
Watch the video about this one HERE.
Click here to purchase ($25 plus printing and binding)
Simplified Wedding Planner
Things to Note:
- It’s designed by one of the top day planner designers, Emily Ley! Her heart for simplicity shines through the pages of this product.
- Sections include: To-Do, Budget, Inspiration, Planning, and Guests. Each section is further broken down with more specifics to keep you organized.
- It comes in a beautiful keepsake box in Carolina Blue (my favorite color!) to use after wedding planning is finished.
- The work is done for you! It’s already printed and assembled and has gold foil throughout.
Watch the video about this one HERE.
Click here to purchase ($70)
What I Used and What I Would Choose Now
When I was a bride, I chose the Joyful Wedding Planner. I had been a longtime reader of Southern Weddings (read more about the role this magazine played in my story HERE) and had followed the creation process as they designed this product. At the time, it came fully printed and bound in a beautiful white binder with the prettiest gold foil, so I didn’t have to get it printed or finished. And in the Fall of 2016, the Simplified Wedding Planner had not yet been introduced.
If I was a bride now and was going to have a longer engagement, I would stick with the Joyful Wedding Planner because of its ties to the Southern Weddings brand. However, if I was going to have a shorter engagement again (Dillon and I were engaged for just over 7 months!), I would choose the Simplified Wedding Planner to remove some of the prep work. It really is so pretty and well-structured. I have been a loyal customer of both of these brands for years and know you can’t go wrong with either option!
A Note of Encouragement
Remember, while wedding planning is time-consuming, this season won’t last forever. The goal of using a wedding planning tool is to stay organized so you can spend less time on logistics and more time with your fiancé, making memories together. You could easily use a basic binder and some simple dividers to make your own organizational system. But I recommend treating yourself to something pretty and functional to carry you through all of the planning and decision-making to come.
Read more of my Resources for Brides posts HERE!
add a comment
+ COMMENTS