Wedding Wednesday - Where Do I Start?

So, after the initial thrill of the engagement starts to settle in, you begin to realize that you only have a set number of days to plan the biggest event of your life.  That fact starts to become slightly overwhelming so you head to a bridal expo to try and get some ideas for your wedding.  Instead of ideas you get heaps of literature tossed at you and hundreds of emails.  This mound of information doesn't help anything, it just piles on more work and makes the whole process seem daunting.  If you can't hire a wedding coordinator (like me) you may feel like this whole thing will never happen.

BUT FEAR NOT!  There are a couple things that will help you get organized and on the right track.
There are tons of websites out there that can help you plan your special day with less stress and worry, while offering great tips and ideas.

Currently, I am using theknot.com.  When you set up an account you get your personalized homepage with a countdown to your wedding, lists of vendors in your area (with links and information about them), a personalized checklist and budget, and thousands of pictures to inspire your dream wedding!  I love this website.

Other websites that might help include: 

http://www.myweddingchecklist.net/  - with detailed lists regarding each part of your day.
http://www.realsimple.com/ - including a timeline of when things need to get accomplished
http://www.mywedding.com/ - pages for vendors, inspiration, and planning tools.

There are a ton of resources out there!  You just have to take a deep breathe and find what works for you.
No system is perfect.  Tweak it to fit your needs!

Quick Tip: Vendors are always asking for an email address.  Set up a wedding email so the emails from vendors don't get mixed in with work and personal emails.  That way, when you want to forget about the wedding stuff or completely focus on it, all of your wedding information will be stored in the same place.

Quick Tip #2: When visiting a bridal expo,  vendors ask for a ton of information.  Writing it out time after time can become tedious, time consuming, and a huge pain (literally... bending over, writing quickly, ugh). Come prepared with labels that have your information ready to go.  Include your name, wedding date, address, wedding email, and phone #.

In newer versions of Microsoft Word, you can choose a template for labels, which will bring you directly to the form above.  Type in your information, and format it however you like, changing the font, moving things around... making it yours!  Select the type of label you want (available office supply stores, walmart, walgreens, and several grocery stores) and select full page of the same label.  Then, PRINT! 

Happy Wedding Planning!