Weddingbee Blog

I now have a large and in charge to do list, so I figured I should also explain how I am getting organized in other ways, as well. When we got engaged I was overwhelmed with ideas that I was pulling from magazines and printing off of my favorite blogs and websites. I needed a system to organize everything, and one day I came across Brooklyn Bride’s explanation of her own wedding binders. It was just what I needed and I already had most of supplies stashed away in my office, just waiting to be used.

I did take the opportunity to buy my very first Russell+Hazel binder.

I went with the Signature Three-Ring so I could really set it up the way that would be the most efficient for me, but they now also offer a wedding organizer that comes with a lot of goodies to get you started. I have to say no matter which you pick, once you use of these binders you will never go back. The little rubber strap they come with really helps to hold everything in when your ideas start bursting out and the colors options aren’t too shabby either!

Source

In the front are the business cards of all vendors we have signed with and are using. After that I filled this bad boy up with page protectors to easily slide pages in an out without having to use a hole punch on everything, and sorted those with extra wide tabs to peek out. The tabs have been changed a few times over the months, to accommodate what I need, but in the end I have thirteen sections:

• Ceremony
• Reception
• Save the Dates
• Invitations
• Attendants
• Rehearsal
• Cake
• Dress
• Accommodations
• Flowers
• Favors
• DJ
• Miscellaneous

While each section started with lots of ideas, I have added and removed a lot of things and they now also have contracts and notes from meetings with various vendors. I have dragged this with me to every major vendor meeting so I have everything I need right at my finger tips. Catering manager needs to know when other vendors will arrive to set up? I’ve got the contracts right there to know.

I love my binder, but it is not practical to carry around with me every day. Instead I carry one or two little notebooks. One is larger then the other for meetings with my planner, or for when I know I will have time on my lunch break to write out some things I have been working on. The smaller is always in my purse. Sometimes I have a strange epiphany while at work, or in the grocery store, or even in the car about some random task I had forgotten about. A small notebook is a lifesaver when you have a terrible memory like I do!

What are you using to keep all of your ideas and plans organized?