Weddingbee Blog

Almost every other bride I’ve ever known has kept a giant wedding binder full of receipts, clippings, schedules, contracts, etc. Well, I decided right off the bat that I didn’t want to do that. I know myself, and I’m way too unorganized to keep track of a giant bundle of paper.

Instead, I used digital tools to stay as organized as possible. And so far, I’ve got to say, it’s going really well! I haven’t found one tool that I like for all purposes, but I’ve found a handful of applications that have worked together to be better than any binder, in my opinion.

Here are some of the tools I’ve been using.

1. Delicious.com

Delicious is basically a bookmarking site. I use this whenever I’m surfing the web and see an interesting blog post, DIY, inspiration photo, or anything else that I’d like to keep. Just bookmark it to your Delicious profile, and then it’s there at your fingertips. Sure, you could always just bookmark the page in your browser, but with Delicious, you can access your bookmarks from any computer or mobile device, not just your home system.

2. Dropbox

Dropbox is a file sharing system that lets you sync files, folders, what have you, across all of your devices. Once installed, it looks just like a regular folder on your system, and you can organize the subfolders however you like. What I like about Dropbox is that, if I want to add something to my Dropbox on my work computer, I can do so, and then it will be updated and synced on my home computer at well.

(Well, except that I don’t ever update my wedding stuff at work. Never ever. Ever. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it).

3. My Wedding Workbook

Myweddingworkbook.com

has a lot of great organization features, but I only use two: the budget tool and the guest list manager. Those tools are intuitive, easy to use, and very helpful. The budget tool will help you keep track of when payments are due and even how you paid (check vs. credit card), while the guest list manager will help you keep track of RSVPs and the guest list of other wedding events like showers or the rehearsal dinner.

4. Spreadsheets

You can use Excel, you can use Google Docs, you can use anything you want! But spreadsheets are one of the simplest methods of keeping track of anything. Above is part of the spreadsheet I began with my recent florist search. I keep track of contact info, addresses, prices, availability and any other info I need.

My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE spreadsheet is one that I found from Shanbrite Designs’ template list. You can scroll down to “Receptions” to download the Seating Chart spreadsheet, or just download it here. This spreadsheet is awesome. You can enter in your guests and table numbers, and the sheet has formulas in it to keep track of how many guests you’ve placed at each table! Amazing.

5. Google Calendar.

This is a simple way to keep track of appointments and deadlines. My favorite part of this is that I can access it from my phone, so that I’ll never miss an appointment while I’m on the go.

Other tips:

• Every time I get a contract or receipt from a vendor, I scan it in and save the digital copy in my Dropbox. I do have a folder in my desk with all of the hard copies, but this way, I never have to go searching for them.
• When I buy something wedding-related online, I save the email receipt as a PDF and save it in my Dropbox as well.

And that’s it. Organization, no binder needed! And now I won’t end up looking like this:

Source

Are you using technology to help organize your wedding?