The wedding planner

I’m not too secretive about my obsession with all things planning and organizing. I like to pretend that no one notices, but I am all too aware of the weird looks I get in the grocery store checkout line when I pull out my Filofax to get at my debit card. So it should come as no surprise that my knack for organization has flown right into my wedding planning.

As much as I would have loved to hire a coordinator, our budget just doesn’t allow it. I thought about a new Filo purchase… a brand new Filo just for the job. But I couldn’t help wonder how I would fit all of the clippings, notes, and random bits and bobs I knew I’d accumulate. After much debate, I ended up with this, a lovely gift from a friend:

It’s not the fanciest binder out there, in fact, it reminds me of some of the binders I had in middle school. But despite its basic looks, this thing is packing some pretty awesome bonuses.

Like awesome pockets on the section dividers! The binder is a traditional American three-ring binder, which means I can use any hole punch to add my own ideas, etc. But these divider pockets are pretty nifty for those little notes that aren’t easily punched and added.

Plus, even with the included inserts (all 270 pages) the binder had plenty of space for me to add sheet protectors which are now packed with dress and hair ideas, flower bouquets and color combinations, and everything else that comes with being a soon to be bride.

Perhaps my favorite part of this binder are the inserts themselves. While I don’t like being too structured, these babies have a TON of information on them! Plus, they include checklists, which always make me happy. Click on any of the photos below to view full size.

In the very beginning of the binder is a wedding planning checklist that goes all the way from a year before the wedding to your wedding day. While some of the to-dos are fairly obvious, others, such as “consider having your teeth cleaned or bleached” would be something I never would have though about on my own.

Another great checklist is the wedding party timeline (a sample is above) It provides lines including “pre-ceremony photos” and then has checkboxes for who needs to be at said event. Since I won’t have a coordinator to usher us around, this is going to save a lot of time and frustration.

Time for the shopping! Each section has a comparison chart similar to this one- they have venue, bridal, music, photography, floral, etc. Other than venues we haven’t done much shopping around, but I know these sheets are going to be awesome once I’m comparing a bunch of bridal boutiques, DJs, and the like.

And of course, the dreaded budget. As much as I wish I didn’t have to deal with the money part of marriage, since Brian and I are paying for our own wedding the funds are a major concern. These sheets break down every detail of the wedding, and then tell you about what percent of your budget you can expect to spend in each area. Then they provide a space for your budgeted amount, followed by the actual amount you spent. Like I said, we really haven’t done much planning other than hunting for a venue, but I’m sure these are going to be great when we are shuffling finances around.

I still can’t believe we’ve already been engaged for over two months, and that our wedding is less than a year away. After being together since before we turned 15, this day always just seemed so far in the future! But I can’t wait to be Brian’s wife, as weird as that still sounds to me. Let’s just hope that between my new wedding planner and my trusty Filofax, I make it through to the big day!