You just got engaged! But...now what?

I was so excited when I got engaged. I floated on air four about three days...and then reality set in. I needed to plan a wedding! I was excited, but lost. Where do I start? The best thing I did for myself was go out and buy a wedding planner. This was probably the only thing I paid full price for, but it was worth it. It wasn't until a month later that I realized you can print them! That gives you two options, and I love options.

Option number 1. Buy your book. Amazon is the BEST, because I found they are considerably less than Barnes and Noble or Borders. You will want to look for one that includes a calender, checklists, and most importantly, pockets. At LEAST a pocket in the front and back, if not one for each section. I use those pockets more than anything else in my book to hold  contracts, photos of designs I like, coupons, and samples.


A Brides Book: An organizer, Journal, and Keepsake for the Year of the Wedding

This is the book I bought. It was only 15 dollars on Amazon, where are Barnes and Noble it was 22.  After pouring over all of the books, I liked this one for several reasons. First, it is not too big. It is not the size of a notebook, as others are. There are pockets in the front an back, and while I have to fold papers in half, I have found that is no big deal. There is a section for everything including ways to keep track of your budget.



Tying the Knot: The Complete Wedding Organizer (Wedding Planner)

This book is 19.77, not much more than the other book. It is fantastic as well, with pockets for everything. This is the size of a slightly large binder, and holds everything without bending. If you are having a large wedding, I definitely recommend this one.



For those who are already thinking cheaply, how about printing your own? Had I though of this, I would have totally done it. There is a great PDF that gives you all the pages and checklists you will need, and you can just hold punch the pages and throw them in a binder. Visit the website here. The website looks like an AD, but I downloaded it myself and had no trouble. I would recommend setting your printer to only print pages 2-end, because the first page is just a giant photo and will use up a lot of ink.

Need a binder? For now, while it is back-to-school time, you can get one cheaply at Target or Walmart. Once that is over, try this one:
 Top Flight 2Be 3-Ring Vinyl Binder, 1 Inch Capacity, 11.5 x 10 Inches, Assorted Colors (43067)
 This one is only 4.95 and has free shipping with Amazon Prime (you can get it for free if you are a mom or a student - more on that to come watch for a post titled "How to get free stuff on Amazon") it comes with different flowers, just pick the one that matches your wedding! That makes your entire planner only 5 bucks!




Once your planner arrives, go crazy filling out all the information you know! You may want to wait on filling out the guest list part until you have finalized it, so that there are not a dozen scratched out entries.