Happy Monday, friends and neighbors! I am one happy blogger / bride / human after a super productive day with my favorite gal pals yesterday! We knocked out several items on my wedding to-do list and that is such a great feeling! Okay, that's enough exclamation points for one paragraph... you get the idea.

We are within 7 months of W-day and the planning so far has been a total blast. Caveat: This could change! One thing I keep hearing is how organized and "on top of it" my planning seems to be. When your venue teases that they're going to ask you for your notes and timelines to share with all their future brides, that's a good thing?

While I'm flattered by all this praise, I can't accept it in good faith without mentioning a couple of essential tools. 

#1. The Wedding Binder

I've had friends who used a version of this and I knew it was going to be a must. I got a little eager in that, after he popped the question, I bought my binder the very next day. #priorities I've got this version, but I'm sure there are tons of excellent options. The binder provides a month-to-month timelines and check lists, as well tons of questions to ask vendors and blank pages to jot down notes. I haven't used the etiquette and advice sections as much (yet), but they are a handy reference. Perhaps most importantly, the 3 ring binder offered a built-in storage system to keep everything wedding-related stored and organized. I love checking stuff off the lists AND knowing exactly where to look for any documents, business cards, or notes. 

#2. Google Drive

Budgeting Spreadsheet. Guest Lists. Seating Charts. I've been housing all of these docs in my Drive and it's super handy. Not only do I have access to these notes anywhere I can hop on the web (read: everywhere #merica), I can also share documents with others quickly and easily via email. For example, I had all those lovely ladies over yesterday to finish addressing the Save the Dates. My future MIL was able to update the addresses for a few family members on their side and I had access to them instantly. It was awesome.


#3. Wedding Apps
Confession: I have both The Knot and The Wedding Wire apps on my phone. Why? Because I'm an organization freak.  Both apps are free and offer checklists of their own that you can mark off as you go. Side Note: Someone asked me recently if I thought purchasing a binder was worth it since you can download a lot of stuff for free and make your own. I'd encourage a bride-to-be to take a look at the variances in the timelines and checklists just on these two apps, then dig into Pinterest checklists and other online checklists. It gets overwhelming so quickly! The binder, at least to me, represents an anchor - a pen and paper, unchanging, primary timeline that an expert compiled that I can always reference as true. That's important to me, but maybe not to everyone. All that is to say -- if you're not up for purchasing, one of these free apps would do the job admirably! Just take your time and pick ONE primary timeline. The other recommendations can then be for reference. Plus, they have really cute countdowns that are totally screenshot-able and every bride knows how much fun those coundowns are to share!

Bonus: The Wedding Chicks

I LOVE THIS WEBSITE. Pinterest has been super inspiring, but I can get lost in the rabbit hole too easily. On the other hand, WeddingChicks.com (not an affiliate) is super easy to navigate and FULL of DIY and budget-friendly inspiration and projects. I think it helps that I love pretty much everything they design or post. We're using a set of their designs for our Save the Dates / Invites / RSVP cards / etc. I LOVE THEM. And they were free.

Now that all of the logistics are easily and effectively organized and prettied up, time to stay committed to The Wedding Diet. If you're planning your own wedding, I hope these tips help! If you are planning or have already planned a wedding, share all the things, please! #sisterhood