Wedding Planning and Preparation Tips for Soon To Be Brides

Wedding planning is not an easy task for soon to be brides. Keeping things organized is the key.

Getting married and wedding planning is no joke! I and my partner are getting married this year (no press release, yeah) and we are currently hands-on in planning our wedding. We are not getting a wedding planner as it will only add another line on our wedding expense list. Both of us are working full time and we only have weekends to do these things.

I’m a fan of “learning the hard way” and looking at a thousand search results for a wedding guide feels tiring. Just a few months of wedding planning and preparation, I can say we learned and realized a lot of things. So, I’ll share with you some quick tips on wedding planning and preparation guides for soon to be brides. Note: The following tips are the ones we find very useful that we should have done or made our planning and prep easier.

Create your own email address for your wedding

I’ve seen this one a lot of times after quick scanning wedding planning and preps online. I did not give in to the thought that it would make things easier and organized, but you know what, I was wrong. Without a separate email for the event, you will CC your fiance every time you reply or send emails for the event. Emails and replies are sometimes addressed solely to the groom or the bride, whoever made the deal. Both of you should know or have an idea of what’s going on with your wedding preparation. So, this is one thing you shouldn’t miss! Plus, you have your own calendar and handy document/spreadsheet applications. You can easily plot your appointments and make your guest/expense list with these.

Opt for packages but check the inclusions

We don’t feel like talking and dealing with a lot of suppliers. While most of you are attending wedding fairs for a chance to snag big discounts, we opt to get a package from our chosen venue. We chose Palazzo Verde since it’s near our place, they have a chapel, and they have a lot of accredited suppliers to choose from. They gave us discounts and guided us as if we already have a coordinator. The thing is, everything is there and we really find it convenient.

Packages can be convenient but always check the inclusions. There might be some items you don’t really need that you can remove, thus, save a few bucks from the package rate. Double check the corkage fees before getting non-accredited suppliers. Make sure that you understand what’s included and what should be settled directly with the suppliers.

Ask friends for suppliers

Get away from the fuss of meeting every supplier you see online by asking your friends if they know someone who’s offering the product or service you need for the wedding. Your friends might personally know the person or experienced the service or product. It might, though not guaranteed, make your negotiations easier. It’s also good to follow beauty, lifestyle and travel blogger friends as they might feature or know someone near your area offering the product/service you need.

Organize and keep track of everything

We have one folder where we keep signed contracts and receipts. Use calendars and spreadsheets to keep track of your appointments and expenses. Since we are not able to make a separate email for the wedding, we made a spreadsheet with different tabs for the list of the entourage, guests, suppliers, calendar and to do’s, expenses and payment schedules. It’s quite tedious to create one, but I really love the result. I can see everything I want to see in one place. I and my fiance can collaborate and change anything using this Google spreadsheet.

That’s it, for now, stay tuned as we continue to learn from our journey to forever. If you have any question or ideas to share, don’t hesitate to drop them in the comments.

Hope this helps!

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