Photo by Classic Photographers

Planning a wedding requires more attention to detail than most people have paid any major project in a lifetime. There are expenses to track, contracts to review, sign and follow, timelines to construct and execute, family members to please and appease, and – oh yeah – there’s the fact that you’re getting married! Add to all of this any other factor like work or school and you’ve got a recipe for potential chaos. That chaos can be avoided with some serious organisation, so we asked the experts to share their best tips for staying organised while planning your wedding. Here’s what they said:

Employ Technology

Never has there been a better time to get your tech on. Kevin Dennis of Wedding IQ recommends that couples, “Look at all forms of resources when you’re beginning your planning process. Podcasts, apps, planning software – all (are) great tools to have in your arsenal to stay on top of things and educate yourself on the best ways to stay focused.”

Photo by Raw Pixel

Create a Separate Email Address

Keith Phillips from Classic Photographers considers this one of the best steps you can take in organising your wedding: “Keeping your wedding emails separate from your personal or work matters makes everything so much easier and less overwhelming. It is a great way to ensure no information gets lost.”

Photo by Christin Hume Photography

Minimize DIY Stress

You never realise quite how much work goes into wedding DIY until you undertake your own wedding planning. “If you’re planning to DIY your decor, consider doing those projects early on. The last thing you want to be stressing about in the days leading up to your wedding is whether or not your paint is drying fast enough!” suggests Audrey Isaac from 100 Candles.

Make DIY a Family (and Friend) Affair

If you have chosen the DIY route for a major element, like your flowers, plan ahead for the additional workload and make it fun! “It can be easy to get overwhelmed with all of the DIY projects you have planned, so try delegating or sharing the workload. Invite your bridal party, family and friends to help you arrange your flowers the day before the wedding!” recommends Joan Wyndrum of Blooms by the Box.

Photo by Kevin Trimmer Photo

Don’t Lose Track of Important Deadlines and Payments

Megan Velez of Destination Wedding Travel Group acknowledges that even the fanciest apps and wedding management software can’t totally beat an old-fashioned backup system – and those payments and deadlines are critical. “Sometimes email reminders just aren’t enough; so we recommend writing down important deadlines in the main calendar you use, whether it be on your phone or hanging in your house, so you don’t miss a step.”

Photo by Eric Rothermel

Staying organised when you’re planning a wedding is challenging, but by no means impossible! Follow these experts’ great advice, and you’ll soon be walking down the aisle knowing that all of your hard work is paying off on one amazing – and well-organised – wedding day!

Ms Zebra Says: Thanks Ariana for this fab post about remaining organised! As a bit of an OCD organiser, it’s great to hear more tips on staying calm & organised whilst planning a wedding!

About Ariana Teachey: Wedding enthusiast Ariana is a wedding PR specialist at OFD Consulting. When she’s not seeking out the latest trends, or pouring over client weddings, you can find her hoarding fall scented candles and all the pumpkins.