Lyla Dejesus
Planning a wedding can be a stressful and time-consuming process. A wedding binder is a great way to keep all your ideas, plans and contacts in one place. It can help you stay organised and ensure you don't miss any important deadlines. You can buy pre-made wedding binders, but creating your own allows you to customise it to your needs and save money. This introduction will cover the benefits of a wedding binder, the supplies you'll need, and the steps to create one.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Gather supplies: binder, dividers, pens, highlighters, lined paper, folders, clear sheet protectors, envelopes, zipper pouches, sticky notes |
| Step 2 | Set up binder: add cover insert, use dividers to create sections for important categories, add sub-dividers if desired |
| Step 3 | Start adding important info: place calendar, wedding planning checklist, and budget in the front of the binder |
| Step 4 | Fill in as you go: use binder to store ideas and inspiration, add new pages and ensure they are placed in the correct sections, remove unnecessary info |
| Step 5 | Incorporate digital inspirations: print out digital spreadsheets and Pinterest boards, or create QR codes to link to digital content |
| Other tips | Keep planning book organised, include envelopes or zipper pouches, use sticky notes, delegate tasks to bridal party |
What You'll Learn
Choosing a binder and customising it
It is also important to choose a binder that is thick and sturdy. A skinny binder may not be useful, especially if you plan on storing a lot of documents. Consider the size of the binder and the number of pages you will need. If you are collecting brochures and magazines, a larger binder may be necessary. Additionally, pay attention to the ring placement. Binders with rings attached to the spine can cause the papers at the back to become squished and bent out of shape. Binders with rings attached to the back cover may be a better option to prevent this issue.
Once you have chosen your binder, you can start customising it. You can add a cover insert with a fun design that includes the names of the bride and groom, as well as the wedding date if it has been set. You can also decorate the outside of the binder with a pretty print or your chosen colour scheme. Get creative and make it your own!
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Dividers and sections
- Wedding party contact information
- Wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
If you want to be extra organised, you can add sub-dividers within each section. For example, in the “reception” tab, you can have subsections for decorations, food, and cake. Under "vendors", you can create subsections for your photographer, florist, and DJ.
Some brides find it easier to give the photographer, florist, and music/entertainment their own tabs. Some even go as far as creating a section for every individual element. If you want to be extra-organised, you can create separate tabs for everything from bridal party gifts to thank-you notes.
- Budget
- Guests & Invites – guest list and their addresses, wedding party contact information, hotel information, invites, etc.
- Ceremony – venue information, décor or rental information, contracts, wedding programs, officiant information, etc.
- Attire & Beauty – bridal gown information, groom attire, bridal party attire, hair and makeup artist information, contracts, accessories, etc.
- Photographer – list of photos you would like. You can print off some pictures you’d like to show for ideas or just use your Pinterest board!
- Florist – pictures of inspiration or colours you like, vendor information, contracts, business cards, etc.
- Honeymoon plans, registry information, rehearsal dinner information, etc.
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Checklists and worksheets
- Real Simple
- Martha Stewart Wedding Workbook
- Planning Your Wedding For Less
- Frugal Bride: Schedule for the Day, Bride’s Emergency Kit, Complete Wedding Checklist, Master Itinerary Worksheet, Photo Checklist
- A Practical Wedding
You can also find free printables online, such as:
- Wedding Budget Planner
- Find Your Vendors Worksheets
- Wedding Party Contact Sheet
- Budget – include your full budget breakdown here
- Guests & Invites – guest list and their addresses, wedding party contact information, hotel information, invites, etc.
- Ceremony – venue information, décor or rental information, contracts, wedding programs, officiant information, etc.
- Reception – venue information, décor or rental information, music playlists and DJ or band contact information, caterer information and menus, seating chart, contracts, etc.
- Attire & Beauty – bridal gown information, groom attire, bridal party attire, hair and makeup artist information, contracts, accessories, etc.
- Photographer – list of photos you would like – you can print off some pictures you’d like to show for ideas or just use your Pinterest board, vendor information, business cards, contracts, etc.
- Florist – pictures of inspiration or colours you like, vendor information, contracts, business cards, etc.
- Honeymoon plans, registry information, rehearsal dinner information, etc.
- Day-Of Checklist and Emergency Kit List
- Wording/Etiquette Guide
- Guest List/Gift Trackers
- Processional and Recessional List
- Cake and Cake Topper
- Sketches of Venue and Placement of Décor
- Flower Planner and Flower Meanings
- Escort Cards, Table Numbers, Place Cards
- Other Décor: Aisle Runner, Card Box, etc.
- Planning Details/To Do List
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Adding and removing content
When you are shopping for venues, for example, keep all of the information in the "venue" section. Once you have chosen a location, remove all the information from the venues you passed on. Throw it away so you don't overload yourself with useless scraps of paper.
You can also add and remove content by printing out your spreadsheets and Pinterest boards. Choose some favourites and incorporate them just like you would a magazine cut-out. If you don't want to use up too much ink and paper, you could create QR codes that link to your various Pinterest boards and spreadsheets and print those out. That way, you can quickly scan the code with your phone to access some online inspiration.
As you add new pages, make sure to put things where they belong. For example, when creating a section for your bridal party gifts, you may want to include envelopes or zipper pouches for carrying colour swatches, size charts, and fabric samples.
It is also a good idea to keep sticky notes on hand at all times, so you can flag certain pages to leave reminders for yourself.
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Using digital tools like Pinterest and Google Docs
While a physical wedding binder is great for staying organised, digital tools like Pinterest and Google Docs can also be very helpful when planning a wedding.
Pinterest is a great source of wedding inspiration and ideas. You can create one or multiple boards for your wedding ideas and even create secret boards to keep certain elements of your wedding a surprise for guests. You can also invite others to pin to your board, which is a fun way to involve your bridesmaids in the planning, especially if they live far away. However, it's important not to get too carried away and end up with thousands of pins that you'll never be able to sort through. Once you've gathered a lot of pins, go through your boards and save/copy/print the ones you really want to work on incorporating into your wedding day. You could even create a fun photo collage and put the pages in your wedding binder.
Google Docs is another useful tool for wedding planning. You can use it to create and share files with others in real time, which is especially useful when working with a wedding coordinator, your maid of honour, family members, and other vendors. Google Docs also has a great app that you can download on your phone or tablet, allowing you to easily refer back to something while you're on the go. You can use Google Docs for a variety of wedding planning tasks, such as creating a budget, checklist, day-of timeline, contact lists, decor inventory, song lists, venue research, and guest lists.
To keep your physical and digital assets cohesive, periodically print out your spreadsheets and add them to your binder, or create QR codes that link to your various Pinterest boards and spreadsheets and print those out. That way, you can quickly scan the code with your phone to access some online inspiration when you're out and about.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need a binder, dividers, paper, page protectors, pens, highlighters, and a calendar. You can also add decorative touches, such as a clear front cover to customise, or a cute print.
Set up an overview at the front of your binder with subsections for important items like your budget, guest list, and timeline. You can then divide the rest of the binder into sections such as 'attire', 'vendors', 'ceremony', 'reception', and 'budget'. You can further break down these sections into subsections, for example, separating out each type of vendor.
You can add printables, such as checklists, budget planners, and contact sheets. You can also print out helpful blog posts and infographics. It's also a good idea to include some sticky notes for reminders.
