I would like to begin by thanking the creators of Pinterest. Not only has Pinterest provided me with the recipe of my favorite meal, chicken potato casserole, but it has also helped me plan my wedding. Confession: I definitely had a wedding board before I was engaged. By the time that Josh asked me to be his wife, I already had an idea of what type of wedding I wanted. Some details have changed, of course, but I think that have stayed true to my lifelong wishes of a rustic and romantic wedding day. I could literally talk about Pinterest all day, as I'm an addict and much too familiar with the website, but I would like to discuss something that has really helped me not lose my wits over the wedding planning process.
This is my wedding binder. Not only does it appeal to the detail-oriented side of my personality, but has literally saved me from having those meltdowns that I watch on the bridal shows on TLC. Basically, this binder and its contents have proven to be the best $15 dollars I've ever spent.
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| The greatest thing, ever. |
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| Tabs- keep it organized! |
Wedding planning is what you make it. My
previous knowledge of weddings before planning one was slim to none.
Attending a wedding as a guest does little to prepare you for the details
behind the whole process. One thing was clear, I needed help. Good
news- so many people came to my rescue! I was immediately greeted with a
ton of support from my bridal party, my sorority sisters, my family, and people
of the church. The weekend after Josh and I got engaged, we attended the
church that we are getting married in. My feelings of anxiety over
planning quickly subsided. A lady named Rena, Josh's cousin, approached
me and offered to direct my wedding. This was a really big deal to me, as
we have an enormous bridal party. To make things even better, she is what
I affectionately refer to as a "wedding veteran", having directed and
attended MANY weddings. I felt honored to have an expert opinion to guide me
and help me through the events of my big day. I'm sincerely the luckiest person in the world. People have been there to help
me, and thank goodness, because I know absolutely nothing about seating
arrangements, flowers, fabric, or dinner etiquette. I've learned so much! Maybe some day I will be able to offer valuable advice to couples who need my help ;)
Feeling the support of
my loved ones, I continued looking for resources that would make planning a
little bit easier. Then, I stumbled upon the holy grail of wedding
planning. It was a wedding planning timeline. My organizational
prayers had been answered! It is organized in time frames- 12 months before, 8
months before, 6 months before, etc. It even has a checklist for the
wedding day. It has things I hadn't even thought of! Instead of
getting panicked because I feel like I'm forgetting all of the tiny details, I
feel assured knowing that I'm on track with my planning (even a little bit
ahead). It's a wonderful feeling! It also has pockets for
contracts, receipts and permits. Everything is in ONE PLACE. If
that isn't satisfaction y'all, I don't know what is.
After reading this post, it's entirely possible that you may think I'm a nut for having organized my life in a little binder. My response to that is simple: don't knock it until you try it. I could easily be a bridezilla without it, so I've saved myself and the innocent people around me a lot of heartache. I would suggest it to any newly engaged woman!
XO,
Jordan
PS- It's also filled with Bible verses, inspirational quotes, and pictures for when I get overwhelmed. I personalized it for Josh and myself. It will be really special to look at 10, 20, even 50 years from now. :)
