Looking back on our wedding day, which is crazy to believe it was almost a month ago already, there are 3 things I’m very happy I was proactive about leading up to the date. I’ll be the first to admit that planning a wedding as the Bride is one of the most stressful & overwhelming things someone can go through, because the excitement often overshadows the very real emotions of chaos brewing inside. There will be many times where something just flips a switch in you and an explosion erupts, usually over something you’re not even that concerned with compared to all the rest. But that’s the way it is, friends. Especially if you take on a majority of the planning yourself, like my Type A personality chose to do…lol

Take it from me as a seasoned recent Bride-To-Be & now wife – if there’s anything you can do for yourself in the months/weeks leading up to your wedding day, it’ll be these 3 trade secrets I’m sharing below, from bride-to-bride.

Keep an Organized “Wedding” Desktop Folder 

You’ll be referencing this folder almost daily once you create it, and you’ll be so thankful for its existence. For here is where everything relating to your wedding will live, the destination for all conversations, contacts & contracts in need of reference. Within this folder, create sub-folders from Bridal Party to Vendors to Complete List of Addresses etc. It’s a super Type-A move but if you’re doing a majority of the planning yourself, this is the kind of system that will spare you of breakdowns triggered by disorganization.

Get a Jump Start on Thank You Notes

Over the months leading up to your wedding day, you’ll begin to receive some of your registry gifts weekly. When this begins to happen, I strongly suggest writing & sending those thank you notes following their arrivals. If there’s anything I’m most relieved about at the moment, it’s that all of my thank yous are done & currently in the mail. Yep, ALL OF THEM. Believe me, you’ll want to do yourself this favor and not wait until post-wedding to tackle them all…unless you enjoy that kind of self-made emotional distress.

If you’re in the market for stationary, or want to order some with your soon-to-be new last name (if you plan to change it once hitched), Curio Press has some of the best designs to choose from. I’ve ordered from her several times, most recently purchasing this style for our Thank You cards and this adorable dog breed design for personal use.

Create a ‘Wedding Itinerary’ to Share with Bridal Party & Family Members

Lastly, and probably the most time-extensive project I suggest putting together, is a scheduled out itinerary mapping out the day of events for every member of your immediate bridal party & family to be with you from the start. Out of the many reasons one would be smart to create such a term paper of a document to share, the most important one is the emphasis of providing straightforward details for all to be aligned with so you, as the bride, do not have to deal nor answer questions of those not paying attention. In fact, I’d put your phone on do not disturb the minute you wake up on your wedding day to avoid any sort of stupid, ignorant text that will try to make your cheeks hot. It’s shocking how many people don’t think when asking the bride on her wedding day what time the ceremony starts… that’s what wedding websites are for.

To avoid any sort of miscommunication or confusion, I spent 5+ hours putting together a detailed PDF answering every possible question that might arise from the Bridal Party or Family. The more details, and visuals (i.e. Google Maps of walking distance minutes from Point A to B) made available for everyone, the more likely you’ll have a smooth day of events. A couple things to include should you put together this game-changing document for your own piece of mind:

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Rehearsal: Time, Location & Details (Attire)

Wedding Morning: Time, Location, What To Wear/Bring, etc.

Makeup/Hair Times Schedule (if available)

Photo Times Schedule (if available)

General FAQs: Shoes/Jewelry Preferences, What To Do With Bags, Travel Info, Visual Aids (Maps)