12 Rules for the Perfect Wedding Binder

I bought a binder that was the same as the one of an eighty-something dollar wedding planner that I thought was perfect from BHLDN. Just the binder, not all the fillers, as I intended to do this thing cheaper and better than the one I was so in love with.

I didn't want it to say wedding anywhere on it. I guess I was trying not to have eager bride show up on every surface of everything, because the fact that I can't stop grinning and cooing would probably clue you in. The binder was $24. Plus shipping. Here's almost the exact same thing that is just as pretty and a fraction of the price. But I had fallen in love and that was that. Isn't that how all this money ends up getting spent in the wedding industry?

The inside of the wedding binder-ooh and a save the date preview!

Here are some rules that I have come up with in the process of planning that can help you organize your own wedding binder. Learn from my failures, please. And yes, overall, it turned out amazing.

1. You don't need to buy a fancy-pants wedding book to have an awesome and organized wedding.

2. You don't need to spend a lot of money on the supplies to create your own binder. You can use things you have lying around the house, like an extra notebook or plain yellow post-its.

3. You can use Pinterest and blogs to get most of the wedding information you need. In my wedding planning binder, I used all free wedding planning printables found from various sources, and if they didn't have the information in a format I liked, I typed my own. Since I'm an organizing nut and it was enough for me, then I promise, it can work for you too.

4. Do not fill out everything in your wedding binder the moment you get/create it. I made that mistake, and ended up creating a few too many sections that I won't be using. No, I'm not going to be lugging around all of the guest information, each on its own designated page. Since my caterer and venue are in the same place, I didn't need two separate sections for that information. And I'm not renting a dang thing, so a rentals section was ultimately unnecessary. Too much information is cumbersome and makes it a lot harder to keep organized. Just create things when you know you need them.

5. Include a timeline and to do list of when you would like to get things done. There's a ton of good information about this all over the internet, so formulate it into one document that works for you. Don't stress when you go over your timeline, as some things take longer than others. Just move on to the next easiest thing on the list.

6. Make sure you include names, emails, addresses, and phone numbers of all your major vendors. Likely, they will give you a business card when you go to visit them. You can just tape that right into your binder. Ta Da!

7.You need pockets, or a clear zip pocket. Fabric swatches, post-its, brochures, a pen. These things all will need a home on the fly. Best $3 I've spent on this binder business.

8. Make your binder planning central. Take notes in it. I used a little notebook and stuck it in a zip pocket, but lined paper probably would have worked better. Print pictures of things you love and stick it in there, so when you visit your vendors, you can open to what you like.

9. Get a few waterproof sheet protectors to put copies of all contracts in. Trust me, it's a good idea.

10. Personalize it in little ways. My tabs and notebook are representative of my wedding colors. My handwriting is everywhere, even my misspellings (shhhh). A wedding binder is something to be proud of.

11. The budget section must be included and must become your best friend. Review that sucker before any big decision or small one. The small ones are normally what get you (what do you mean I don't need an $80 life size paper flower?!) When you go to create your budget, make a list of your top three "non-negotiables" aka things that have to be in the wedding. Okay, so your fiance needs to make a list too. And if you have families like ours, maybe each set of parents could have some "non-negotiables" within reason. This way you know where money needs to be spent, and where you can afford to negotiate.

12. You will have to give up your binder on wedding day. Likely, this will be difficult. Give it to your maid of honor. Mine will be going to my mom (sorry Mom).

Notes about Tabs:

The sections I do find useful include: To-Do Lists, Budget, Bridal Party (including contact, dress, and tux information), Ceremony, Floral, Menu, Music, Dessert, Photography, Stationary, Transportation, Accommodations, Dress, Beauty, Registry,  Honeymoon. Please add or subtract as many as you would like depending on how you want to organize and what your wedding includes.

My To-Do Lists include a time line of all required planning, a time line of the few days before the wedding, checklists of things I can't forget, and a day-of planner for me, the bridal party, the groom (of course!), and my vendors.

Most of the other tabs include all vendor contact information, pictures, details, pricing, and contracts. My Stationary tab has a list of all the different parts of the wedding invitation process, including save-the-dates and thank yous. I have an excel spreadsheet with guest information to organize: that each piece of wedding stationary is sent, the response, and the dinner option chosen.

Happy Planning!