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MissErin

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Oh wow - my first post on the BIW board. This is pretty darn exciting if I do say so myself!!

My question though being that I just got engaged (1 week ago today) is about wedding planning supplies. I have been looking at different planners and kits to organize my wedding information but have yet to settle on one that is truly complete. I would ideally like something:

-Sleek enough to bring with me while I go to vendors and locations
-Comprehensive enough to give me information that I will truly need
-Helpful with calander references
-Allowance for writing in with notes
-Folders and tabs for easy reference when needed
-Somewhat of a keepsake
-Extra info. or help

I know it may be tough to find all those things in one planner but I needed to give myself a goal and get the best of all those things. I want things to be as organized as possible due to the fact I am looking into a destination wedding. I figured you ladies would know best and guide me in the right direction.

Thank you in advance for your help!! I am excited to be a part of the BsIW!!
 
Hi MissErin!
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I am just starting to plan as well so thought I would chime in. After looking at many planners at the bookstore, I ultimately decided to make my own because I liked certain things about each planner but could not find one that had EVERYTHING I wanted. So, I just bought a plain white binder and decorated the front with our names and date. So far I have it organized by colored tabs that I bought separately, I have folders for contracts, zippered plastic envelopes for receipts, and page protectors that hold business cards that I am planning on using for vendor info. The options are endless and you can make it whatever you want! I really like organization so I actually had a lot of fun putting it together and I think it will be a nice, personalized keepsake. Then I have a separate more etiquette-type book that I received as an engagement gift so I can reference that for information.

Congratulations on your engagement!
 
Date: 2/24/2008 12:25:49 PM
Author: LegalGal
Hi MissErin!
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I am just starting to plan as well so thought I would chime in. After looking at many planners at the bookstore, I ultimately decided to make my own because I liked certain things about each planner but could not find one that had EVERYTHING I wanted. So, I just bought a plain white binder and decorated the front with our names and date. So far I have it organized by colored tabs that I bought separately, I have folders for contracts, zippered plastic envelopes for receipts, and page protectors that hold business cards that I am planning on using for vendor info. The options are endless and you can make it whatever you want! I really like organization so I actually had a lot of fun putting it together and I think it will be a nice, personalized keepsake. Then I have a separate more etiquette-type book that I received as an engagement gift so I can reference that for information.

Congratulations on your engagement!

That is GREAT advice!! Thank you so much for the tip!! I am in the same boat seeing bits and pieces here and there that I like, but nothing with EVERYTHING. I think creaking my own is a splendid idea!! Thank you for the help!! And congrats on your planning!! :)
 
Hi MissErin, yaaay! I bought two books: The Wedding Planner and Keepsake (not ultimate, I think it''s called easy and it''s a pink binder). It has tabs built in and stuff. Let me know if you want pics I can take some of it tonight for you.

I think this is the big one: http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Wedding-Planner-Organizer-Keepsake/dp/1887169776/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203874667&sr=8-4

Go look at BN or somewhere to be safe, the big binder one is better than the small one in my opinion.

I also bought this: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Wedding-Planning-Kit-Elizabeth/dp/1887169733/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203874760&sr=1-10

It''s really cute and I carried it with me to vendors yesterday. It''s pink and has tabs built in. I can also takes some pics of this.

My only complaint about both: neither one holds A LOT of stuff. They just hold a few pieces of paper/info per tab. Also, if you buy both you get essentially the same extra guide. However, the keepsake comes with a business card holder which is great, and the little folder kit comes with a pocket wedding planner which is great for when I get bored. Anyway, hope this helps! You could also always move the folders into a bigger thing if you needed more room. Or just take the guide out and it adds a bunch of space. I took the guide out yesterday and carried a notebook in it instead.

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Date: 2/24/2008 12:45:57 PM
Author: SarahLovesJS
Hi MissErin, yaaay! I bought two books: The Wedding Planner and Keepsake (not ultimate, I think it''s called easy and it''s a pink binder). It has tabs built in and stuff. Let me know if you want pics I can take some of it tonight for you.

I think this is the big one: http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Wedding-Planner-Organizer-Keepsake/dp/1887169776/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203874667&sr=8-4

Go look at BN or somewhere to be safe, the big binder one is better than the small one in my opinion.

I also bought this: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Wedding-Planning-Kit-Elizabeth/dp/1887169733/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203874760&sr=1-10

It''s really cute and I carried it with me to vendors yesterday. It''s pink and has tabs built in. I can also takes some pics of this.

My only complaint about both: neither one holds A LOT of stuff. They just hold a few pieces of paper/info per tab. Also, if you buy both you get essentially the same extra guide. However, the keepsake comes with a business card holder which is great, and the little folder kit comes with a pocket wedding planner which is great for when I get bored. Anyway, hope this helps! You could also always move the folders into a bigger thing if you needed more room. Or just take the guide out and it adds a bunch of space. I took the guide out yesterday and carried a notebook in it instead.

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Thanks for the help!! I am glad to hear that you found 2 - I am thinking along the same lines... I went to overstock.com and looked up some planners and have 3 coming to me...

1) Emily Post''s Wedding Planner

emilypostweddingplannerpic.jpg
 
2) The Wed Plan (pink) - Ultimate planner

thewedplanpink.jpg
 
3) The Ultimate Wedding Planning Kit

theultimateweddingplanningkit.jpg
 
Why not just use a blank notebook and put in the info you need yourself?

ETA: I just saw another poster suggested this.

I think this is your first opportunity to resist the wedding industry bullcr@p. Resist! Resist! You do not need to spend $20 (or whatever) on a silly pink book that is going to just encourage you to spend more unnecessary money on bridal crud.

OK, I'm cynical. I confess.

But then again, I'm a bride with 2 weddings, a short-ish 9 month engagement, a ratty old notebook and an excel spreadsheet, who is completely organized and ready to go almost 2 months in advance. So I guess there's something to it!
 
Date: 2/24/2008 1:33:10 PM
Author: Independent Gal
Why not just use a blank notebook and put in the info you need yourself?

ETA: I just saw another poster suggested this.

I think this is your first opportunity to resist the wedding industry bullcr@p. Resist! Resist! You do not need to spend $20 (or whatever) on a silly pink book that is going to just encourage you to spend more unnecessary money on bridal crud.

OK, I''m cynical. I confess.

But then again, I''m a bride with 2 weddings, a short-ish 9 month engagement, a ratty old notebook and an excel spreadsheet, who is completely organized and ready to go almost 2 months in advance. So I guess there''s something to it!

Haha Independant girl!! You are right - I should totally resist but in all honesty it''s tough!! haha I really want to be organized and have the keepsake for memories. I think I went a little overboard (luckily I spent less thanks to overstock.com then I would at B&N) but hey my wedding will only have 8 people and cost about $3000 so I can have a little fun. haha I just need to stop before I get crazed!!
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Your advice helps a lot!!
 
Oh, hey, in that case, I totally think you should splurge on silly stuff that makes you happy. 8 people? You two, your parentses, and... ?

Destination wedding? Why not start a thread telling us about your plans!
 
I bought about five books when I started and returned them all. My planner gave me a basic binder to stick items into for free. Sites like www.theknot.com were helpful, I like the knot book of wedding lists and the bridal bargains book. Otherwise we just have everything laid out in a google docs spredsheet for easy access. I doubt you'd use all those books anyways. The two books I got later on flowers were pretty much a waste. I do like the Best Martha Stewart Weddings hardcover book though. I got a copy used for $5 on ebay.
 
Date: 2/24/2008 2:25:37 PM
Author: Independent Gal
Oh, hey, in that case, I totally think you should splurge on silly stuff that makes you happy. 8 people? You two, your parentses, and... ?

Destination wedding? Why not start a thread telling us about your plans!
I should start one... Hmmmm... I''ll work on it as soon as I have the details more concrete but until then...

Yes 8 people total. :) (Eric, me, my parents, my best friend, his best friend, and his parents)

We plan on getting married at Lake Louise, Canada. It''s incredibly scenic and tranquil. :) A package I found for weddings up there would be about $3ooo total which would inclube basically everything. (hair, make-up, photos, video, minister, flowers, and so on) So that would be the wedding aspect.

Then we would come home and have a medium size reception so all who couldn''t be at the wedding can still celebrate with us. I''m not sure where this will be but I am trying to keep it somewhat low key and budget friendly. ;) Even to the point where I want a cupcake tree to be the centerpiece of the tables which will also serve as the wedding cake. :)

Other then that... It''s still coming together and starting. :)
 
i got three different wedding planners for christmas and i haven''t really used any of them. they all have the same basic advice (use ceremony flowers at the reception, have a sheet cake in addition to the cutting cake, etc). most of the stuff i have is on my computer. i would look through them all and maybe keep the one you like, and then use the heck out of it! you aren''t going to have three copies of everything to put one in each planner, and you''ll appreciate having everything in one place (do you really want to lug three planners to all your vendor meetings?) whatever you do, i''m glad you''re excited and well under way in your planning! enjoy
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can I vote for the least helpful planner? my mom bought me one from Target and it sucks. a lot. nowhere to put stuff, and filled with all sorts of crap about things you should buy at target. i can't believe they charged money for it -- it was just a big advertisement and was not useful.

i agree that if you're having a small affair there's no harm in falling for some of the wedding hype stuff -- you're already bucking enough trends.

that said, i've done 99% of my organization electronically using a combination of gmail, google docs and wedding window's website and planning tools. i just don't see the need to schlep stuff to a vendor when nearly everything can be sent/received via email. when i did need to bring physical stuff i just stuck it in a folder. i didn't have any vendors turn me down because my means of carrying papers wasn't cool enough. well, not yet.

ETA: CONGRATS on your engagement. That should've come before my sarcasm. Sorry!
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I am a big fan of the free tools on theknot.com--the checklist has really helped me, since I really had no idea of the timeline involved when I started...
 
Date: 2/24/2008 5:05:16 PM
Author: enbcfsobe
can I vote for the least helpful planner? my mom bought me one from Target and it sucks. a lot. nowhere to put stuff, and filled with all sorts of crap about things you should buy at target. i can''t believe they charged money for it -- it was just a big advertisement and was not useful.

i agree that if you''re having a small affair there''s no harm in falling for some of the wedding hype stuff -- you''re already bucking enough trends.

that said, i''ve done 99% of my organization electronically using a combination of gmail, google docs and wedding window''s website and planning tools. i just don''t see the need to schlep stuff to a vendor when nearly everything can be sent/received via email. when i did need to bring physical stuff i just stuck it in a folder. i didn''t have any vendors turn me down because my means of carrying papers wasn''t cool enough. well, not yet.

ETA: CONGRATS on your engagement. That should''ve come before my sarcasm. Sorry!
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Wow!! I am so glad you told me about the Target one. One of my friends suggested this one and I am glad I didn''t get it now!! That may be a better way to go, asking which you would NOT recommend!! hehe I like the honesty on that one more!! haha Thanks again. :) It''s helps more then you know.
 
oh, and one other un-recommendation -- unless the knot has done some serious upgrades, do NOT use their budgeter tool. it is completely useless and misleading because it does not adjust amounts properly within categories. (eg: it looks like you can get all your flowers done for $x, but the amounts set out for individual sub-categories (bride''s bouquet, bm bouquets, centerpieces, etc.) don''t add up to $x, they add up to $x+++++!!!) i recommend either using their categories and making your own googledocs or excel spreadsheet or getting another free or paid budget tool. that one is wack.

hope that helps!!
 
I''m on the same page as Indy girl...I bought the Martha Stewart planner for 50 bucks then I went to a wedding show a month later and was given a little planner for FREE!!! Arg..I''m a dum dum. What I did is started and Excel spread sheet and added tabs so I could keep track of everything easily without getting a hand cramp!! Just make sure you print it off regulary so if your compy takes a dive you still have the info..I also email a copy to myself so I have a copy sitting in my email too...I''m very wary of computers hahah!!! I understand the excitement though..when I first got engaged I went straight to the bookstore and bought the biggest, most expensive book possible!

Have fun with your planning!!!
 
I bought a wedding planning binder/book at target for $5. I wouldn''t spend more than that for one since I know I could easily use a notebook and folders and of course my computer.
 
Sadly, I used a fuchsia binder I already had, threw in some paper dividers and binder paper from school along with some clear pocket protectors, and it''s been working like a charm.

I put any pictures/ideas in the page protectors or 3-hole punch what I can and cram it in there. Anything done on the computer also gets put in, removed as new updated ones go in. In the front I have a page protector with addresses I might need later for our reception but didn''t need for the DW, etc...

I also have one of those clear business card holder page protectors and that''s where I''m keeping the cards of caterers and stuff for the reception in August that I don''t need just yet, but don''t want to lose.

It''s not a perfect system, but I don''t think those wedding planner books would be very helpful for a destination wedding...I do hope you find something that works for you, though!
 
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