Looking for Portraits?

enp anniversary, maternity, and newborn portrait offerings coming soon

Join the Waitlist

3 Wedding Planning Tools to Keep You Organized

Wedding Tips

I never thought this day would come… I’m officially past the 6-months-to-go mark for my wedding day! Now I’m starting to really feel the pressure my past brides talked about. There’s so much to do, and so little time left. But, as a fellow bride, I am also learning ways to keep organized that I can share with you to hopefully help your wedding planning run a little smoother. There are three wedding planning tools that I’ve used in this season that are keeping me SANE. Ready to feel in control again?

Tool #1: Paper and Pen!

Ah, yes, the old school Google calendar before Google was a thing. I am a big fan of paper planners. I love the big ones, not the little pocket sized ones. Something about it is so satisfying. I use my planner to mark down EVERYTHING – from blocking off days to travel to my mom’s for my Bridal Shower date to blocking off my entire bachelorette weekend with the girls. 

Don’t forget to block off travel days and “offline” days, not just the day of the event itself. Doing so will give you much better clarity on your availability. It will also allow the extra time to soak up these events rather than rush through them.

Have fun with it! Use colored pens, stickers, and colorful post-its. I especially recommend Emily Ley’s Simplified Wedding Planner.

Tool #2: Notion

My fiance actually discovered this tool, and he loves it! Think of it as a digital planner for your life. You can create multiple “boards” in all different templates and styles. We have a board that has our entire guest list, with tags for whether they are immediate family, extended family, friends, or vendors. Then we have check boxes indicating whether and how they’ve RSVP’ed. We also have a board that shows our budget for the wedding, marking off things we’ve fully paid off and vendors that still have outstanding balances to pay.

And did I mention, it comes with a phone app that syncs to your computer app? SO convenient for planning on the go or updating things when you’re out and about.

Tool #3: Enlisting Help

This is where I plug human wedding planners – these people are angels from heaven. And I made the mistake of not prioritizing it sooner in our wedding budget. But recently, I’ve been having recurring nightmares about my wedding day. Think of it! NIGHTMARES about your wedding day? Not exactly what I mean when I talk about a “dream” wedding day. 

I realized I was stressing about all the things that could go wrong on the day of. All of these worst-case scenarios are things that wedding planners are made for. They help manage everything, and they put out fires before you even know they exist. So my fiance and I finally decided to hire a day-of/month-of coordinator. Sure, a full service wedding planner would have been great, but we decided to do it ourselves and are now only able to squeeze out a little more budget to get emergency help.

Don’t be like me! If you need a wedding planner to help smooth out your nerves, I recommend the below… they’re all fabulous and organized, and will keep you sane so you can enjoy your wedding day rather than stress.

Kolena at Blue Sapphire Events (Arlington, VA based)

Jackie at Jacquelynn Jean Events (serving CA and beyond!)

Juli at Completely Coordinated (Alexandria, VA based)

Whatever wedding planning tools you use, make sure it gives you peace of mind and helps you enjoy this season. Slow down, savor the memories, and remember to plan for your marriage more than you plan for your wedding. A wedding lasts one day – a marriage lasts a lifetime. Best of luck, from one bride to another 😉

And if you need help planning a wedding that will create lifelong memories in your photos, be sure to check out my Free Guide for tips on how to elevate your wedding style!

Xx Emily

share on

The flowers will fade and guests will forget what your dress looked like... but you'll remember every emotion-filled moment for a lifetime when you choose our team to create effortless, intimate and artful wedding photos. 

Let us preserve your memories.

Inquire Now

Because you deserve to be fully present on your wedding day.