Show me your wedding binder!

Mine...

-Templates that we can print out to add in there to keep track (I love keeping track of things on pen and paper for some strange reason vs the computer, maybe because I love writing!) So, if you can share some some sites where I can get a detailed planning forms. // I know my planner is keeping track (budget wise and have copies of all our contracts ) yet I still want to have my contracts, but I just have them in a cheap paper folder that ripped in half, so now I have to organize my hard copies soon and it'll be nice to have a budget template I can write in (I like the WW one, but as I mentioned I prefer pen and paper, plus it'll make more sense to have it altogether in the wedding binder).

-Did you add up expenses for gifts to your parents, Bms, etc., in there as well?

- How big is your binder (thickness)?

-Did you have a section for your wedding party attire ideas?

-Measurements of GMS/BMS (just in case)?

-Contact info for all our vendors and everyone in your wedding party?

-Did you put a holder for pens/highlighter/post-its?

-Also, a calendar, is that something I should add?

I know our planner is doing all this, but I want to do one too. Reason being, it'll keep me more organized, and a keepsakes when I was ONCE a bride! It may be a waist of time to some people, but I think I'll like looking through it as the years go by.

Please share yours, pictures or even explaining it would be helpful

TIA!

Is there anything I am missing anything?

I was also thinking about purchasing these receipts that come in a small pad, so I can write down my own payments and carry them in my binder (I want to keep as organized as possible). Good idea, bad idea?

I use an excel spreadsheet with tabs for payments, budget, guest list, vendors, to do, etc and I use Google drive for all my scanned docs/ contracts

Edited: I made a binder when I was first engaged and spent all this time and money on it including things like business card holders etc. I never used it, after the first bridal show or two. Once I was actively planning I did not use it at all.

@Maltese- I have so many apps for wedding planning, but I love to write and I have bad luck with my phones, so I like the idea of DIY binder (Just to mainly keep my contracts in one spot). That's awesome you can just use your phone to keep track of things! I think my work schedule takes over my phone calendar! Lol.

I didn't use any apps but Wedding Wire, which we use to track the budget. I created a new email address for wedding stuff and had sub folders created (DJ, Venue, Caterers, Photographers) that I kept all the quotes filed in until we booked those vendors. After they were booked, I deleted all the quotes and filed any correspondence under the proper folder. I utilize the calender already in the phone by not only putting a reminder on the actual day, but the day before to remind me.

All hard copies of contracts are printed up and in our filing cabinet in our office at home and anytime I found a photo of something online that I liked (mostly for the flowers) I would just take a screen shot and show that to my florist. Once that was booked, I deleted all the folders

@JK8115- Oh business cards! I did't think about that! Well, I am going to some stores to see the best deals and if it starts coming out to expensive I'll just buy a new paper folder and keep all our contracts in there again. I hope I can pull this off cheaply. I have a whole bunch of highlighter, post it stickies, and I even think I have some clear protectors and even a few dividers left over from school. I have to dig in my office.

I love my wedding notebook. It helps keep me organized. I do use excel for my budget, and keep most stuff organized in folders on my computer but I like having hard copies to be able to take to vendor meetings. I'll post pictures later but here is a description. I think I spent under $10 but I reused somethings I already had. I created it from an Arc notebook from staples, it is a type of discbound notebook and works like a binder and spiral notebook in one. I have inserts for business cards, pockets, page protectors, a zipper pouch, and dividers. These are my different tabs.

1.Important

2. Guests & Invitations

3. Ceremony

4. Reception

5. Attire & Beauty

6. Vendors

7. Honeymoon

8. Misc...

I actually have an email strictly for wedding stuff as well and did the same thing you did! I still want an actual binder though, but not if it's going to cost me over $30. I went to Barnes n Nobles, and I liked a few planners, but they weren't worth upwards of $40 (they didn't have what I wanted it to look like). Well , lets see today if I can find some good deals and really pull one together!

Thanks Natalie! Staples will be my first stop! Sounds easy enough!

My sister gave me my binder as an engagement present. She was married the summer before I got engaged so she knew what I needed.

It is a 3” binder with many, MANY plastic sleeves.

When I got it from her it had a wedding timeline/checklist starting with 12 months before and it counted down everything I would need to accomplish in wedding planning.

It had title pages for each of the following categories:

Invitations

Guest List

Bridal Party Info

Programs

Wedding Dresses

Tuxedos

Bridesmaid dresses

Reception Place

Decorations

Photographer

Videographer

Catering/Meal Options

Beverage Options

Cake/Dessert

DJ

Transportation

Flowers

Registry

Honeymoon

In between each “title page”, there were empty sleeves for me to fill with my findings, pictures, receipts, contracts, etc.

Anything that I bought, I kept the receipt in an envelope in the back pocket of the binder (all of which I still have… just haven’t had the courage to add it all up yet).

The front of the binder held our invitation to the wedding and also our rehearsal dinner invitation. I needed both close by because I had people ask questions I needed to answer. H and I live RIGHT on the border of Eastern and Central time so all of our invitations had the information for both time zones and I couldn’t keep it all straight!

I also had a notebook so when I was talking to vendors I could make notes and when I had told the bridal party about certain details, I could note that who I hold and when so I could make sure I wasn’t repeating myself.

I had also printed off calendars from google for each month leading up to the wedding so that I could write down appointments, deadlines, payment dates, etc.

This binder was a LIFESAVER. I cannot imagine planning a wedding without one.

Just a note – it became so heavy and full of intel by the wedding I actually started doing my squats with it.

Sarahdell- Ohhhhhh! calendars from google (noted). I also like to take notes when speaking with vendors. I can't wait until I get mine together now! You ladies got me excited! You should see what I have my hard copy contracts in right now. It's so beat up.. Even FH told me I should organize them better! Lol. I told him about my folders, but he agrees about having it so he can see it and add to it. For some reason he doesn't like going through my wedding email folders. He's a little like me prefers a paper in his hand.

Lol about the squats! It was actually good for working out after awhile! Thanks for the tip!

Oh and super cute idea for the cover! Your binder sounds amazing! Now, my new task for the next day or so is making one! I have 3 appts. this weekend and 2 more the following weekend, so it'll be nice to have it up and running! Thank you again for your tip!

ETA: I wish I can look through it from my computer! This is exactly what I am going to make!

Also, are you planning on keeping it forever, as like a memory? Or is that just my corny thing!?

I’ll keep it forever. I’m not really a packrat – I am more of a minimalist – but I feel like this binder has more than sentimental value. Not only does it represent my life for 17 ½ months but it has valuable intel I can share with friends and family that get married. I have sent information about our vendors to a few people I know who were looking for a vendor for whatever purpose. I have had friends ask what I spent on “X” and what was included so they knew what was reasonable while they conducted their search. I have all of the information to give.

It still holds our guest list - an excel spreadsheet complete with what they gave as a gift and color coded to show those that came and didn’t give a gift or RSVPd yes and didn’t show. I also noted in the gift column if the gift came in the mail or if we got the gift at the reception. We even got a few gifts way after the fact and I noted those also.

The spreadsheet above shows only the right side of the sheet - the left had name and address of each household for writing thank yous. Since all of those went out as "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith", I noted the wife's name and their children in the gift column so I would have exactly what I needed to write the thank yous. Same went for those invites that went out to "Mr. John Smith and Guest" - I wrote the guest's name in that column so I could acknowledge them in the thank you. I also noted address changes on here and if the gift was joint between two families.

SO much information!

@Sarah- that is so awesome! I'm stealing some of your ideas! Sorry Thank you for sharing though! Now, I know where to start and I am not the only person out there that would want to save theirs!

I am not a packrat either, but I do save my planners each year. I just started that about 4 years ago, but it is so interesting to go back and read what you're day was like. I wonder how long I'll keep that up! Lol.

The guest list is smart because then you'll always have addresses, which is always a pain to collect. The fact that you can use it to help other brides planning! It's totally worth it!

My mom bought me The Wedding Planner & Organizer by Mindy Weiss I LOVE it and recommend it, but I did have to move the contents to a larger binder.

That's cute! Too bad you had to move the contents! That's why I am skeptical about buying one, I feel like I need to design it myself. They are cute and all, but I just wish they had more room and details.

It does have lots of details and room for taking notes, and questions to ask vendors

I think I could have used something like that when I first started planning. Actually it would have been perfect!

Here is the one I created. I had a friend that bought me the planner from the Knot and that was about useless. This one goes everywhere with me. It's at work with me now!

I have a clear business card holder page in there as well.

I love how colorful it is!

Keep them coming ladies!! I'm getting ideas im going to have to start my day, but I'll be watching this post! It's Interesting to see how each bride organizes differently.