When I sat down to gather my top 5 pearls of planning wisdom to share with you, I thought, “How am I only going to pick 5?” Every bride and every situation is different, but I found some common threads between some of the biggest blunders that I wanted to make sure you know about.

1. Get Organized

Offline - Start a wedding binder (not folder) and use tabbed dividers for each vendor. Keep copies of contracts and examples of your vision in each section. Have a hard copy of your total budget breakdown at the very beginning so when you’re meeting with vendors, you can easily refer to it to make sure you don’t go over.

Online – Keep a spreadsheet of your budget that’s dynamically updated to reflect the actual amount you spent per vendor, along with payments made and dates/check numbers for the payments so if something needs to be disputed, you will be prepared. Pinterest is my new obsession and it has drastically changed the lives of brides everywhere. It’s a virtual pin board where you can organize your wedding detail inspiration and you can share it with your wedding party, vendors, and anyone else who is helping you plan your wedding.

2. Stick to Your Vision

I have seen brides start planning for a “Spring Garden” wedding and four months in they decide that they instead want a “Hollywood Glam” wedding. All the Spring Garden accessories that were purchased can no longer be used and hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars have been wasted. Switching visions is one of the costliest mistakes you can make. If you’re not sure which direction you want to go in, hire a wedding planner to help. Related blog with more tips: http://jourlamour.com/blog/entry/pearls-of-wisdom-wedding-theme-colors

3. Timelines are Key!

It’s best overall if you have a few different timelines. At a minimum, you’ll need one for a beauty/fitness regimen, one for peripheral events, one for out-of-towners to keep track of wedding-weekend events, and a day-of timeline. It’s best to hire a wedding planner to help create these timelines for you in the most efficient way and help you stick to them.  Jour L'Amour takes pride in providing our clients with dedicated, personalized attention.  If you leave it up to a relative or Bridesmaid, you may get less-than-desirable results.

4. Mind Your P's and Q's 

As soon as you get engaged, it is imperative that you brush up on your wedding etiquette. You love your friends and family and knowing what is expected of you is important so that you don’t unintentionally offend someone close to you. It can also help you handle situations regarding selecting your wedding party, interacting with your soon-to-be in-laws, wedding attire, and more. http://www.emilypost.com/wedding is a good place to start.

5. Stay Classy (Don’t be a Bridezilla)

The months (or years) of your engagement should be filled with laughter with friends and family, fabulous peripheral events, and building an even closer bond with your fiancé. Don’t ruin the loving relationships you have built with friends and family over the years by being overly demanding, rude, self-centered, and inconsiderate to them or to your vendors. Although everyone has their own lives during this time and may not always be at your beck and call, treat them with respect and they will continue to support you through the process and into the future.