It's meant to be the biggest day of your life, but that doesn't mean to say that planning a wedding is not stressful. On the contrary, it's up there with some of life's most stressful events and it's only when the big day comes that you can finally relax and enjoy the whole occasion.
Today's roundup is all about helping you get there. Here is a collection of resources that might make your wedding planning that little bit easier as you prep to walk down the aisle.
Resource #1 - It's as simple as Google
https://www.google.com/sheets/about/
Here's a bit of a head's up, not all of the resources that we are going to mull over today are going to be wedding specific. This is completely true with this first suggestion, as we bring you Google Sheets.
A lot of you have probably used it in the past but in the eyes of the wedding planner, it's the perfect tool. It allows you to quickly share your plans and progress with those involved, whether it is a guest list, contacts for vendors or anything else along those lines. The 'live' factor helps with your wedding planning enormously.
Resource #2 - Another free tool
On the subject of those so-called general tools, let's now bring you Trello. This might be a little too digital for some of you, but for others you'll get exactly what we're talking about.
Put simply, Trello is an interactive to-do list. It's a card-based system, meaning that you can arrange how you like. Some people might keep it simple and just have simple "To do" and "Completed" columns, while others might have columns by each week leading up to the wedding.
The choice is yours, but it's also another tool that updates as you go along so it's great for collating the planning.
Resource #3 - The ultimate list of printables
https://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaharrison/free-wedding-printables#1rhxbbe
If you haven't heard the news, the DIY wedding is quite a big deal at the moment. It means that more and more couples are looking to do things themselves but if you don't plan accordingly, this can crush your time.
This is where this next resource steps in. Buzzfeed have published a hugely useful list on 31 free wedding printables. It includes everything from Save the Date templates, right the way to cutlery tags. It's the go-to place for anyone looking to do it all themselves.
Resource #4 - You don't have to spend a fortune on your dress
https://www.lulus.com/blog/fashion/iconic-wedding-dresses/
This next resource comes in infographic form. As most of us know, the dress is one of the biggest headaches of the big day. Even if you're not one of those brides who has perhaps grown up dreaming of it, as soon as you step into one of probably umpteen bridal stores you'll tend to change your opinion.
This infographic brings a bit of perspective. It covers some of the most iconic dresses and while some cost millions to create, others cost as little as $500. It just shows that with a bit of shrewd thinking, you can still grab a showstopping dress on a smaller budget.
Resource #5 - The checklist
https://visual.ly/community/infographic/how/complete-wedding-planning-guide-and-checklist
In truth, there are countless checklists out there, but in the interests of simplicity we found this to be one of the most comprehensive.
Sure, there are better-looking ones out there, but this one has that ugly-factor that you'll just feel the need to check off on a weekly basis.
Granted, we questioned the placement of one or two items, and felt like the wedding license was being obtained a bit late in the day (although it will vary depending on where you reside). On the whole, it had it all though, and is ideal to pin up on your fridge.
Resource #6 - The money-saving guide
https://www.brides.com/gallery/wedding-budget-saving-tips
It took us a while to find this next resource, as there are so many of them donning the internet. In truth, many of them are a bit 'meh' and come from financial sites that probably don't have too much experience of wedding planning.
The one we opted for is from Brides.com, and lists 53 so-called hacks to slash the cost of your big day. Some are utterly simple, but can still save you $800 or so if the resource is to be believed.
