Wedding Planning Tools for the Modern Working Woman

The modern woman is a busy creature. We have our careers and we’re constantly reaching for dreams that no longer seem out of reach — because we work hard enough to get what we want. Why? Because we’re organized and gloriously career driven.

So when it’s time to expand and include the man of your dreams in your life, it’s also time to show your friends and family just how organized you are — as if they don’t already know. Utilizing the many tools available will keep you structured as you plan the perfect wedding. Here is my advice for using tech tools to plan your wedding:

Make a Website

Events across the world utilize websites, so why not use one for your wedding? The Internet is long past the days of being a strange and foreign technology. Most of us even have grandparents wandering around Facebook to keep in touch with families.

Choose from free templates like these or utilize a simple blogging platform like WordPress to keep family and friends up-to-date with the latest wedding happenings. These sites are free and simple to build, so don’t worry if you don’t have any experience.

There are multiple benefits to using a website. It offers a one-stop online organizer you can access from your phone, your mother never has to feel out of the loop and you won’t get complaints about crowding social media with thousands of dress, decoration and ring status posts.

Plus, you can update a blog-based website on your lunch break or with the right app, even from your phone.

Use Pinterest: Online Inspiration Boards

Another fantastic way to keep your ideas organized and get the opinions of those in-the-know is to use Pinterest. Our own Ms Career Girl Pinterest board has many wedding ideas! Set up wedding specific boards. I recommend the following boards to start:

• Themes/decorations
• Bridal gown
• Bridesmaid’s dresses
• Planning guides

Pinterest can get wonderfully specific. You can search for “vintage wedding dress” with incredibly specific results. The site then also gives you further options to sort. By vintage do you mean tea length, lace or rustic?

All you have to do is link your friends — or ask them to find you — and you can share ideas. This is like prepping your coworkers for a meeting. This is what you want; this is how we get there!

Make a Budget

I’m not talking about using rental gowns or tuxes or getting married at your grandparents’ house. Making a budget doesn’t mean you have to have a frugal wedding. It simply means you’re being a responsible adult. A wedding is a good time to at least pretend we’re one of those, right?

Weddings cost an average of $13,000 — with many couples spending upwards of $30,000. If you want a no-holds-barred wedding, go for it. But it’s still good to plan a price cap in advance.

Even if you’re less than interested in sticking to a budget, make sure you discuss finances with anyone involved with paying for parts of the wedding. Specifically, discuss the following:

• The rings: The cost of wedding rings ranges from hand-me-down to tens of thousands of dollars. You can have the perfect ring for your fiancé without worrying about the cost with some dedicated shopping. Be sure to check out the different styles, too. Forget the pricey gold rings; check out wedding bands made with various metals like titanium, seranite, tungsten and cobalt.
• The venue: This includes the food costs per guest. Of course, you want all of your friends, family and coworkers there, but do you want to pay $75 per person or $30?

At the very least, keep an organized spreadsheet of expenditures. As a career woman, you’re likely familiar with Google Spreadsheets, so use Google’s wedding budget template.

Manage Your Guest List

One of the most important tasks on your list is the guest list. As your own event planner, you have to make sure everyone saves the date, receives a formal invitation and a follow-up thank you note. The Knot Guest List Manager does all of that and more.

The Knot Guest List Manager allows you to import friends and family from Facebook, Excel or Google spreadsheets to speed up the process. You can even filter information so you know which guests have received a save-the-date card and who’s missing a mailing address.

You can even post your guest list on your website and The Knot will automatically update it for everyone to see. Besides sharing your guest list, you can make things even easier by sharing meal options with your vendors.

Enjoy the Planning

Stretch your organizational muscles like the pro that you are. And have fun when you’re doing it! You get to use tools and skills that you might not often get to use, and you get to use them for you.

Your wedding is a time to pamper yourself. Stay organized and on top of things, just as you do for your career, and your wedding will pull together easily.