In the first article of this series, When the Book Worm Is the Wedding Planner, we established that I am first and foremost a book worm, whether it be reading or writing books. It’s reasonable for the book worm to go to her local library, peruse the wide assortment of books, and select two of the most comprehensive books as a guide toward a successful wedding. Right? That’s just what I did, but as I was reminded, never assume anything. A noted law school professor wrote the word “ASSUME” on the board the first day of class and then added hyphens after the second “s” and the “u” and said, “That’s what assuming does.” And, that’s just what it did. Hence the title, “The Wedding Planner — When Books Don’t Work for the Book Worm.”
Why Didn’t the Books Work?
If I suffered from panic attacks (which thankfully I do not), I would have had a big one. Yes, these books were thick, detailed, and quite comprehensive, but that was just part of the problem. The other part was that according to the books, I was too late…
Too late to book
- the church
- the ideal setting for the reception
- the DJ
- the photographer
- the videographer
And, too late to
- have formal wedding invitations printed.
Whew. What a downer that was. Next, I returned the books, but not before I made my checklist.
A Critical Tool
The books did prove helpful to give me an idea of what I was up against. As a business lawyer, checklists are my strength. Checklists are critical to make sure deadlines are met and nothing falls through the cracks. Since I already missed the boat for their timeline, I had to create my own and pray it would all come together.
Additionally, most of these books assumed (there’s that word again) an unlimited or large wedding budget. Since our focus was always education, I got creative in finding ways to get the best out of our limited wedding budget.
What’s your preferred organizational tool?
(c) 2018, Karen Van Den Heuvel
Karen, like you I depend on checklists. I’ve tried online tools, but there’s something rewarding about a paper and pencil list and being able to cross off an item.
I’ll never give up my paper and pencil either!
I use a computer calendar I’ve used for years, Desk Top Calendar by http://www.tinnes.co.uk/.
And I use a To-Do list that I bind and decorate as that satisfies the pretty and crafty I need 🙂 It also fits on my desk. I list must-do’s and what I did do, then I use stickers to mark them off instead of crossing them off. All of this is satisfying and keeps me on track. Better yet, I can see my goals being met, or why a set-back happened.
Hugs, L.A. Sartor
I love the creativity!