Planning a wedding can bring out all kinds of emotions. Stressed, anyone?! Even if you’re not as involved with the planning as your bride, it still pays to be organised. You don’t want to get in trouble for forgetting to show up to a rehearsal or for not picking up your suit, do you? The best way to bring stress levels down and to make yourself super organised and efficient is to write up a to-do list. Here you can record all the important dates and what you need to do on them. Then you can tick off each one when you’ve completed it. You’ll be surprised how in control you feel by doing this, plus it’s really satisfying when you get to put that big tick next to something you’ve completed!

Personally, I’m a bit obsessed with being organised but I find it helps me to keep calm and focused when I have a lot going on. That’s why I thought I’d share with you some easy tips on how to create a to-do list that will work for you and will get you to your wedding day with no worries at all.

The old school way

Get yourself a nice notebook or pad of paper – something you won’t lose! Divide the pages into three columns: one for the task name, one for the date the task needs to be completed by and one where you can tick when the task has been completed. If you want to be extra efficient, list your tasks in chronological order. Make your to-do list your new best friend and make sure it’s nearby at all times. Every time something new pops up, add it to your list right away.

This might sound really simple but it’s scary how many people don’t keep track of what’s going on in there lives and then get flustered because they’ve double-booked themselves or have missed a meeting because they’ve simply forgotten.

If you want to go even simpler, you could invest in a pocket calendar or diary instead. Everything is organised for you in there already ­– all you have to do is add in what you’ve got on. If you like this method, just remember to look at your calendar or diary daily. Sometimes it can be lost under paperwork on your desk or at the bottom of your briefcase!

The techie way

There are loads of web-based task management tools available these days. My personal favourite is Remember The Milk because it’s easy to use and it can send you reminders via email, SMS and your instant messenger of choice. Plus it’s nifty syncing option means you can view and change your to-do list on your iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, Twitter, Outlook and more. Another cool feature is that you can share your list with others – so you and your bride could even work off the same list if you wanted to, getting everything done twice as fast!

My theory is that if you’re being reminded in so many different places you surely can’t forget anything ever again.

Final Thoughts

The important thing here is to not get overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done. You will manage it if you stay cool, calm and collected. Another handy hint: after writing your tasks down, try to complete them ASAP. It will give you (and your bride!) peace of mind that it’s been taken care of. Then you can relax! Good luck and happy planning, grooms.

Photo by Stewart Leishman from Tobi & Paul’s Yarra Valley Wedding