How to Make a DIY Wedding Binder

The wedding planning process is one of the most exciting journeys that a couple can make. It can also be difficult to stay organized and on top of everything, which is why many brides make a DIY wedding planning binder.

From picking out your invitations to all the last minute details on the big day, planning your wedding is a unique experience that will make your special day all the more special.However, everything that goes into planning your wedding can be kind of overwhelming.

Without a wedding planner, it’s a lot of work for someone without professional experience. Don’t be alarmed by this, though– you can definitely still do it. One of the best ways to plan your wedding is to keep all of your info in one place. Keep reading for more on how to make a DIY wedding binder.

What is a DIY Wedding Binder?

In essence, a DIY wedding binder is a homemade booklet where you can keep track of all of your wedding plans. It can contain checklists, receipts, and pages where you can compile all of your wedding inspiration. It’s a great resource to give to your vendors so that they can get a feeling for your vision.

If you don’t want to make your own binder, consider buying a wedding planner to fill out!

It’s also a piece that you can put your own signature touch on– for example, you can decorate your binder in all the colors of your wedding, or with pictures of you and your future spouse. This is a place where your creative juices can flow and compile in your dream wedding.

How to Make a DIY Wedding Binder

If that sounds like the type of resource you’d like to have in planning your big day, there are some steps you can take in making a perfect DIY wedding binder. If you already have some scrapbooking experience, all of this advice may seem totally obvious to you!

Most importantly, keep in mind that your DIY wedding binder is meant to be something that assists you! You can do whatever you want with it. It should be organized in the best way for you to plan your perfect wedding, with whatever materials you feel are best.

Buying Materials

The first thing to building your DIY wedding binder is to actually buy the necessary materials! The first place to start is obviously a binder– a three-ring is usually standard. You will also obviously need binder paper and a hole punch to insert things like printed bills.

It is also recommended that you get plastic dividers to help organize the binder. You may also want insertable folders to hold some materials. Depending on the amount of flair you’re looking to add to your binder, things like stickers and fun colored pens may help you stay organized.

Add these items to your shopping list: 

• Binder
• Binder notebook paper
• Three hole punch
• Dividers
• Folders
• Stickers
• Different colored pens
• Calendar inserts
• Post-its
• Paper clips

All of this is usually found at your standard supplies store, like a Staples or OfficeMax.

Making a Checklist

Once you have all of your materials, the best thing to do is to make a checklist of all of the wedding planning you have left to do. As you can see above, organizing all of your to-dos by time is a good route, but it’s all up to you!

You can determine what’s left on your checklist based on the above, or you can look here, at Yeah Wedding’s wedding planning timeline. Both of these resources should help you formulate your checklist.

Organizing Your Binder

Based on your checklist, there are a few different ways to organize your binder. As stated above, time is one easy way to group your to-dos.

Based on your wedding date, you can space different checklist items out by month, addressing a new section of the book as your wedding grows closer.

You can also organize your binder by the type of thing that needs to be done– for example, decor can be in one section, food in another, dress as one, etc. This way, all of your resources and must-dos about a specific aspect of the wedding are in one spot.

Gathering All of Your Ideas

Another great thing you can do with your DIY wedding binder is to gather all of your ideas to create things like mood boards and visions. This can be done by printing out images you find inspirational and using all of them to compile a sort of vision.

You can also have a section where you jot down all of your random ideas and then revisit them later. This can be a place where all of your most creative wedding ideas are compiled, and where you can see them and choose to work with them or not.

Keeping It Organized

Keeping your binder organized is one of the most essential parts of keeping your DIY wedding binder. If you begin to lose track of important items, you might face issues in your wedding planning process. 

One of the best ways to do this is to tend to your binder regularly and attentively. By adding very organized elements, like shown above, you can create a binder that assists you instead of one that goes out of control with too many papers and becomes a burden.

Keep receipts organized, and even print out email communication with vendors to have everything in one place.

By keeping your binder as organized as possible, it becomes an essential asset to your wedding.

Checking Off Items

When you accomplish something in terms of your wedding planning, like securing vendors, getting suits fitted, and sending out invitations, be sure to check them off of the list so that you can keep track of where in your wedding planning journey you are.

By regularly checking off items until you eventually reach the end of your binder, your wedding should be all planned and set to go! As long as your write down each new thing as they come, you will have accomplished planning your dream wedding through your DIY binder!

More on Wedding Planning

Here at Yeah Weddings, we’re here for each step of your wedding planning journey. From how to start planning a wedding to the best wedding planning apps, be sure to keep reading for all the planning tips and tricks you’ll need for the big day.