PLANNING
Use your smartphone when you’re in line at starbucks or running errands at lunch to check in with some pros. on the subway? read wedding magazines or go over your lists. on the train or bus? Email pros and attendants, browse inspiration boards or make appointments from your ipad or smartphone. Driving? record any sudden bursts of inspiration with the voice notes feature on your phone. no matter how you commute, you can always plug in earphones to preview potential ceremony or first-dance tunes—if you’re stuck in traffic, crank up pachelbel’s “Canon in D Major.”
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“Devote a couple lunch hours a week to check in with pros.” during your lunch hour plan to devote at least a couple of lunch hours a week to check in with your pros and run wedding-related errands. the key is to make a list of what you want to cover before you head out of the office, so you can be quick and efficient (and still have time to grab lunch before going back to work). at the gym Don’t just watch talk shows while you’re pedaling away on a stationary bike. instead, distract yourself with wedding reading on your tablet. if you go to the gym at the end of the day, that’s also a good time to read back over your to-do lists, check off what you’ve completed, and make a list of what you need to do next. while making dinner whether you’re waiting for the oven to preheat or unwinding while your fiancé shows off his or her skills in the kitchen, use the time in between prep work and sitting down to dinner to hop online. a watched pot never boils anyway, right? Check out potential pros’ portfolios or
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peruse real wedding photos online to discover ideas for your day.
fly under the radar we know—it’s very hard to focus on work when you have visions of peonies and tulle dancing in your head, but slacking off at the office as soon as that sparkler lands on your finger won’t win you any extra days off for your honeymoon. if it’s blatantly obvious your work time has become wedding planning time, you risk the wrath of your coworkers or, worse, your boss. you’ll need to be resourceful and keep any nine-tofive planning under wraps. stay on task
sure, you might need to finalize the guest list today, but don’t do it at the expense of an important work project. Edit the list of attendees during the time you would have spent discussing the latest episode of The Bachelor with coworkers. the key: stay on top of your work, and don’t let wedding planning affect your performance. go online Do not—we repeat, do not—bring your wedding binder to work. a notebook full of reception décor ideas and fabric swatches is way too obvious (unless perhaps you’re an event planner). save ideas and articles to a digital notebook or jot things down in a planner you keep in your purse. strike a balance while some wedding tasks have to be done during the work day, you don’t want to give the impression that wedding planning is your new career path. look up your company’s policy for computer use, and be mindful of who may be overhearing your wedding-related phone conversations. avoid leaving bridal web pages up on your screen when you leave your desk. and if you’re asking your coworkers for wedding advice— even something simple like if they prefer periwinkle or peach—make sure they’re on your invite list to avoid any hurt feelings.
tips to stay on track
1
update your calendar
Create deadlines for each of your wedding tasks on an online calendar and set up alerts to receive reminders when things are due.
2
set aside time
to avoid getting sidetracked by other things (or letting wedding tasks distract you from your responsibilities), block off one day or evening each week just for wedding planning.
3
get tech-y
Use online planning tools like the Knot mobile checklist and download apps such as stayFocusd, which keeps you from lingering on time-draining sites.
4
separate emails
set up an email account reserved for wedding-related correspondence, so messages from pros don’t get lost.
5
stay organized
store all receipts, contracts, correspondence and paperwork in an online folder (scan any hard copies) using cloud storage (like Dropbox or Google Drive) for easy access.
Download the Knot Wedding Planning app to keep track of your to-dos.
7/20/16 6:11 PM