&nb… — Image from Southern Weddings Shop

Would you say you're big picture kind of girl? Or one who loves the little details?

Obviously you need both the small elements and larger frame of things to come together when planning your wedding. And whether you identify with the first or second description, there is a way to stay organized during your engagement and now want to pull your hair out!

I am definitely constantly looking at things from the macro perspective and this could not have been more apparent when we planned our wedding in 2013. When Dean proposed, I immediately because crazy obsessed with finding the perfect wedding venue - and photographer - such that I totally neglected the other, smaller details that also needed to be discussed and dealt with simultaneously during that time.

Having a fiance who is the opposite of you - in case, Dean is really, really great with all things details! - really helps to keep you on track. And having one place to store all your dogeared magazine pages, fabric swatches, receipts, timeline and vendor info.

Enter The Southern Weddings Planner.

&nb… — Image from Southern Weddings Shop

Isn't she pretty??

Where was this when I needed it? Instead of a sleek, prepared gold and white binder, picture more of a watercolor mix of pinks, purples and blues with a painted cursive F for Fairweather on the front and you'll have an idea of what I came up and really loved using. However, if the SW Planner had been thought up, designed and for sale at the time of our engagement, I would have bought it faster than you can blink. And it would have saved me so much time and energy that I could have put into my planning my wedding, instead of designing a binder to fit my needs.

The planner is a perfect place to write down your weddings dreams and watch them turn into a reality. Not only will this beautiful binder help you stay organized and on track through the planning process, there is tons of incredible inspiration tucked throughout. Just a few of the meaningful wedding and marriage planning sections include:

First Steps After You Get Engaged
Planning for Your Ceremony
Dress Shopping Journal
The Gracious Southern Bride
Anniversary Gift Guide
Marriage Planning

If you don't already have a physical way to organize your wedding details and the big picture of the day, hop on over to Southern Weddings and order your planner! P.S. Check out my Instagram post for a fun Southern Weddings Planner giveaway!

I'd love to know - for all my engaged readers (or now married readers), what has been your favorite aspect of your wedding - or marriage - to plan for?

This post is not only beneficial for brides but for photographers, too! The morning of your wedding there are usually so many things happening at once - last minute to-dos, caterers arriving, centerpieces being dropped off, family members milling about & more!

Definitely not the time to try remember off the top of your head all the bridal details your photographer will shoot as part of your beautiful wedding day details.

So how about we go over a list of them now? Peeeerfect. (P.S. What if you don't have all of the items on the list, or if you're including other details? Great! Bring the other details along :) )

After arriving & exchanging big, you're-getting-MARRIED hugs with my brides, it's time for the photography storytelling to begin! By having all of your bridal details gathered together in the bridal suite or hotel room where y'all are getting ready, getting gorgeous photos of your details is a snap.

Bridal Details Checklist

>> Your dress PLUS a heavy-duty hanger - Wooden or personalized are great! Much prettier options than the standard white plastic hangers.

>> The bridesmaid dresses - If you have the bmaids' dresses out & ready to be photographed, it's another snapshot of your wedding that we can easily capture.

>> Your veil or hair accessories - Whether it's a hair comb, flower or rhinestone pin :)

>> The rings - This is probably one of the trickiest details to remember. Definitely make it one person's job to be responsible for the whereabouts of all 3 rings. Goodness, my hubby & I actually didn't even bring the rings out to Winchester with us for the wedding! They were locked away in our safe about 90 miles away. SO thankful for an awesome brother-in-law who jumped in the car & made the drive to go fetch them.

>> Shoes (or boots!)

>> Garter

>> Necklace - It's much easier all around if I can shoot your jewelry all together before you begin getting ready.

>> Earrings

>> Perfume - Confession time: I actually picked out my own wedding day perfume based on how pretty I thought the bottle would look in photos. Yep :)

>> Your bridal bouquet - Beside rings, bouquets are one of the other wedding details that can be tough to track down on wedding mornings. If we're taking bridal party photos or doing a first look before the ceremony, I would definitely recommend having your bouquet & bridesmaids' bouquets ready to go & ready to be photographed in your getting ready location. And if a friend or family member is helping DIY your beautiful floral arrangements, make sure to let them know what time we need the bouquets to be finished.

>> The boutonnieres - Ditto to above

>> Something borrowed/blue/old/new - It's SO wonderful to see the meaningful keepsakes bridals choose to include on their special day. From hand-me-down hankies to love letters from a generation ago, these are the intricate details I want to photograph as part of your love story.

>> Invitation suite - Including RSVP card, directions, map & any other details you had printed. Already planned to or have mailed an invitation to your photographer? SCORE! You rock!! One less thing to bring with you on your wedding day :)

>> Gift or letter for your groom or bridal party - Whether y'all are exchanging gifts during a first look, having it delivered to your soon-to-be hubby's room or handing out gifts to your best gals in the morning, this is another special moment to capture.