If you have never planned a wedding before the process can quickly become overwhelming. With thousands of advice articles on the web, where should you even start? The quick of it is: first establish your budget and book your venue, then book your photographer and DJ, finally start to dive into the little details of day while you book your remaining vendors.

Speaking of planning the details, today we are sharing our 5 wedding planning must-haves that are sure to make the next few months of planning a breeze.

1. A Hand-Held Wedding Planner

Wedding planning can get a little crazy at times. If you’re like me, you find something so satisfying about writing things down and checking off the to-do list. This wedding planner is one of our favorites. With helpful checklists, guest list etiquette tips, and more–it is guaranteed to help you stay organized while you dream up your perfect wedding day. Having everything in one place will save you both time and take stress off your plate.

2. The Knot’s Book of Wedding Lists

Ok, you’ve got a wedding planner. Now what? If you have never planned a wedding before, well it can be a lot. And often times many couples have no idea where to even start. Fear not–while we have several helpful posts on our blog that can help guide you along the way, The Knot’s Book of Wedding Lists is a collection of exactly as it sounds…to do lists for your wedding day. This book has everything. From the menu to the ceremony, you’ll be sure to enter your wedding day feeling confident that not a moment has gone unplanned.

3. Show Your Spirit

Being engaged is such an exciting time. The engagement period doesn’t last long…if you’re like me you have what I call “a strong engagement high”, meaning that you are in this to win it and you are ready to let everyone know about your upcoming wedding. I am a big fan of subtle little touches that are meaningful, display your excitement, but don’t seem overbearing in everyday life. This bride hair clip is so incredibly cute and is the perfect clip to have on hand while you are diving into late night planning and cozying up in this amazing Feyoncé sweatshirt. Oh and don’t forget to pickup a tumblr cup for on the go vendor meetings.

4. Don’t Forget to De-Stress

When I was planning our wedding I did a lot of yoga. I found it to be a great stress reliever and mini escape from all the crazy that can come with wedding planning. This yoga mat is one of my personal favorites and is super affordable. I also highly recommend setting up a routine for your self that includes a method of de-compression after hitting it hard with planning. Yoga, meditation, or a hot cup of tea can help calm the nerves.

5. Keep Things Organized

As you begin to planning out the little details of the day (invitations, cupcake toppers, Menu cards, etc.) the clutter can pile up. Storage containers are a great way to stay organized and free up space. Clear containers can be an easy way to see what’s inside and save time the day of the wedding during setup. Not to mention these containers are air tight which means you can store them just about anywhere.

For more planning advice check out this article on the blog.