Shelling out a couple of grand for a wedding planner may not be in your budget, and that’s okay! Luckily, with the help of the internet, books and magazines, and even just the people around us, we can become our very own wedding planners if we put our minds to It and of course stay focused, calm, and organized. So save yourself some money and turn to these 7 tips below to plan the wedding of your dreams without missing a thing.

1. Get organized

Before you know it, the to-do lists written down on Starbucks napkins and the amount of open taps on your Internet Explorer browser are going to pile up. Before you start researching and planning, stay organized. Create a folder in your inbox for all wedding emails and a folder on your desktop where you can save vendor proposals and drafts of invitations.

2. Use online free tools

If your budget doesn’t have any wiggle room to hire professional help, you can go online and utilize a handful of free tools that can almost take the place of a paid wedding planner. There’s tools to help you set and keep a budget, stay up-to-date on your overall wedding timeline, and put together a year-long to-do list.

3. Make your to-do list accessible no matter where you are

Keep your to-do list virtual. That way, you can access it on any computer you’re on and carry it with you on your mobile phone. If you keep a paper to-do list, you may find yourself on the verge of a nervous breakdown if you misplace it, spill coffee on it, or forget to take it with you on an afternoon of wedding shopping.

4. Do your research

Never settle! When you’re looking to book vendors or just make overall wedding decisions, do your research. Never accept an initial offer and always try to negotiate prices and packages.

5. Ask other brides

If you start to feel alone in the wedding planning process, reach out to other women who are married or current brides-to-be. You can also find a community of people to chat with on online wedding message boards.

6. Become friendly with Pinterest

Pin it and it will come true!  Pinterest is a great way to organize and plan out the smallest wedding details and accessorizes that you must have.

7. Divide and Conquer

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, feel free to delegate your wedding tasks to members of your family or your bridal party. They are there to help, so don’t shy away from putting them to work!