After logging in to MasterWeddingPlanner.com (MWP), select "My Profile" under the "My Account" tab and set up the following items (you will only have to do this once, although you will be able to update and modify the information whenever you like): Bride Members OnlyIn an effort to provide you with the same program Wedding Planners use to manage a Wedding, there are a few functions in MWP that do not have a lot of value to an individual that will be using the software for only one Event. For example, you can create an unlimited number of Timeline, Checklist and Budget Groups below in order to participate in multiple Events, however, since you are only having one Event, you may wish to only load the the appropriate Timeline, Checklist and Budget Group. Timeline Groups Use this section to set up your Event Timeline Groups. As indicated above, you can create as many as you need. Then once you create a new Event, just select the Timeline Group that you want and they will all be associated with your event. You can then delete any Timeline Items you did not want for that Event or add new ones. Finally, once you create a Timeline Group, if you want to create a similar Group, simply copy (shown as Clone) one Group into a new Group with a different name and then add, modify delete items in the new Group until it is as you like. Add New Timeline Item screen Checklist Groups Use this section to create a list of all the things that need to be done by not only the wedding party, but the vendors as well. With a Checklist item, not only can you assign responsibility to a specific individual, you also specify how far out in front of the event (in weeks) the Item should be completed, and when you want an email reminder. Additionally, when adding Event Participants, you will be able to automatically assign responsibilities. For example, if a Bride has responsibility for 15 items in a specific Checklist Group, when you create an Event and add a Bride to the Event, a simple check in a checkbox will add all 15 items to the Bride. Finally, you can create Clone copies of Checklist Groups without having to create them from scratch similar to the description above. Add New Checklist Item screen Budget Groups Use this section to allocate the appropriate percent of your total budget to this Budget Category. Keep in mind you can create as many Budget Groups as you like. You can create a Budget Group for an outdoor wedding, small wedding, Indian wedding, Jewish wedding, etc., and you can allocate different percentages for each Category item. For example, an outdoor wedding might have a different default percentage allocated toward a reception hall than a large wedding facility. And once you create the appropriate percentages for each Budget Category within a Budget Group, all you have to do when creating an Event is enter the total budget and select the appropriate Budget Group and the budget will automatically be allocated. You can of course change the calculations manually. Finally, you can create Clone copies of Budget Groups without having to create them from scratch similar to the description above. Also, we have preloaded a number of Items for you. To use the mass load, click the "Mass Budget Load" link instead of the "Create New Budget Item" link which adds items one at a time. To select from the mass list, check the ones you want to add to your list and they will all be added at once. Add New Budget Item screen My Staff As a Bride, your membership is a Single User version so you will not be able to add additional Staff. Add New Staff screen My Vendors Use this section to select or enter the Vendors you are working with. For Vendors that are Members of MasterWeddingPlanner.com, it is as quick as selecting their name and they will automatically be available to you for selecting for future Events. For Vendors that are not yet members of MasterWeddingPlanner.com, you must enter basic information about them and they will be added to your list of Available Vendors. To do this, select "My Vendors" under the "My Account" tab. You will see a list of all Available Vendors you have previously added (none initially) from which you can select for an Event. Click "Add New Vendor" and you will then select the State and Vendor Type. Finally, you will see a list of the Members of MasterWeddingPlanner.com to select from or you can add the Vendor as a Vendor Guest with far fewer options available to Members, however, they will still be able to perform most operations for your Event. Note: As a Guest Vendor, their ID and Password will only work for the Events you select them for -- if another Wedding Planner or Vendor adds them to their list of available Vendors, they will have a separate ID and password for their Events. Add New Vendor screen My Contacts Use this section as a Contact Manager to manage all the contact information for your Wedding. Whenever you want to track and be reminded of conversations, commitments, due dates, etc., create a Contact here so they will be available to select for your Wedding. Once you enter your Contact's information, you can then enter Action Items that need to be tracked or you can set up reminders by creating a Follow-up Schedule where you can be reminded once, weekly, monthly or yearly for a specific period of time or indefinitely. To set up your contacts now, select "My Contacts" under the "My Account" tab and begin entering their names. You will obviously return to this section often as you establish new contacts. Add New Contact screen View Contact screen Add New Follow-up Schedule screen You are now ready to begin entering your Wedding by clicking on "My Events" under the "My Account" tab. You can also review the Quick Start Guide (Managing an Event) to assist you until you become more familiar with all the functionality contained in MasterWeddingPlanner.com