You might not think simple and wedding planning belong in the same sentence, especially if you’re on a short timeline, but it’s true. Simplicity comes with organization and organization makes all the difference when you’re trying to put together a special event.
When you have tons of ideas and to-do lists running through your head, it can get overwhelming. You might just want to throw up your hands and say, “Let’s elope!”
But before you do, know that there are a variety of wedding planning tools out there. So even if you don’t have a professional wedding planner, you can bring your dream day to life, sans insanity.
Whether your wedding is one year away or one month, these tools will help you stay, organized, sane, and save you loads of time, which is something all of us could use a little more of.
Guest List Managers
These handy guest list managers will help you create and organize your guest lists and keep track of RSVPs and gifts. The Knot Guest List Manager will even export your guests’ meal choices to your vendors, and All Seated helps you plan out your seating chart. These kinds of tools will save you time in that you won’t have to make a bunch of spreadsheets and bounce around from one to another.
Here are a few places where you can find them:
RSVP Trackers
RSVP trackers make it easy for guests to reply to both your pre-wedding and wedding events. They also allow you to collect all the guest information you need. With these tools you can create guest lists, collect mailing addresses, track meal choices and plus ones, and organize your RSVPs.
Wedding Websites
Your wedding information needs a headquarters and the best way to give it one is by creating a website. Don’t worry! You don’t have to know code or be a tech wizard. These wedding website creators do all the heavy lifting for you.
All you need to do is choose a template, upload photos, and add info like: directions, registry info, hotel info, and answers to frequently asked questions. The more information you can provide, the fewer people will call or email you with questions. Add a link to your website in your invitation so your guests can visit.
Budget Planners
Budgeting is bliss when you have tools to guide you. These help you calculate and keep track of costs. You should also purchase a binder or folder where you can keep all of your receipts, invoices, vendor quotes, bills, agreements, contracts, and the like.
Timelines and Checklists
Timelines and checklists keep your brain from clutter and help you see where you’re at on a daily basis. Remember to check your local marriage timelines, as well. Look for free guides online that map out all the steps you need to get legally married. Do a search for your own city of marriage to see what information they provide.
Other Helpful Wedding Planning Websites and Apps
With everything that goes into wedding planning (so many moving parts!), we could spend countless hours delivering planning resources, tools, and inspiration to you.
But since we know you’re already busy balancing all the things, we instead spent time culling through the webverse to provide you with websites and apps we think you’ll get the most help from.
Aside from the resources we listed above, here are some of our other favorite places to find everything you need to make your wedding planning fun and efficient.
Pantone Studio
The Pantone Studio app is one of the best places to go when exploring your wedding’s color palette. Whether you have an idea of what colors you want or absolutely no clue, Pantone can help. Simply start with a color you love and Pantone will give you a full palette of complementary colors. Keep mixing and matching until you find your perfect palette.
You’re probably already using Pinterest and know just how inspirational it can be. But Pinterest becomes even more powerful when you bring all those vision boards to life. Pin to your heart’s content, then share your collections with your wedding vendors. As for all of those craft and DIY pins? Pick one and make it happen!
Spotify
Spotify helps you discover new artists, find old favorites, and make playlists like there’s no tomorrow. You could even branch out beyond picking songs for your wedding day and make playlists around pre-wedding events: bridal shower, engagement party, rehearsal dinner, etc.
Paperless Post
Paperless invitations that are fully customizable (right down to the envelope and stamp) AND gorgeous? They exist at Paperless Post – your one-stop-shop for event invites that save you from stuffing envelopes (and save a tree!). You can also link to your gift registry, wedding website, and guest accommodations within your invites.
Wedding Gawker
Wedding Gawker is like Pinterest for weddings. Search through a curated gallery to find inspiration for your own big day. You’ll find everything from wedding fashion to decor ideas to real couple’s stories.
Loverly
Loverly makes wedding planning a piece of cake. They have a treasure chest of planning tools to choose from, so you can check off your lists, get inspired, and stay organized. Although most everything is free, they do offer The I Do Crew – a paid plan that gives you even more resources to get the job done. Think guided courses, worksheets, and exclusive planning tools.
The Bouqs Weddings
Okay, so we might be a little bit biased, but we would be doing you a disservice if we didn’t mention how easy The Bouqs Weddings makes it to order your wedding flowers. All you have to do is pick flowers from a variety of collections, choose a style (arranged/DIY), checkout, and prepare for delivery. Plus, we go the extra mile by providing the below.
Benefits of Ordering Wedding Flowers from The Bouqs Weddings
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- Flower guidance: Once your flowers have been shipped, our team will touch base with you to confirm that you have everything you need to have an easy floral wedding experience. We’ll provide DIY guidance for couples choosing that route. And we’ll share care tips and floral best practices so that your flowers turn out absolutely perfect.
- Farm-direct sourcing: We partner with sustainable farmers who pour love and care into growing our Farm-to-Wedding flowers. Our team of eco-friendly farms minimizes waste, recycles water, and adheres to sustainable growing practices.
- Affordable flowers: You can save up to 60% compared to a traditional florist. The Bouqs offers deals every week, flowers under $50, and subscriptions for even more savings.
- Consultations: We’re always here to help! Reach out for a free consultation and get your questions answered.
So there you have it! A whole slew of super resources, websites, apps, and tools to help make wedding planning much more simple, fun, and inspiring. Now all you have to do is pick the ones that work best for you, get them up and running, and start checking things off of your to-do list. The best part is, once you’re organized, you’ll have plenty of time to work, play, and plan. Life balance for the win!
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