There is a lot to do to make your dream wedding come true as you set off on an exciting journey towards your big day. After all, a contemporary bride requires wedding planning resources that aid in task organization, collaboration, and tracking. Fortunately, there are many tools and resources for wedding preparation available to assist you at every step of the way.
Let’s dive into some of the best wedding resources that will make your wedding planning journey smoother and more fun.
1. Wedding Planning Tools: Your Digital Assistants
Whether you’re planning on your own without the help of a coordinator or working alongside your Atlanta wedding planners, having the right tools and resources will make the process much more manageable. From inspiration platforms and wedding website builders to project management tools and guest list managers, there are a variety of digital tools available to streamline communication and bring your vision to life.
Wedsites, WeddingHappy, and AllSeated are some of the best online wedding planner programs that can help you stay organized. The best wedding planning software will also provide 3D visualization and venue floor planning features. AllSeated, for example, is an amazing tool that helps you devise seating charts and venue layouts while collaborating with your planner or venues. This eliminates a lot of back and forth, especially for large guest lists or unusual venue setups. 3D wedding design software like AllSeated makes it super easy to visualize your venue space and create seating charts. It can also sync with your guest list and provide a platform for guests to communicate with you directly.
From guest list managers to inspiration platforms, these online resources can make your life much easier. Here are some popular wedding planning tools to consider:
Wedsites
This wedding tool provides couples with two functions at once: private planning information (budget and vendor details) as well as creating a website for guests to access. Its website builder is user-friendly and offers customizable templates. Plus, stories and photos can further personalize it!
The site also provides you with a guest list, allowing you to connect it to your registry and relay all of the details to your wedding guests. In addition, it collects RSVP responses and provides full reports that allow your wedding planner to manage planning more efficiently. It can help save you time while keeping track of RSVPs so that plans can be executed accordingly.
Send custom links for your guests to book accommodations for your destination wedding, share helpful travel information such as transit schedules and shuttle schedules, and recommend great spots where guests can have drinks or bites to eat.
AllSeated
AllSeated is a wedding planning software solution designed to make wedding preparation simple, enabling you to easily manage guest lists, design floor plans and seating arrangements, view them in 3D, invite vendors (planner, florist, venue coordinator, etc.) into viewing plans and help make decisions together with them, while producing easy-to-read automated reports so everyone stays on the same page throughout.
AllSeated’s guest list feature links directly with seating arrangements in your floor plan, making it simple and efficient to seat guests at their tables arranged across your space. Plus, use this tool for other wedding-related events like bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, or day-after brunches!
AllSeated also provides you with the capability of importing reception layout from a venue to help visualize it during your planning process. Once done, the digital plan can be printed or shared digitally with planners, florists, and venue coordinators so everyone is on the same page.
The Knot
The Knot is an all-inclusive wedding planning platform designed to personalize and connect every aspect of wedding planning, from vendor lists and websites to wedding day timelines for busy couples. Style quiz and RSVP services that help couples discover their aesthetic taste are among its best features. It also provides easy syncing with outside registries as well as creating free websites.
WeddingWire
WeddingWire provides couples with tools to build personalized wedding websites, track RSVPs, and manage their budget for their big day. Couples can search our directory of vendors, which includes venues, photographers, caterers, and florists, as well as find inspiration by creating vision boards or using our app’s wedding checklist feature.
WeddingWire’s vendor concierge can make finding vendors easier for couples. Their chat system uses personalized questions about your preferences, wedding dates, and other pertinent details to find suitable vendors for you. In addition, couples can use WeddingWire Rescheduler to reschedule or find backup dates.
WeddingWire’s online seating chart lets couples organize the seating arrangements of their guests. As a wedding professional, be sure to respond quickly to inquiries from WeddingWire and encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews for your business on this platform.
Zol
Zola, a North American company founded in 2013 after co-founder Shan-Lyn Ma attended multiple weddings and found traditional gift registries outdated, inconvenient, and impersonal, was launched as a wedding registry and planner service in 2014. Zola offers innovative features like being able to register products, experiences, and cash gifts; their profit model involves taking a percentage from each product/experience sale plus charging a 2.5% credit card processing fee on cash gifts made.
Google Drive
Google Drive is another great wedding tool that you can use to store and share files across devices. You can also use it to collaborate with your planner and vendors, saving you much time tracking down invoices and contracts. You can even set up folders to categorize and label your files.
2. Wedding Planning Resources: Knowledge is Power
In his book Meditationes Sacrae (1597), Sir Francis Bacon wrote, “Knowledge itself is power.” With the right planning tools and resources, wedding planning can become a breeze. There are websites and platforms specifically designed with weddings in mind that offer budget tracking, guest management, and design tools. There are also apps like Mint that synchronize with your bank and credit card accounts.
Whether you’re planning your own wedding or helping your clients, knowing the right tools can make the process more manageable. From wedding planning websites and budgeting tools to guest list managers and inspiration platforms, there are countless resources available to streamline your workflow. Wedding planning resources provide you with valuable information, tips, and inspiration to make informed decisions about your big day.
Here are some top wedding resources:
Bridal Magazines
Each little girl dreams of her wedding day from the time she is a child. Planning that day can be overwhelming, but a variety of resources exist to help simplify the process. Magazines can provide brides with ideas and tips for creating a beautiful, affordable celebration.
Martha Stewart Weddings is an excellent source of ideas for a traditional, elegant wedding. For someone yearning for a more modern, contemporary wedding style, Brides is the publication for you as it focuses on adding creativity and customization to your once-in-a-lifetime event.
Many local magazines are also available at a small subscription cost and are great for finding vendors in your area. They often list popular local venues and interview bridal specialists with whom you can speak. They can be a helpful resource for brides navigating the process of choosing the right gown designer, florist, or caterer. They can also provide information on honeymoon destinations. You can find these magazines in bookstore special issue sections and local bridal salons.
Wedding Blogs
When it comes to bridal blogs, there are many different kinds. Some offer practical advice and guides like a wedding planning checklist, while others provide inspiration for brides with specific questions and concerns. For example, a site called The Knot may have an entire section dedicated to the most common issues couples run into while planning their big day. This could include everything from how to choose a venue to helpful tips for choosing a dress style.
Other bridal blogs offer ideas based on specific themes and aesthetics. For instance, a blog named Offbeat Bride features all things unconventional and unique, with weddings that are “fairy garden meets Godzilla real.” Websites like “The Wedding Blog” and “Junebug Weddings” offer real wedding stories, planning advice, and DIY inspiration.
Social Media
Social media offers endless inspiration when it comes to bringing the big day together. Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok are all great resources for finding everything from cakes to decor ideas. Couples and their friends can even use these platforms to crowdsource their ideas. This can be especially useful if the bride and groom are living far away from one another or have limited time to spend together due to social distancing guidelines or pandemic restrictions.
Pinterest – Honorable Mention
Pinterest is a mood board tool that can be a fantastic way to collate wedding ideas and inspiration and even communicate with your suppliers. It is a treasure trove of wedding ideas where you can create boards to gather inspiration for your dream wedding. You can also make these boards private, so they are only viewed by you or members of your bridal party.
It is important to use a clear approach when creating your boards. If you don’t, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the pretty images! For example, create separate boards for table decor, flowers, stationery, etc., and then categorize those into sub-boards to further refine the information.
It is a great idea to include your bridesmaids in the process, too. For example, you could ask them to find dresses they like and add them to the same board so that the whole group can see what their style is! This can help to prevent them from going for the same style or color. You can then collate their pins into a master board for the big day.
3. Wedding Coordinator Contract: A Trusty Document
If you decide to hire a wedding coordinator or planner, a wedding coordinator contract is essential. It outlines the services they’ll provide, their responsibilities, payment terms, and more. Therefore, you must understand and agree to all the terms before signing the contract.
A strong contract is one of the most important wedding tools you can have. It sets expectations from the start, protects against scope creep, and helps you avoid conflict with your planners. A good contract should start with the client and wedding planner’s names and contact information, as well as any other parties involved. Putting this at the top will make it easier to fill out additional paperwork later.
The contract should clearly explain their role as the wedding coordinator and include any other services that you are providing. It should also address their responsibilities and duties on the wedding day. For example, the contract might say that they will help find places for unexpected gifts or ensure that ceremony items like the wedding license are properly signed and safely stowed.
A wedding coordinator contract should also state how much of their fee is due and when. It should also clearly define the cancellation policy. For example, it should mention that the client is eligible for a full refund, minus any non-refundable deposits, if they cancel up to a certain number of days prior to the wedding day. The cancellation policy will be valid unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the involved parties.
Best Wedding Resources: Curated for You
The best wedding resources are often those that cater to your specific needs and preferences. When looking for wedding tools and resources, consider what resonates with your wedding vision. Reach out to recently married friends for their favorite wedding planning tools and resources. You can read online reviews from other couples to find out what worked best for them. Bridal shows are also great places to discover local wedding vendors and gather resources.
Planning a wedding requires more than one person’s effort, so it is crucial that you find ways of delegating tasks among trusted family and friends. From asking your maid of honor to help reach out to vendors to scheduling nap times for infants and toddlers so you can focus on planning, the delegation will make the process less daunting and more fulfilling.
Wedding planning can be overwhelming, but if you’re willing to take it on with your partner (or with the help of the best wedding resources), it can become more manageable. From budgeting and guest list management to inspiration platforms and design tools, the right resources can make your wedding planning journey a smooth one!