Guides

The Best Wedding Planning Sites of 2024

January 11, 2024
9 min

Using online sites to help plan a wedding can be a beneficial option for several reasons. Sites can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, making it easy for couples to plan their wedding from the comfort and convenience of their own home. Online wedding planning sites offer a variety of tools, such as budget calculators, vendor directories, and wedding planning checklists, allowing couples to compare different options and make informed decisions.

They offer free resources and tools, and some even offer deals and discounts on wedding-related products and services, helping couples save money on their wedding. With online wedding planning sites, couples can quickly and easily research, compare and book wedding vendors, saving them time and effort compared to traditional methods. Planning a wedding through the help of online sites can be a great way to streamline the process and make things more convenient. 

For invitations that won't cost an arm and a leg: Minted

Minted collaborates with independent artists and graphic designers to provide stylish, pre-made invitations, save-the-dates, ceremony programs, and escort cards. Users can modify the templates to whatever card size and paper type they desire. If you don't have a lot of money to spare, you can either print the suite on your own or take the file to a local printing store. Additionally, Minted also offers bespoke invitation design if you don't have an illustrator, but still want a personalized feel.

For tracking your wedding budget: Mint

Mint is a widely used free financial management tool that is not designed exclusively for weddings. It is simple to utilize, as it can be synchronized with your bank account and credit cards, so you can oversee your spending and transfer money as needed. You will be able to stay within your wedding budget by virtue of the weekly email summaries and texts that alert you when bills are due.

For anyone who loves being on top of a to-do list: Trello

Instead of relying on a huge notebook, you can use Trello's virtual bulletin board to plan your entire nuptials. Each "card" can be organized into a separate column (like Venue or Photography) and you can move it around as the task is finished or postponed. It is easy to use and helps you keep organized.

For sourcing bridesmaid dresses through collective input.: Weddington Way by Adrianna Papell

Want to show your bridesmaids the ropes with Weddington Way, a virtual showroom that lets you browse through different colors, lengths, body types, and price ranges (or see if they like what you have) and then comment on and share selections in a virtual showroom. It also has a lot more than just bridesmaid dresses: You can browse dress styles for groomsmen, flower girls, and yourself as well.

For the couple who need help with where to start first: WeddingWire

This huge directory of venues and vendors is a great resource for couples who are lost and don't know where to have their wedding or who to hire. It offers more than 500,000 vendors and 5 million reviews written by actual newlyweds. You can easily search and filter the results by type, location, cost, and rating. When you're done with the bigger decisions, there are checklists, budgeting templates, and etiquette advice for you to use.

For those who have gathered inspiration you can actually use: Carats & Cake

When you witness a wedding and marvel at the details - such as the centerpieces or the shoes - Carats & Cake can help you out. The site offers full portfolios and reviews of the vendors used in real weddings, from catering to florists to photographers. You can also book them directly through the site.

For planning without the wedding planner: WeddingHappy

Consider this application as your own individual helper. It is preloaded with activities to help you with your duties, and it will even remind you of time-sensitive tasks such as "sending out invitations" or "paying the deposit for the band," just like a planner would do in the real world. Share your "occasion" with your partner, guardians, or involved maid-of-honor, so everybody has access to the same information.

For finding the right venue: The Venue Report

This directory contains the most recent and sought-after places to hold events, including luxurious hotels, popular party locations, and hidden gems. It's simple to use; you can refine your search based on area, cost and size, see key information such as fees and closing times, and get in touch with venues easily.

For color coordination and inspiration: Pantone Studio

If you find a color that you like, Pantone Studio (which costs $4.99 per month) can be used to take a picture and determine the exact shade. This is a great tool for anyone who is having difficulty deciding which colors to use or if they want to let the members of their wedding party pick their own style of clothing.

For a wedding website that’s unique and different: Riley & Grey

Riley & Grey provides an excellent digital space for couples who have a design-focused idea for their wedding ($35 per month). This web platform is regularly updated with new and modern templates, catering to the modern couple. The site is very easy to use and doesn't require any clicks. Guests can simply scroll down to access the various tabs, such as "People" which features the wedding party bios, and "Place" which gives tips on where to stay, eat and drink near the venue. There is even a feature to link your account for Google Maps directions and Kayak for flight bookings.

For registering for what you really want: Zola

We love a blender as much as any smoothie-obsessed to-be-wed. For house essentials and all that standard department store stuff, Zola has it all from Matouk bedding to Waterford-crystal stemware. But you can also request specialty goods, like a Sonos sound system or a BioLite camp stove, or even set up a honeymoon or cash fund for charity. Bonuses: Guests can easily go in on pricier items together with group gifting, and you also get 10% off all items on the site for up to one year after your wedding date.

For a registry easy for you and your guests: Amazon

If you've been collecting products to add to your Amazon Wish List, the process of beginning a registry on the online retail giant's website has been made much simpler. You'll find the usual kitchen and home essentials, as well as a selection of the 100 most in-demand items, and collections of items grouped according to various lifestyles. It’s also easy for your guests to shop for your gift because they won’t even need to step into a store.

For keeping your planning crew informed and on point: Google Drive

Anything and everything can be uploaded, kept, and shared in Drive so that people with a Gmail account can view and modify them with ease. If you want to access your list of guests, budget, vendor contacts, or decoration ideas while checking out a venue, you can use the mobile app for that. Additionally, if you need to share noteworthy dates with your partner, parents, and coordinator, the hub can be connected straight to Google Calendar so that nobody can claim that they have been left in the dark.

For including guests who couldn't make it to the actual ceremony: Courtly

Consider having a Courtly ceremony for your loved ones to be a part of your big day for those who can't make the ceremony. You can invite as many as 100 guests to your personalized Zoom link so anybody with a webcam and reliable internet can witness your wedding. Courtly provides hassle-free service and only needs basic information for onboarding to obtain a marriage license and certificate once the ceremony is over. Courtly offers an affordable basic wedding package, and even includes all the government application fees so you can save money too.

For a seamless venue layout: Allseated

How do you plan to arrange the tables at your reception? Using Allseated, a 3-D image of your venue will depict the space in an assistive way so you can digitally arrange furniture, chairs, barstops, and other furnishings and seat guests as they confirm their RSVPs. After your guests have confirmed, make sure to send the drawings to your vendors and DJ to keep them up to speed about their layout plans.

For an alternative transportation: UberEVENTS

Uber is here to make transportation for your wedding guests a breeze. From the ceremony to the reception and after party you can manage how, when, and where guests ride through a promo code. Plus, you’ll pay for only the rides used, and the bride and groom can set a budget for how much they would like to cover. As a result, your wedding guests won't be forced to hitchhike or drive drunk. Guests can relax knowing that they won't be restricted by a shuttle schedule. UberX is also up to 40% cheaper than other options like taxis, valet, parking, and shuttles.

For painless thank-you notes: Postable

You're so happy you can't wait to get started on the lists of thanks. But Postable may be a better option. You can choose a design, compose a heartfelt message, and include the recipient's address (manually or imported from a spreadsheet) and the site prints a card, puts it in an envelope, and sends it (from $3 for each card, plus postage). Guests probably won't catch on, since Postable uses "smart fonts" that make letters look slightly different the next time they're sent. We recommend hand-written cards for the most authentic effect, but our etiquette experts sign off if the notes are personalized at least in part.

For facilitating simple communication and sharing: Burner

The Burner app is an excellent tool for gathering all the wedding photos from your guests and managing your RSVP list without the hassle of paperwork. The app generates a temporary phone number that your guests can use to confirm or decline their invitation or even leave a heartfelt audio message. Additionally, guests can also ask questions through the app, as it functions like a chatbot.

For finding hidden gems: Facebook Recommendations

With its new Recommendations tool, guests can tap their network of friends to find cool stuff to do in your wedding location. Guests will take the guesswork out of how to spend their time outside of the wedding celebrations.  They will be able to enjoy themselves more and engross themselves with more things to do around your wedding venue with the help of friends’ recommendations. 

Conclusion

Planning your wedding gives you the opportunity to infuse it with your personal touch and creative flair, resulting in a one-of-a-kind celebration of your love and commitment. Although it may be demanding and consume a considerable amount of time, the sense of accomplishment and pride in a job well done is invaluable. 

By taking the reins, you have the power to stay within your budget and make financially savvy choices, potentially saving a substantial amount of money. You are in complete control of every aspect of the event, from the location and food to the music and decor, enabling you to bring your dream wedding to life. 

The experience of planning your wedding together with your partner can create memories that will last a lifetime and strengthen your bond as you work towards a shared goal. With the help of these sites, you are able to focus on what’s important and worry less about the logistics. 

Let us handle the paperwork.

Getting married is complicated. Courtly simplifies the process and provides everything necessary to get married online, including providing a licensed officiant who can perform a remote ceremony.

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