Planning a wedding is a major undertaking. As budgets rise and ceremonies get more and more elaborate, brides and grooms-to-be can be forgiven for thinking fondly of just eloping and letting the chips fall where they may. But don’t book that flight to Vegas just yet–technology has kept pace with the rising complexity of wedding planning, and there are plenty of online allies in place to help you get the job done. Before you decide to say your vows in front of an Elvis impersonator at an all-night chapel or track down sparklers for weddings on your own, try these resources:
The Wedding Spot
Looking for that perfect venue? Save yourself some time and shoe leather with this website. Right now it only covers 15 states, but if you’re in one of those states you’ll be able to browse and compare thousands of venues. Sort by price, availability, reception size–it’s an invaluable resource to help nail down that one massive detail that anchors the entire ceremony. You can even find out is a venue allows you to use sparklers during your wedding reception or if you need to buy biodegradable confetti so there aren’t any surprises when you do your walk-through of the venue.
Event Up
If you’re outside of the Wedding Spot’s coverage zones, or if you’re just looking for a second opinion, Event Up is another venue search service that covers the entire nation. Start with a search by budget or number of guests, and then filter the results with a robust list of amenities. Once you settle on a few choices, you can fill out all your contact info just once and send multiple quote requests at the same time. It streamlines the process considerably, even compared to searching for venues from a search engine.
My Registry
Consolidate your registry listings with one overarching account with My Registry’s service. When you register for an account, you’ll get the option to add an “add to my registry” button to the top pane of your web browser. Then you can add anything you can buy in any e-commerce store to your registry. You can even set up funds for cash gifts and import registries from other stores. It’s a great way to register without making guests go to seven different stores.
Wedding Wire
What Wedding Spot and Event Up do for venues, Wedding Wire does for vendors. Search their thousands of vendors by location, price, services, etc. Then use their checklist and timeline features to keep everything organized and on track. You can even shop for your bridal gown and bridesmaids dresses right on the site, as well as an abundance of other wedding supplies such as decorations, wedding sparklers, and party favors. And don’t forget to set up your very own wedding website where guests can access your registry, post photos, and more.
Doodle
Doodle isn’t a dedicated wedding app, but its meeting-scheduling functionality is perfect for scheduling hair appointments with bridesmaids, tux fittings with groomsmen, or a meeting with the baker for cake-tasting. With its simple interface and its ability to sync with Outlook and Google calendars, Doodle is the go-to app for making sure you schedule meet-ups when everyone can attend.
Wedding planning is complex and stressful, so don’t be shy about using online resources to simplify the proceedings. From finding a venue or shopping for sparklers for your wedding, the Internet is waiting to make your wedding planning easier.