10 Essential Wedding Planning Tools & Resources

While many people have mixed feelings about technology at weddings (we’ve seen many an iPhone spoiling official photographs!), we can’t deny the power of tech in the form of websites, apps, and online tools that can make planning your dream wedding a breeze!

Immersive platforms bursting with wedding inspiration (hello Pinterest, Instagram, and wedding blogs) are often the first point of call for many newly engaged couples. But when you’re past that stage and no longer looking for the perfect chair sashes, where do you go for help planning the next stage of your big day? Well, there are many tools and resources for wedding planning advice available online and offline – remember word of mouth?! So we’ve given you a helping hand by rounding up our top 10 favourites…

1. Pinterest

A wedding planning blessing (and sometimes a time-suck curse!), Pinterest has helped plan millions of weddings since launching in 2010. It’s many people’s top platform for never-ending wedding inspiration, tips and tricks, and the perfect place to gather all your creative findings in one handy place. Think of Pinterest as the perfect place to start planning a wedding that you've always dreamed of having.

2. Google Drive

From Word docs to spreadsheets, PDFs to photos – anything and everything can now be uploaded, stored and shared through Drive with anyone with a Gmail account. A brilliant online wedding tool for keeping all your important documents, including insurance, seating plans and inspirational references, organised in one easy-to-use place. Share and collaborate as much or as little as you like with your venue, planner and wedding team via the platform. It’s also linked to Google Calendar, so you can keep track of what's happening when and never miss an appointment again!

3. Wedding Websites

A modern-day, essential planning tool for any and every kind of wedding celebration. If you’re recently engaged, you’re going to want to get started creating your own personalised wedding website, pronto! Treat them as your ultimate wedding planning hub because they will quickly become THE go-to place for guests to get all the information they need for your big day.

Think of it as your very own digital wedding planner that doesn't cost the earth! Publish timings, dress codes, and wedding locations, and even include information on your wedding party there! Start building yours for free with Say I do in just a few easy steps. Biased, we may be, but Say I do is one of the best wedding planning websites out there; you can even send your e-vites through the platform and collect and organise your digital RSVPs. Told you – essential!

4. Wedding Supplier Directories

Regardless of where in the world you live, what style of wedding you’re going for, or from what walk of life you come from, you are sure to find an online wedding directory to suit! Expand your search from standard wedding blogs to see if your wedding niche is covered – trust us, this is where you’ll find the good stuff. Some examples include boho brides, LGTBQIA+, alternative weddings, luxury weddings etc.

5. Wedding Blogs and Magazines

There’s nothing like seeing real, relatable weddings to get the big day inspiration flowing. Styled shoots are great, but beautiful real weddings are where the magic’s at! Search for online wedding blogs that regularly publish diverse wedding content and soak up the inspiration. Why not pick up an actual wedding magazine? They are basically a physical version of an online blog, and let’s be honest, there’s nothing like leafing through a beautiful glossy magazine. We promised this wouldn’t all be based on online content, didn’t we?

6. Social Media

With Instagram taking tips from Pinterest and giving users the ability to save posts to ‘Collections’ / folders, it’s become a great way to collate inspiring posts on the app and save them for later. Plus, with 4.25 billion+ total visits per month and 81% of people using Instagram to research products and services* it’s an exciting place to seek out ideas for your dream wedding.

Search by location and dig into relevant hashtags but try not to get too overwhelmed! Social media is the perfect place to connect with other individuals going through the same wedding planning process and is a great way to find answers to questions and get inspiration from other real couples too.

7. Checklists, guides and planning documents

When you create your own custom wedding website with Say I do, you automatically gain access to a personalised wedding checklist! It’s a great tool that we know our couples find incredibly beneficial. It’s also fully customisable, so you can add your own tasks, delete ones that aren’t relevant to you, and check them off as you go! If pen and paper is more your style, there are heaps of guides and downloadable planning documents available that will help you stay on track throughout your wedding planning journey.

8. Weddings Fairs and Open Days

Sometimes the best way to discover your wedding dream team and really find out if you click is to meet them in person! Seek out wedding fairs and open days in your local area. They’re a brilliant place to start if you’re after a one-stop-planning shop. There's nothing like viewing the venue in person, meeting your potential suppliers, being inspired by your wedding decor options, and getting a real feel for the place. With multiple wedding suppliers all under one roof, it can be a really fun way to kick off your planning with a couple of your closest friends and a glass of fizz or two!

9. Your Wedding Venue

Once you get your wedding venue confirmed, make sure you ask for their vendor recommendations. They should have a list of local, relevant, and, most importantly – recommended suppliers that have worked at the venue before. Finding trustworthy suppliers is no simple task, so if you've been advised of decent ones, this will save you valuable time in your vendor search. It may be that some wedding venues stipulate that you have to choose a certain caterer, for example, but you should have freedom over other suppliers such as your photographer, cake designer etc.

Some venues will offer in-house wedding coordinators or professional wedding planners who will help you plan your wedding from the off. Take advantage of their wealth of previous knowledge, experience and tips and tricks on how to make the most of your own wedding day.

10. Friends and Family

Last but not least, good old word of mouth. Your friends and family are one of the greatest and most under-estimated free wedding planning resources you have! Whether it’s a recommendation from a recently married friend or your mum’s friend’s daughter – listen up; you might just uncover a hidden gem! Plus, your nearest and dearest are going to be with you up until you say ‘I do’, so why not use them? Borrow their ear as a soundboard, ask their opinion on a hot topic, or even delegate some of the practical bits to them, too - you can’t do everything yourself!

*stats from Hootsuite