Can You Plan a Wedding Using Just Your Smartphone?
Tying the knot is an exciting moment, but planning a wedding can certainly be stressful. Before anyone can walk down the aisle, and your friends and family can let their hair down at the reception, so many things need to be arranged.
Luckily help is at hand, as it's now possible to plan an entire wedding directly from your smartphone. From great websites to fantastic wedding-focused apps, you can discover everything you need to know below.
Wedding inspiration
Not entirely sure on the colour scheme for your wedding? Or uncertain of the type of venue and wedding car you'd like? There are plenty of places to find inspiration, with two of the best being Pinterest and Wedding LookBook by The Knot.
The latter is one mostly for brides, collating the most beautiful wedding dresses, bridesmaids' dresses, accessories and more in one easy-to-use app. Certain items, like hair accessories, can be bought through Wedding LookBook, while for more unique pieces like wedding dresses, the app will provide an estimated price and help you to locate a store nearby where you can try your dream dress on.
Pinterest, of course, is a go-to for inspiration of any kind. Loved by millions, you can download the app and then create your own boards like 'Wedding Favours' and 'Flower Arrangements' in seconds. Browse the site, pin your favourites and even invite your maid of honour, best man or partner to collaborate.
Online wedding planners
Hiring a professional planner can really bump up the cost of your overall wedding, but what else can you do if you need help picking your venue, suppliers, photographer and everything else in between? Turn to a free online wedding planning service instead, like Hitched.co.uk or Guides for Brides.
Both services offer their own apps in Apple's App Store or Google Play. You can take advantage of the services this way, or alternatively log in via their website (ideal for phablet users who have a bit more screen space). Absolutely packed with information and recommendations on every wedding aspect you could possibly think of, you'll also find tools such as a budget planner, table planner, shortlists and to do lists, and a guest manager so your loved ones can send their RSVP online.
You can even use your smartphone to help you plan a trip for your honeymoon.
Managing money
It's all too easy to lose track of how much money you've spent on your wedding, so using a budgeting app is a must. Our favourite is Money Dashboard, where you can sync multiple bank accounts, savings accounts and credit cards in one place to keep on top of your finances.
When it comes to your stag and hen dos, why not ask the organisers to use Splitwise? This way, you can pay your share without spoiling the surprise: they can create an event like 'Jen's Hen Do' and then split the cost of activities, hotels and even flights evenly with every attendee without revealing any of the details to you.
Wedding photos
Our recent research discovered that the average bride and groom are photographed more than 3,000 times during their wedding day, and it's not just the official wedding photographer who's responsible for all those pictures. 77% of your guests will take their own photos, and thanks to incredible built-in smartphone cameras you can expect some great quality snaps and amazing videos.
While you're guaranteed to have your wedding captured from every single angle, gathering all those photos together can be difficult. Make things easier, and create a hashtag for your guests to use across social media. You could add this to your wedding invites, create your own wedding Instagram account to follow your guests on or even create a photobooth at your wedding to promote the hashtag.
Alternatively, you could use an app. Veri by The Knot is a great one, just download the app and create your wedding as an event. Invite all your guests prior to your special day, and once they've downloaded the app they can upload their favourite photos for everyone to see. Joy's also a handy little app, packed with amazing wedding features. You can even create a place for guests to RSVP here, but its photo collection feature is fantastic - you can share your official wedding photos easily, and guests can add their own too.
Thinking about picking up a brand-new smartphone before you start to plan your wedding? From the latest iPhone to innovative Android handsets from Samsung and Sony, you'll find the perfect device for you at a great price from Mobiles.co.uk.