Technology has descended on the wedding planning market with a vengeance. Newly engaged couples are inundated with an onslaught of planning app options, each promising they’re ‘the one.’
This can make choosing the right one feel pretty overwhelming.
To get you up to speed, we’re listing the pros and cons of some of the most popular ones. Highlighting what we love… and where we think there’s room for improvement.
As you check out each one, think about which features are most important for your wedding.
That will help narrow it down to the one that provides everything you need.
The Knot
Why we love it: The Knot is arguably the most popular wedding planning App, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s an all-in-one platform that lets you create a free website and keep track of your guest list—guests are able to visit the site directly to RSVP.
You can take their style quiz to help determine your wedding style—from the general aesthetic to wedding party dresses you love.
The site lets you set up a registry or cash fund, and even has a place where you can get additional inspo and ideas.
They have an incredibly large vendor database to help you snag all the pros you need to bring your dream to life, and have a wedding budget tracker to make sure you don’t overdo it.
Finally, there’s a checklist to work through to ensure you don’t forget anything.
Room for improvement: The frequent ads and pop ups can be both annoying and distracting.
Additionally, even though the websites you can create are beautiful, the customization options are limited.
Finally, people who are easily overwhelmed may feel somewhat paralyzed by the information overload that’s found on their site.
Zola
Why we love it: Zola is another heavy-hitter in the wedding planning world, boasting a modern integrated slant to their web design and registry system.
The registry itself includes options like group gifting features and cash fund gifting. Their website itself is beautiful and incredibly user friendly, and they have a variety of free templates you can use to build your own wedding website.
There are budgeting features, guest management systems—including guest seating arrangement assistance—and templates you can use to create your own wedding invitations.
Check out their expert advice section if you feel stuck anytime during the planning process, and download their mobile app so you can plan on the go.
Room for improvement: They have fewer vendor listings, and there are still restrictions for creating a fully customized wedding website.
In addition, their registry options highlight partner vendors—it’s worth double-checking prices for the same items on Amazon to ensure your guests are getting the best deal.
WeddingWire
Why we love it: WeddingWire is like an encyclopedia for wedding venues. They have an extensive selection of every kind you can think of in just as many locations.
Check out the venue reviews left by couples who tied the knot at each location which can be really helpful when it comes time to selecting yours.
They have extensive vendor reviews as well.
Their wedding planning checklist is detailed, and there’s a budget tracker and calculator; even a seating chart creator.
You can peruse wedding costs based on location, and just like the other sites you’re able to create a registry, set up a website, generate invitations, and gather inspo.
Room for improvement: Users of the site frequently feel as though they’re being spammed by all the vendors appearing in their email inboxes.
Compared to the other sites, their registry options are limited, and perhaps similar to the other sites, the wedding website features are pretty basic.
Joy
Why we love it: Joy is a free wedding planning platform that has a lot of the same bells and whistles as the other sites. In addition, it lets guests upload photos and well wishes, creating a digital guestbook/scrapbook of sorts.
Their site also has a hotel block booking feature to help accommodate out of town wedding guests at discounted rates.
The interface of the site is user friendly, and like many of the other wedding planning websites, there’s a digital RSVP feature and a registry feature that lets guests contribute to the honeymoon.
Room for improvement: Compared to the other sites, the planning tools are somewhat limited. Additionally, there is no current vendor integration on the site.
Conclusion:
Before making your final decision, use the links to visit each site.
Which one inspires you the most? Which one gets you most excited about planning your wedding? Which one has everything you need?
When you’re clear about what you’re looking for and hoping to achieve, it makes picking the right tool for the job that much easier.
