2008-09-04 17:22:16 by SMARTBRIDE
Planning Tools: Which one to use?
With all the wedding planning resources popping up on the web, it can be overwhelming to find one that works for you. I have narrowed it down to three which I believe provide very useful and comprehensive planning tools for free. Sure, other sites may offer tools for one task or another, but I suggest that you stick with one site that can offer all the tools you need from start to finish. That way, all your information is in the same place and accessible from any computer.
I suggest using the time-saving interactive tools the websites provide with built in calculators, e-mail lists for your guests, etc, as well as buying an accordion folder or other paper filing system that works for you. There are also many paper books and binders which look lovely - but I’ll stick to reviewing the on-line tools for now.
You'll find my ultimate recommendation below the reviews. I don't want to sway your decision before you've read my assessments of each site.
The Knot
www.theknot.com
The Knot provides a very comprehensive suite of planning tools. You may not need all of them - but you will certainly be able to store all your info in one place. At www.theknot.com you can:
- Prepare/track your budget. Their tool allows you to enter your total budget and it will divide your dollars between all the categories of costs you will incur as a guideline to work with. You can then add in your actual costs and update as you go.
- Track your To Do's with their pre-determined list. You can also add your own items, and sort items by current month or how far in advance you should complete each task. Each item also has links to their advice articles, which is a handy feature.
- Create your guest list. Their tool allows for an A and B list. You can also categorize by who is inviting each guest ie. the bride, groom, bride's parents etc.
- Monitor RSVPs
- Create seating plans
- Log gifts and thank you cards sent.
- Keep track of contact information and quotes from vendors.
- Bookmark dresses, jewelry, hair styles, etc as you find ones you like.
- Create a free wedding site to keep your guests updated on registries, hotels, directions and more.
- Send a free Save the Date e-mail to your guests in advance of your day.
- Share your wedding photos in an album.
The one important tool I feel The Knot leaves out is the "Photographer's Must Take" List. They do however offer an article with a long list of 85 suggested photographs. Conveniently, this list is linked straight from the To Do list item regarding creating the list.
Weddingbells.ca - Canadian!
weddingbells.ca
weddingbells offers the same range of comprehensive planning services as The Knot. The budget planner is fairly similar. However, this planning tool does allow you to adjust the budget for certain items using a slider. In my opinion, this feature is not incredibly useful except to know whether you are spending above or below the amount suggested by the tool. The To Do list tool allows you to sort by time frame, or category (eg. accessories, ceremony, reception etc). You can also see all tasks, or just incomplete tasks.
Also, I find the free templates for wedding websites on weddingbells to be a bit amateur looking. If you plan to create a website, I would stick with The Knot - they have about 40 free website templates in a variety of themes from traditional to modern. Lastly, the one advantage of using a Canadian site is the vendor listings in your area. As of today, weddingbells does not have a comprehensive listing of services in each city - so this shouldn’t impact your decision. As they compile more listings, it will become a very useful tool.
Martha Stewart Weddings
Main site: Martha Stewart Weddings
Wedding Workbook
If you're more of a pen and paper kinda gal, Martha may be your answer. The workbook provides templates and pages that you may print out and photocopy, such as seating plans. The paper workbook includes:
- A very comprehensive To Do List organized by weeks or months before the wedding
- Categorized budget tracker. This tool lacks guidelines of how much you should expect to spend.
- Guest List Planner with spaces for Name, Contact Info, Gift Sent and check boxes for whether you have sent or received correspondence such as save the date, invitation, RSVP and thank you card.
- Photography Planning List to communicate to your photographer all the portraits, pre-wedding, ceremony and reception photos you may want.
- Music Planner for ceremony and reception. Great for planning out your processional music, first dances etc. Handing this sheet over to your DJ will make things a lot easier during the busy reception. It also includes don't play lists and timing for speeches or announcements.
- Flower Planner including decorations for ceremony and reception plus flowers for the wedding party. Martha also offers a helpful list of which flowers are in season throughout the year.
The Seating Planner list leaves a little to be desired. It is just a set of blank lists for you to fill in, and could require a lot of erasing should you change tables around while planning.
In addition to the printable planning workbook, Martha Stewart Weddings has great advice about hiring vendors, selecting bridesmaids, writing thank you cards, and choosing items like cakes, bouquets, favors and decorations. Personally, I think her traditional etiquette advice sets the highest standard. For example, she encourages you to send Thank You cards out the day you receive a gift in advance of your wedding. In her opinion two weeks is the maximum limit for early gifts and three months gifts received at the wedding. If you can stick to these guidelines you will surely impress your guests.
My recommendation:
If I were to plan my wedding all over again, I would choose either theknot.com or weddingbells.ca based on personal preference. Sign up for a free account on both, and take a quick test spin. You'll probably favor one site over the other right away based on the layout or additional content available. Then, I would supplement with a few paper lists from Martha. Specifically, print out the work book for the photography planner and music planning checklist. Finally, I’d pick up an accordion folder to hold all the rest of the papers that seem to materialize while planning.
