Ranking 3 all-in-one wedding planning apps
Has your significant other popped the question and got you all excited, but you have no idea where to start with your wedding planning?
Read on, because in this post we are looking at three different all-in-one wedding planning apps that can help you along the way. We have selected some key features and compared the functionality of the different apps, so you don’t have to do the ground work and can start planning your wedding straight away!
We’ve focused on three of the most renowned apps in the wedding business, Bridebook, Hitched and Wedding Wire. Here’s how they rank each for every aspect of your wedding planning.
Vendor Search
1. Bridebook
By far the most search results of the three top wedding apps, and seemingly the most accurate in sorting the large number of suppliers into their correct group.
However, when looking closer at the results it does appear that Bridebook’s search facility casts it’s net further, with a greater area covered with each query.
That being said, Bridebook still comes out on top, with its filtering options and quick facts on the venue without having to click into each result a nice added touch.
2. Wedding Wire
A good number of results, just not as many as on Bridebook (which might be a relief for those who have a hard time with too many options).
Search results are tailored to your location, giving suppliers local to you more prominence. So if you want to stay local with your professional services, Wedding Wire is your best shot.
It also shows number accommodated and starting prices on each venue result which is helpful.
3. Hitched
The venue and supplier search functions are good, giving you roughly the same number of results as WeddingWire and you can search either by county, town, postcode or name.
As with the others, you can contact suppliers through the app and it also shows useful quick facts about each venue or supplier without having to go onto their websites.
A minus is that it does not show guest numbers they can accommodate in the result screen.
Guestlist
1. Wedding Wire
We’re really big fans of WeddingWire’s guestlist feature. It basically allows you to do your table plan at the same time (if you wish).
You can import guests from your contacts, assign them to groups (Bride’s or groom’s family/friends/colleagues/mutual friends), assign them to tables and add contact details.
It is super easy to move people around from one table to another, so whether you’re doing your complete table layout in the guestlist feature or not, it is a great start to it at least.
You can also set RSVP status and menus, as well as assign gender and age group to then look at analytics for your guests. Perfect if you’re ordering wedding favours and need to know how many males/females or adults/children/babies
2. Bridebook
Bridebook’s guestlist is cleverly designed to let you put in as much information as possible for each guest.
It lets you add guests under both partners’ names, select whether it is an all-day invitation or an evening only (it also has an option for Waitlist if you’re not sure about the invite yet), set RSVP status, add information on whether it is an adult/child/female/male, add a table number and type in any additional notes.
You can also add email addresses, phone numbers and postal addresses for your guests as well as linking them up with each other for Plus 1’s.
3. Hitched
Hitched have got a good Guest Manager section – however it is not easy to navigate to.
For a while we struggled to find a way of adding guests, but the only way you seem to be able to access it is through the task list under “Start your guest list”.
They also mention a Table Planner feature – but there seems to be no way of accessing that either. Although the Guest Manager itself includes most of the features of both WeddingWire’s and Bridebook’s – the simple fact that it is so hard to access puts Hitched at the bottom here.
Task List
1. Bridebook
The Checklist feature is quite extensive, and at times seems a little bit over the top with all the sub-tasks under each entry. On some of them it is useful to have sub-tasks, but on many sections our personal preference would be to keep it a little bit simpler.
This is obviously all up to one’s own preference though, if you love ticking boxes to feel a sense of achievement, this layout is great.
You can also easily delete tasks or sub-tasks if they are not relevant to your wedding.
2. Hitched
Hitched’s ‘To-Do’ list is almost as comprehensive as Bridebook’s, except for the draw-back that you cannot sort it into specific. For example, you can’t filter by tasks soley relating to the photographer or flowers.
The only ways of filtering tasks are by milestone or completed tasks.
You can add and remove tasks, but you cannot amend or delete the milestone ones. In the whole setup the tasks are always sorted by date.
3. Wedding Wire
This task list is very basic on Wedding Wire’s app, with users only able to sort their activities into three groups; ‘To Do’, ‘Done’ and ‘All’.
If you want an easier overview of a single section of tasks, for example cake-related jobs, there seems to be no way of sorting your tasks by category.
There’s not the option to allow you to search for suppliers relating to the task you are currently viewing either.
Budget
1. Hitched
Once you put your planned budget into Hitched it estimates a cost per item, which you can then amend as you go along in your planning process and getting quotes from suppliers.
It also lets you assign each item on the budget to who pays: Bride/Groom/Bride and Groom/Bride’s Family/Groom’s Family/Other.
You can also paste website links in for the supplier you’re using and add additional notes. The breakdown shows you total spend, total budget and the remaining balance.
2. Bridebook
Bridebook also calculates an estimated spend on each item of your budget which you can amend.
It lets you both delete and add entries, which to us, feels like an essential feature.
The breakdown shows you a total estimate, total booked and your target budget plus a little note saying whether you are currently under or over your budget.
You also get suggestions of suppliers by clicking on each item in the budget list.
3. Wedding Wire
This app won’t let you delete entries of their estimated budget calculation, so if you for example have a wedding without children you would just need to keep the “Gifts for children” entry at £0, which seems a bit annoying.
You can still add payments into your budget, if anything is missing.
The actual layout is simple to understand without too many words and sections cluttering the page and the breakdown show you your estimated cost along with final cost split into paid and pending.
Design and Extras
1. Hitched
Although a close call, we personally think that Hitched wins on design and layout from an aesthetical point of view.
The design is simple in a purple colour scheme that anyone who knows of Hitched will recognise.
The accented colours of white and beige complement the purple and create a good overall impression for a serious but beautiful wedding planning app.
2. Wedding Wire
The turquoise, almost Tiffany blue, colour scheme works and the fonts on titles and tasks makes it easy to find what you want when you need it.
The look does not overpower the purpose of the app – helping you in your wedding planning.
A simple home screen including the most essential parts of the planning, as well as listing your supplier team in an easy sliding format is a plus.
3. Bridebook
Bridebook’s app is also beautifully designed with simple fonts and icons to let you focus on the task at hand, and only comes just short of the other two with its slightly more colourful overall look.
A great additional feature is their shortlist option as well as a scrapbook page where you can post notes and photos of things you find along your planning process that you want to collect in one place.
Conclusion
If we were forced to pick the ultimate app for all your wedding planning needs, it may be that Wedding Wire would come out on top, simply thanks to their amazing Guestlist and table planning section. However, it’s probably wisest to break our three apps down further:
- If you want the best and largest vendor and supplier search, use Bridebook
- If you want the best guestlist feature and to be able to create your own table plan as you go along, use Wedding Wire
- If you want the best budget section, where you can amend your entries and assign them to different payees, use Hitched
Regardless of which wedding planning app you use, or if you do it the old school way with a notepad and a pen, you should make sure you are protected with a comprehensive Wedding Insurance.