Vendors, invitations, bridesmaids’ looks, napkin colors — there’s a lot that goes into preparing your wedding day. Many opt to hire someone to corral the chaos, and if they can’t afford that, then ChatGPT is their wedding planner.

But a pricey planner and an LLM aren’t your only two options. The internet is rife with apps ready to help, and just as many people ready to share what works and what doesn’t. Here are seven apps and sites designed for planning the perfect matrimony. 

Zola

Far and away, the most-mentioned website on r/wedding and various other subreddits is Zola. Users praise its dashboard, where you can track your budget, guest list, RSVPs, and more. You can also create your registry on Zola, use it for your invitations and wedding website, and find vendors, making it a one-stop shop for wedding planning.

Zola is free to use, and the app told Mashable that couples can plan their entire wedding on the app for free. Registry, vendor search, wedding website, budget tracker, and guest list manager are some free services. There are some add-ons couples can choose to buy, like animated monograms or wedding dates, to their wedding site homepage for $9.99.

Download the Zola app on iOS or use it on your browser. (Mashable spotted a fake Zola app on Google Play, which Zola stated wasn’t legitimate.)

Joy

I asked my Instagram followers what wedding planning app they used, and Joy came up the most. Like Zola, Joy is another one-stop shop: Use it to create your invitations and wedding website, add to your registry, track RSVPs, and more. There’s also a blog full of wedding tips and expert advice.

Joy is available as a browser version and as an app on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. According to the site’s FAQ, Joy’s wedding websites, planning tools, and registry are free. There are hundreds of free designs for save-the-date cards and invitations, too. Upgrades that’ll cost extra include custom domains for your wedding website, premium paper designs, and text messaging.

Hitched

For the UK brides among us, Redditors across the Atlantic recommended Hitched. Like the others, Hitched has planning tools, a venue and supplier search, and tools to create a registry and wedding websites. Hitched even has wedding forums in case you want to chat with other betrothed couples who know what you’re going through. You can also find inspiration for the big day, and even find dresses for you and your wedding party — including accessories.

Hitched is available on desktop, and on the App Store and Google Play.

Seatplan.io

If you’re looking for a more specialized guest list tool, consider seatplan.io. You can import your guest list and rearrange seating however you want, so you can visualize what the room will look like on your wedding day. In addition to importing your list, you can export the seating chart and even generate a QR code to make it easy for your guests. One review on the site states, “200 guests. 8 dietary requirements. 4 wheelchair users. 1 complicated family tree. SeatPlan.io handled all of it.”

Seatplan.io is free to use if you just want to design the seating chart and import your guest list, but if you want to save your work and export it, it’ll cost you $8. If you want more features like collaborating with others and generating the QR code, it’ll cost $14.

Wedding professionals also use seatplan.io, so you know it’s legit.

The Knot

The Knot is the classic wedding planning hub, and according to Reddit, it still holds up. Use The Knot for a checklist, budget adviser, vendor search, wedding website and invitation setup, registry setup, guest list and RSVP tracking, and advice. You can also look at wedding dresses and attire for everyone, from grooms to the mother of the bride. 

The Knot is usable on the browser, but you can also find the app on the App Store and Google Play.

Google Sheets

A surprising number of people, including someone who responded to me on Instagram, opt for an old-school spreadsheet. Many free spreadsheet templates exist out there that can help with budgeting and other organizational needs you’ll likely have when planning your wedding. If you want a more bare-bones approach or want to maintain more control of how your budget (or whatever other sheet) looks, Google Sheets (or even Microsoft Excel) may be a good option. 

The organizational tool Notion receives an honorable mention here, too, as Redditors who didn’t use another app likely went with Google Sheets or Notion. 

Reddit

When all else fails, you can do what I do whenever I need advice: Google whatever I need help with and add “reddit” at the end. There are thousands of people on r/wedding, r/weddingplanning, r/weddingsunder10k, and more nuptial-related forums. If you have a question about your big day, there’s a good chance someone has asked and received answers on Reddit.