When you get engaged suddenly everyone around you is a wedding expert.  All your married friends line up to share their hindsight wisdom (usually in the form of horror stories); while your single friends can’t wait to tell what they think you need in order to have the wedding they’d always dreamed of.

But if you can cut through all the opinions, one thing is true; technology has provided more wedding planning resources than ever before.  And since the Internet and personal computer have ushered in a “paperless society” wedding planning software has automated a lot of the tedious tasks we used to do with pencil, paper, the post, and phone. 

Then does that mean a bride can plan her entire wedding all by herself?  Maybe, but probably not (not if she wants to keep her sanity, anyway).  According to Ilka Brookes, event planner and director of The Stratford Group (as well as the creator of the award-winning wedding planning software Marziplanner), the average time it takes for a couple to plan a wedding is 250 hours over 17 months and during that time they typically host at least five major events, including the wedding day itself.  And let’s face it we all know the wedding plans are usually up to the bride.  So if she already has a job (and thus can’t devote her entire life to planning her wedding), she’s going to need some outside professional help.

But if that’s the case, why use wedding planning software at all? 
Because it’s a tool brides can use to effectively communicate with their wedding planners, vendors, suppliers, and guests. It simply helps brides organize their plans so that everything is cross-referenced and located in one convenient spot.  Plus, it helps each bride get started on her own unique wedding journey by walking her through the tasks she must complete in order for her to have the wedding she desires.

So is wedding planning software really that easy to use?
Depends on which software package you’re talking about.  Take, for example, Marziplanner, the popular wedding planning software mentioned earlier. “Marziplanner is not a ‘techy’ product and you don’t need to be a computer whiz to use it,” says creator Ilka Brookes.  After a couple has agreed on their wedding date, the software asks them to choose their reception and ceremony venues, as popular locations can book out up to two years in advance.  Then it helps the couple refine their budget by going through all the plans and events leading up to (and including) their big day.  Every detail you can imagine, down to purchasing a special cake knife, for example, is presented, so even if the couple chooses to forego an option, it’s at least been brought to their attention.

It also keeps track of guest lists, gift registries, party dates, RSVPs, and vendor contact information, as well as generates “to do” lists and detailed reports.  In the weeks leading up to your wedding Marziplanner tells you all the things you need to do, for example, pick up your dress, meet guests at the airport, go over the menu with the caterer, etc.   The software merely reminds you of these tasks; however, it’s still up to you to make sure these tasks get done. 

This is where your wedding planner comes in.  Simply hand her your reports and let her do the work. The whole idea of having a wedding planner is to unburden you from all the things you’re too busy to attend to, regardless of who coordinates them in the first place.  Software such as Marziplanner is simply a tool you use in conjunction with your wedding planner to ensure your big day is perfect.

Planning a wedding is hectic enough, and most likely you can’t put your life on hold just to get the job done.  Fortunately, you don’t have to.  With the right tools and resources you can be relaxed and enjoy the wedding you’ve always dreamed of.  And when you get right down to it, isn’t that why you put so much effort into planning your wedding in the first place?