After 3 years of dating, my husband and I were ready to tie the knot, so when he proposed in May and I realized I’d have to get married in either 3 months or an entire year if I wanted a beautiful outdoor wedding, I opted for the three month option. Little did we know that summer in New York would pretty much extend through November, but I’m happy we were able to make our September date happen, and the weather could not have been nicer.

Getting married with a three month timeline comes with a lot of challenges. Thankfully, my mother knew what she was doing, and WeddingWire served as a huge resource while wedding planning. Booking vendors is easy, but finding them is the hard part. WeddingWire has an entire roster of venues, photographers, caterers, florists, etc, all of which can be filtered by price and location. I found so many options using their vendor directory, and the best part is that each vendor has multiple, sometimes even hundreds of reviews. I would never book a vendor without a recommendation or a long list of positive reviews, so I felt comfortable having a reliable source like WeddingWire to get my intel. I was especially happy to find Crest Hollow, my chosen wedding venue, on WeddingWire with 195 reviews and a 4.6/5 rating. Reading reviews from actual brides gave me the confidence to book, and all the info listed on Crest Hollow’s page in regards to guest capacity and style was extremely helpful.

Aside from using WeddingWire’s site as a way to find and research vendors, it also served as a great source of wedding inspiration. I became addicted to their Real Weddings tab which showcases actual couples at their weddings. I loved looking at all the different styles and options I had in a format that walked me through the whole wedding, from the bride getting dressed to the couple feeding each other cake. It was a great way to see how the couple tied their theme and/or color scheme into the event as a whole.

Another useful feature on WeddingWire is their Registry page. You’re able to combine all your registries into one place, where they update automatically. As I’m sure my fellow brides know, it’s hard to keep track of so many details while wedding planning, so keeping as many things in one place as you can is a very good idea.

Lastly, how WeddingWire helped me the most was by providing the most inclusive checklist I have ever seen. It has everything from remembering bridesmaid gifts to booking your wedding night hotel. The list is also customizable so you can add or remove any task. With a three month timeline, it was so helpful to see such a comprehensive list that took me from engagement to Wedding Day. The list also adjusts deadlines based on your wedding date, so I always knew when I needed to take care of something and how to prioritize tasks.

This next feature didn’t exist while I was a bride, but WeddingWire launched a new Wedding Cost Guide tool yesterday, which gives insight into the average prices of wedding services in your area and helps you uncover hidden costs. According to WeddingWire research, “Engaged couples underestimate how much they will spend on their wedding by about 40 percent and rank understanding vendor pricing information as a top wedding planning pain point.” That being said, a budgeting tool like this could not be more vital while planning your big day.  

I may have graduated to wife status, but I’ve still got a honeymoon to plan, so I’m currently stalking WeddingWire’s honeymoon forum, which has over 20,000 members ready to bounce ideas and give suggestions. So happy to be a part of the WeddingWire community!  

Thank you WeddingWire for sponsoring this post!

xx Esther