Is your post-engagement euphoria turning into wedding-bell hell? It seems that no matter how helpful your bridesmaids are, or how early you began your preparations, the wedding stress-mobile still makes its scheduled stop. Fortunately for brides in the digital age, help is literally at hand thanks to smart phone technology and the abundance of sanity-saving apps. Like your most reliable best friend, slice.ca has done all the wedding homework and is pleased to share the Top 10 Wedding Apps to keep you organized, on schedule, and stress-free during your journey to wedded bliss!
1. Tiffany Engagement Ring Finder (available for free on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
Before the wedding, before the bridal shower, there was the engagement… and the ring! If you’re searching for the eternal love that only the most perfect ring brings, the new Tiffany and Co. Engagement Ring Finder is keen to help. With over 40 engagement rings of various dazzling shapes, settings, metals, and designs, this gem of an app brings you up-close and personal with Tiffany and Co.’s finest engagement treasures. Tiffany’s app easily determines your ring size, saves your fave ring choices, and can help arrange an expert consultation over your phone or in person. It does everything for you but say “I do.”
2. Wedding Dress Look Book by The Knot (available for free on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
Wedding dress shopping can quickly turn from giddy, girly camaraderie to messy tears and bridezilla hissy fits. Fear not! Keep your friends and a cool head with this handy new app full of dress ideas from The Knot. Before you leave the house, download this app and find the style that works best with your shape, bra size, height, and personality. Add in your best features and any problem areas and the Knot’s Wedding Dress Look Book will take it all into careful consideration. The result: a cavalcade of beautiful gowns for you to consider before you hit the shops. The app also offers lists of helpful shopping how-to’s and wedding dress basics that will cut down on needless hours searching store to store for a gown that isn’t right for you.
3. Wedding Budget Tracker (available for $2.99 on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
In all the wedding spending excitement, it’s really easy to lose track of the bottom line. Keep your budget above board and your vendors happy with this simple, money tracking app. Due dates for bills can be recorded and for extra anticipation, countdown clocks can be configured to show the time left until your next payment deadline. Safely budget on the go and make spur of the moment financial adjustments without missing a beat… or a buck.
4. iBride Wedding Planner (available for free on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
Why go over budget on hiring a pushy wedding planner when you can download this one for free? Managing lengthy wedding checklists, compiling an ever changing guest list, The iBride Wedding Planner takes care of all the heavy lifting for you. Part wedding directory, part wedding planner, iBride can source vendors for invitations, DJs, limos, cakes, favours… if you need it, it’s here. Just plug in your city and you’re good to go. And once you’ve located what you’re looking for, it’s easy to populate the wedding planner with all of your purchases and downpayments.
5. Wedding 911 by The Knot (available for free on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
No offense to your maid of honour, but it looks like you have a new go-to gal! The helpful gang at The Knot have come up trumps with this shiny new app that answers virtually all of your wedding planning queries and emergencies. Got etiquette, ceremony, reception, or budget dilemmas? Bridesmaid issues, honeymoon woes, or beauty quandaries? The Wedding 911 app has all the 411, solving problems quickly and with typical Knot flair. Plus if you’re seeking more in-depth assistance, log in to the The Knot’s community forums via your phone and benefit from tailor-made advice from fellow brides.
6. Wedding Videos: Tips and Ideas for Your Wedding (available for free on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
Suffering from bridal magazine apathy? Wedding editions are often too heavy, overstuffed with ads and cost a small fortune. It’s enough to persuade a bride to elope. But not so fast; keep your excitement fresh and motivation keen by tuning in to these mini-planning featurettes. This entertaining video collection of shopping and beauty tips, celebrity wedding profiles, and photography ideas are a fresh way to convey the fun and adventure that wedding planning should be. As a bonus, there’s a cache of silly wedding bloopers―a great way to hold on to your sanity when all the planning gets the best of you. Sometimes it’s just the ticket to laugh at someone else’s misfortunes!
7. MyRegistry.com: Universal Wishlist with Barcode Scanner (available for $0.99 on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
Gift-giving and weddings go hand in hand, so a registry app is a bridal no-brainer. Kiss your paper lists of potential presents goodbye and say hello to barcode scanning technology with MyRegistry. By scanning barcodes in-store with your iPhone’s camera, you can capture the details pertaining to all the gifts you desire, and the app does all the rest. Instantly, it will add all of your new-found goodies to your registry. Compare prices, organize your wish list, and share the results with friends and family. The best part of this app? It was configured for all types of wish lists, not just for weddings, so you can continue to use it after your trip down the aisle for all future gift-giving opportunities.
8. Shape Bride (available for $3.99 on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
All brides hope to look smashing on their special day, and Shape magazine can make it happen! Their Shape Bride phone app steps in as your personal trainer with 14 routines of cardio and strength training to kick your butt (and arms, abs, and legs!) into tip-top bridal perfection. Record your reps, gym equipment used, and the duration of your workout. The app will deliver immediate progress reports to ensure that your motivation remains high and your goals in sight. To aid in your quest, Shape Bride also offers healthy eating tips, special recipes, and useful advice on finding a gown to suit your body type. Shame it won’t do the exercises for you too!
9. Beginners Foxtrot (available for $1.99 on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
Obsessed with all those sparkly TV dance programs? Wish you could strut your stuff in a traditional first dance with your new spouse? For less than a toonie, you can. One of the coolest dances of all time, the foxtrot is fun to learn and even more of a laugh to perform! The Beginner’s Foxtrot app lets you skip costly dance classes and practice in the privacy of your own home. Best of all, there’s no public embarrassment as you learn and, better yet, no competitive couples to avoid. With a choice of video or photos for your lessons, you’ll have all angles covered and soon you’ll be tripping the light fantastic in style.
10. Hairstyle (available for $2.99 on iTunes; compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad)
Busy brides-to-be don’t have the time (or desire for that matter) to spend hours in the hairdresser’s chair trying out different wedding hairstyles. Save time and money―cut to the chase with the Hairstyle app and view over 100 hair-dos and maybe a few don’ts! Take a photo of yourself on your iPhone and via the wonders of technology, try on various cuts, styles, and colours. Found one that suits? The app will give you maintenance and styling tips to help you make a decision, plus you can even email your pick to your hairdresser and see what she thinks!
Written by: Jackie Middleton
For more, please check out Jackie’s blog at www.losethatgirl.com
Visit the slice.ca Weddings Guide for more great articles, tips, and tools to help plan your wedding!