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Couples use apps to plan weddings
MISSISSIPPI STATE – Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, but some couples are using apps to help reduce stress and improve organization.
Engaged couples can find dozens of free wedding-planning apps, said Mariah Smith, assistant professor in the Extension Center for Technology Outreach. Brides and grooms can use these apps for tasks such as organizing guest lists, wedding registries and to-do lists.
“Apps are great because you tend to remember at 3 a.m. that you forgot to invite your second cousin twice removed to the wedding, and using your phone is handier than pulling out a computer,” she said. “You can also find apps that let you scan barcodes for wedding registries, which may be easier than doing it online.”
Since there are so many apps available, Smith said couples should know what they want from an app before downloading in order to find one that meets their needs.
“Is it really going to save you time, or does it just generate more stress?” Smith asked. “Can you access the information from your phone or from a computer? This could be important because if you design a seating chart or something similar, you will probably want to print it out.”
Smith said the ability to transfer app information to multiple people is important.
“The biggest issue is going to be who has your phone with all of the information on it the day of the wedding,” Smith said. “The bride probably won’t be toting the phone down the aisle, so she needs to think about how she will move the information from the apps to the coordinator.”
While many brides already use Pinterest to get wedding decoration or dress ideas, Kasey Busby, a Senatobia resident who got married in February 2012, said she used the Pinterest app to find budget tips and planning timelines.
“I searched for pins with advice on sticking to a tight budget and found dozens of handy ones,” she said. “Pinterest isn’t just for decorations and things like that. There are planning pins, budget pins and song list pins with tons of advice to keep you on track. That may have been the most valuable part of using the Pinterest app for me.”
Busby said she found the app more useful than traditional organization methods, such as paper planners or folders.
“I didn’t have a wedding planner, so I had to keep up with everything on my own,” she said. “It was easy to have it all on my phone to carry with me while I was shopping or talking to caterers and florists. I didn’t have to write everything down and keep up with it, which was great.”
Busby said she recommends using Pinterest’s privacy features to keep certain aspects of the wedding a surprise for guests.
“The great thing about the app is you can make as many different boards as you need --one for the ceremony, one for the reception, one for the honeymoon, and so on -- to keep it all organized,” she said. “If there are some things you might not want guests to know about, like a photo booth at the reception or a special dessert, you can just make the board private so no one can see it but you.”
For more wedding ideas, visit the MSU Extension Service Pinterest board at http://www.pinterest.com/msuextservice.