TL;DR
- Bride created complete personalized wedding timeline in 1 hour using ChatGPT ($20/month vs $5,000+ wedding planner)
- AI excels at vendor comparison, timeline creation, packing lists, and custom creative elements
- Warning: Never use AI to write wedding vows - one groom’s bride walked out when she recognized the generic AI tone
- Best for: Couples who can handle their own decisions but need logistics support
- Key lesson: Delegate the administrative to AI, but own anything requiring personal authenticity
A public defender used ChatGPT to plan her entire wedding for $20/month instead of paying $5,000+ for a wedding planner - creating custom timelines, vendor comparisons, and even crossword puzzle favors.
Emily is a public defender. Her job is arguing cases, not coordinating caterers.
When she got engaged, the wedding planning descended like an avalanche. Venues to tour. Photographers to vet. Florists to meet. Timelines to create. Decisions — endless decisions.
“I can barely keep my houseplants alive,” she says, “and now I’m supposed to coordinate 47 vendors?”
Her secret weapon: ChatGPT.
Within one hour, she had an entire wedding planning timeline. Customized to her date, budget, and priorities. Every major milestone mapped from engagement to honeymoon.
Professional wedding planners charge $5,000 to $10,000. Emily paid $20/month for ChatGPT Plus.
The Overwhelm Problem
Wedding planning involves two types of work: emotional (choosing what you want) and logistical (making it happen).
Most couples love the emotional part. Picking colors. Imagining the ceremony. Selecting music for the first dance.
The logistical part kills joy. Comparing vendor quotes. Coordinating delivery schedules. Remembering when save-the-dates need to go out. Tracking RSVPs. Managing dietary restrictions.
AI can’t feel the butterflies of choosing your dress. But it can absolutely crush the logistics.
The Timeline Builder
Emily’s first ChatGPT prompt: “I’m getting married in October 2025, venue booked, 120 guests expected, $20,000 budget. Create a complete planning timeline from now until the wedding.”
The response was detailed:
- 12 months out: Book photographer, videographer, caterer. Research officiants.
- 9 months out: Send save-the-dates. Book florist and DJ. Start dress shopping.
- 6 months out: Finalize menu. Order invitations. Book rehearsal dinner venue.
- 3 months out: Mail invitations. Finalize playlist. Schedule hair/makeup trial.
- 1 month out: Confirm all vendors. Create seating chart. Break in shoes.
- Week of: Distribute timeline to wedding party. Pack for honeymoon. Delegate day-of tasks.
Not generic advice — specific milestones tied to her actual date.
“I printed it and stuck it on my fridge. Every week I knew exactly what to focus on. The mental load dropped immediately.”
The Vendor Detective
Emily discovered AI could help evaluate vendors too.
She’d prompt: “I’m considering these two photographers. Photographer A charges $3,500 with 8 hours coverage and 500 edited photos. Photographer B charges $4,200 with 6 hours coverage, 300 edited photos, but includes an engagement shoot and a second shooter. Which is the better value?”
ChatGPT would break down the comparison: cost per hour, cost per photo, the value of having two shooters, what engagement shoots typically run separately.
“It wasn’t making the decision. It was helping me understand what the decision actually was.”
She used the same approach for florists, caterers, DJs. Feed in quotes and scope, get clear comparisons.
Hidden Gem Discovery
One bride on Reddit described asking ChatGPT for venue recommendations: “It found so many hidden gem venues I hadn’t come across.”
This is AI’s strength for research tasks. Wedding blogs highlight the same popular venues. AI can suggest lesser-known options that match specific criteria.
“Find me 5 rustic barn wedding venues within 50 miles of Madison, WI that can accommodate 200 guests and have on-site catering options.”
The results aren’t always perfect — some suggestions may be outdated or missing key info. But as starting points for deeper research, they save hours of browsing.
Emily found her photographer this way. “I described the style I wanted — documentary, natural light, minimal posed shots. ChatGPT suggested searching for ‘photojournalistic wedding photographers’ and gave me specific names in my area. One of them became my photographer.”
The Crossword Puzzle Touch
Emily’s wedding had a personal flourish: custom crossword puzzles as table favors.
Each puzzle was themed around the couple — their story, their interests, their guests. Something guests could do between courses.
“I asked ChatGPT to create a crossword about our relationship. First date location. Where we met. Our cat’s name. Inside jokes. It generated the puzzle in seconds.”
She printed them on card stock. Guests loved them. Total cost: about $50 in supplies.
A custom favor that would have taken hours to create manually. AI made it a 10-minute project.
The Line That Shouldn’t Be Crossed
Which brings us to the other story. The cautionary tale.
A Reddit thread went viral about a groom who used AI to write his wedding vows.
He wanted them to be “perfect.” He fed details about his relationship into ChatGPT and asked for heartfelt vows.
During the ceremony, his bride recognized the tone. The cadence. The generic phrases dressed up as specific emotion.
She walked out.
Why Vows Are Different
Wedding vows exist in a category separate from logistics and creativity.
They’re meant to be imperfect. The stutters. The tears. The awkward phrasing. These prove authenticity.
A perfectly polished vow sounds rehearsed — because it is. An AI vow sounds optimized — because it was.
The groom’s mistake wasn’t using AI. It was using AI for something that requires human imperfection.
As one commenter wrote: “The flaws in human writing are what make vows meaningful. Removing them removes the sincerity.”
The Disclosure Norm
The wedding community has developed a simple standard: transparency.
Using AI to plan your wedding? Totally fine. Using AI to write logistics documents? Great. Using AI to draft invitation wording? Acceptable if you personalize. Using AI to write vows? Only if your partner knows, and ideally only as inspiration.
The line isn’t really about AI. It’s about honesty. The groom’s sin wasn’t using the tool. It was hiding it. The vows claimed to be from his heart. They weren’t.
“AI is a tool,” the community consensus goes. “Hiding it is a lie.”
The Stress Reduction Formula
Emily’s reflection on her planning experience: “AI didn’t plan my wedding. I did. But AI handled the stuff that was making me crazy.”
What AI handled:
- Timeline creation and tracking
- Vendor comparison analysis
- Budget allocation suggestions
- Packing list generation
- Day-of schedule drafting
- Custom creative elements (crossword, games)
What Emily handled:
- Final decisions on all vendors
- Creative vision and style
- Personal touches and meaning
- Vows (written herself, imperfectly, sincerely)
- Being present with her partner
The division felt natural. Delegate the administrative. Own the emotional.
“I actually enjoyed planning my wedding,” Emily says. “I didn’t think that was possible.”
