How ChatGPT helped me plan my wedding on a budget? By being a tech wedding planner in my pocket.

Are you wedding planning on a budget? Weddings are magical but notoriously expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes just plain stressful. Planning can absolutely be fun, especially when it’s the day you’ve been dreaming of forever. But let’s be real: it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

If you’re working with a tight budget, hiring a wedding planner might be out of the question. It definitely was for me. I had a vision board full of Pinterest inspo since I was nine, but when it came to actually putting it all together, I was often totally lost.

Some people have sisters or friends who’ve done it all before. My husband and I? We were the first to get married in both our families and friend groups. And honestly, today’s weddings are a whole different game from what our parents pulled off decades ago.

So there I was: no planner, no veteran brides in my corner, and a wedding checklist growing by the minute.

Enter: ChatGPT.

Let me be clear—I didn’t let AI plan my wedding. But it was the digital sidekick I never knew I needed. When I was stuck, stressed, or didn’t know where to start, ChatGPT helped me find my footing. It turned “Where do I even begin?” into “Okay, I’ve got this.”

Building the timeline

One of the trickiest parts was creating a timeline. How long do hair and makeup really take? Do I need buffer time? What’s traditional—and what can I skip?

I asked ChatGPT to help me map it all out. It didn’t give me a perfect schedule (it insisted my makeup artist could be in two places at once), but it gave me a solid, customizable starting point. That alone saved me hours.

Pro tip: Use ChatGPT as a brainstorming buddy—not a wedding planner. Always double-check its advice.

Checklists and brainstorming prompts

You know that nagging feeling you’re forgetting something important? ChatGPT helped with that, too.

I’d ask things like:

• “What should I pack in a wedding day emergency kit?”
  
• “What usually happens during a reception?”
  
• “What steps should I take when booking vendors?”
  
• “What needs to be done six months out?”
  

And then there were super-specific, personalized questions:

• “We’re dancing to ‘My Little Girl’—what’s a good fade-out timestamp?”
  
• “Can you help me design a funny betting pool for our rehearsal dinner?”
  
• “Where in the timeline should our Mamma Mia dance go?”

These questions helped me move faster, with way less stress. Sometimes you just need a quick, editable answer to keep things rolling.

DIY projects? AI’s got your back

I thrifted a gorgeous mirror for our welcome sign and borrowed a Cricut. But it sat untouched for months because I was overwhelmed.

What font size works? How do I space it all out? I plugged the mirror size, message, and font into ChatGPT—and while its first try was wildly oversized, it got me moving. A few adjustments later, I had something beautiful.

Final thoughts

ChatGPT didn’t plan my wedding. But it absolutely helped me plan it.

It’s not flawless. It makes mistakes. You still need to make it your own. But as a tool? It’s incredible. It helped me get organized, unstuck, and way less anxious.

That said, don’t forget your real-life people. Your friends and family want to help. Let them in on the process. It’s part of the joy.

If you’re going it solo—no planner, no bridal veterans, no clue—ChatGPT can be the quiet, helpful presence that reminds you: you’ve got this. A little tech support goes a long way.