The likelihood is if you found yourself here…you’ve set that wedding date & you’re getting married – hurrah! Congratulations and get ready for the most exciting time of your life!

Whether you’re going to plan the big day yourselves, hire a professional wedding planner (or you have already hired one), you’re still going to want to have a useful list of resources available to peruse for inspiration, tips & guidance. This is where this handy wedding planning resources guide comes in!

So where can you find the best tips, ideas, advice & inspiration for all things wedding? Read on to find out more.

Wedding Blogs

You will find a whole host of free wedding websites right here on the internet in the form of Wedding Blogs, all serving up plenty of advice & inspiration for brides-to-be.

Whether you are looking for tips on everything wedding related or want to know more about a specific niche, such as destination weddings you can be sure to find a blog post to suit.

Many of these blogs also offer a suppliers’ directory giving you the option of being able to find specific wedding vendors (e.g. an event planner or wedding photographer) in the location of your wedding.

And, they also regularly feature weddings from real couples, where you can find inspiration on wedding details, themes & styles.

My favorite feature wedding blogs are:

Style Me Pretty

Style Me Pretty, also known as SMP, is a huge wedding blog, based in America. The blog covers everything from vendor recommendations, advice, guides, and different kinds of weddings from all around the world.
With a huge following on all of the social media channels (Instagram, Tik Tok, Pinterest) – you are likely to see stylish & modern wedding inspiration, which is aimed towards the contemporary bride & groom.

Love My Dress

Love my Dress is one of my all-time favorite European-based wedding blogs. It is an elegant UK wedding planning resource, featuring lots of real weddings; and a useful supplier & venue directory, known as the Little Black Book (LBB).
If you are ready to start looking at wedding dresses (or just have a huge love for bridal fashion!), you will most definitely want to check out the featured designer section. Here you will find some seriously swoon-worthy wedding dress inspiration for the big day!

Wedding Sparrow

If you are looking for the ultimate in sophistication & style, then Wedding Sparrow is the blog for you. This award-winning blog specializes in showcasing the ultimate fine art wedding inspiration and covers everything from the moment you get engaged, to bridal fashion, choosing your wedding vendors, all the way through to travel & honeymoons.

Be prepared to come away armed with lots of new ideas & inspiration!

Pinterest

Pinterest is an amazing online tool for planning, especially when it comes to seeking inspiration.

It is essentially a visual search engine (with a social network), whereby you can search for ideas and pin them to a specific board in your account.

Your Pinterest boards can be as broad or as niched down as you like, e.g. wedding ideas, wedding dress ideas, gold wedding dress inspiration, and so on.

And, one of the best features is you can set these boards to private (so only you can view them), and share them (if you like) with specific people on an invite-only basis. So if you want to keep your wedding dress ideas private, but then also share them with a wedding planner or boutique, you have the option to do so.
The other thing I love about Pinterest is that you can click on pins with external links, to go to the relevant page on the internet (e.g. to shop for a product in a link, or to learn more about a product or service in a link, etc.). Which expands the use of the platform beyond just a digital mood board only.

Wedding Magazines

As much as I love the internet, and how convenient it is to scroll away on your iPad or phone, you cannot beat the feel of a classic, high-end glossy magazine in your hands!

However, it has to be noted that with the explosion of free wedding resources available online now, the number of bridal magazines in production has definitely decreased over the last 10 years.

Brides Magazine

Fortunately, my all-time favorite wedding magazine, and the one I used to plan my own wedding, Brides is still in production and offers both a physical & digital version of the publication. It’s always good to have something tangible in hand. I don’t know about you, but I think that you just can’t beat flicking through those glossy pages by hand. I even remember cutting out snippets of ideas & inspiration, before sticking them to my wedding aesthetic wallboard – ah those where the days!

But don’t despair, because if you’re unable to get your hands on a copy of Brides – they have a great website with an abundance of dreamy wedding content!

Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine

I also love Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine. She is a domestic goddess, so it comes as no surprise that her wedding mag is packed full of incredible wedding planning tips and inspiration. And if you love to be creative, then you know that Martha Stewart is going to serve up some amazing DIY/Crafting ideas!

World Bride Magazine

And finally, if you want to see a fantastic wide range of wedding styles make sure you check out World Bride Magazine. WBM is a global publication celebrating diversity & inclusion, with a focus on sustainability within the wedding industry, so it definitely gets the thumbs up from me!

Fashion & Home Blogs/Magazines

I would highly recommend looking outside of the wedding niche, and into the world of fashion & home style. Why? Because it can be easy to get swept away by specific wedding themes. Therefore, to gain clarity it’s important to step outside of the box and seek inspiration from other areas too.

I often look to Fashion Magazines & Home publications when I am seeking inspiration as they can really open up your mind to ideas you may not have considered.

They are particularly useful for finding theme & décor inspiration when it comes to wedding planning.

My Favorite Fashion/Home Publications are

For fashion, I love Vogue (https://www.vogue.co.uk | IG: @vogue) & Harpers Bazaar.

And, for home & lifestyle try Elle Décor (https://www.elledecor.com | IG: @ elledecor) & Vogue Home (https://www.vogue.com/living/homes | IG: @ vogueliving).

TV Shows | Wedding Movies

Wedding TV

OK, so I can’t forget the TV & Movies! Because let’s face it, not only can get some great ideas on these wedding shows. But you can also get some much-needed downtime from wedding planning. Double bonus!
Personally, I am a sucker for ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ – I just love that show! Minus the drama (which is sometimes good tv!) – it gives you an idea of what to expect when you head out for the all-important wedding dress shopping. Including what styles of gowns are available, and what styles look best on different body types.

Wedding Movies/Films

When it comes to the best wedding movies, you cannot beat Father of the Bride, & Bridesmaids! I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched both, but still love them to this day.

I also highly recommend a watch party (prosecco & popcorn, anyone?) with all of your bridesmaids to really get you all into the wedding mood!

Wedding Books

Are you more of a book reader? If so, you will find there are lots of wedding-related books available, both fiction and non-fiction.

Do you love making lists? If so you’ll want: The Little Book of Wedding Checklists: All the Lists and Tips You Need to Plan the Big Day.

If you are looking for a juicy wedding story to enjoy curled up on the sofa, there are many titles to choose from.

Fans of Danielle Steel will not want to miss her 2023 book: The Wedding Planner, which is a fictional story based around a BIG New York event planner that’s a real page-turner. You can get your hardback copy HERE, paperback copy HERE, and Kindle copy HERE.

For an overall wedding planning book, take a look at Rock My Wedding: Your Day Your Way, which has chapters on everything from the order of the day to style, the wedding ceremony, accessories, and finishing touches.

Wedding Expo / Bridal Shows

If you really want to get in the mood and have a fully immersive wedding experience then definitely get yourself over to a bridal show.

Also known as expo shows and wedding fairs, these events take place all around the world. They can be very generalized, covering lots of different wedding services & products; or can follow a specific theme (e.g. destination weddings, luxury weddings etc.). So look for one that fits your specific needs.
Some expos also feature a runway fashion show featuring the latest bridal collections, which is great fun to watch with your girls and a glass of bubbles in hand!

They often also feature a variety of stands showcasing bridal fashion, photography, florals, tablescapes, and much more. And, I love that you can browse the racks of wedding dresses, getting a feel for the fabrics and different styles on offer without having the pressure of an appointment. This helps to really narrow down your preferences in preparation for when you do hit those bridal boutiques in search of the one!

Wedding Podcasts

I am a huge podcast listener, not least because I am the queen of multitasking. So whether I am driving, on the treadmill, or doing laundry, I will always be listening to my favorite podcast for some insights and expert advice!

If podcasting is your thing too, there are some great wedding podcast shows out there that you will want to check out, including:

Rock My Wedding – The Podcast
Guides for Brides – The Wedding Podcast

Wedding Apps

When it comes to tech, apps are a great tool for modern couples.

You can find an app for pretty much everything you could possibly need. From creating a must-have to-do list, to looking at examples of wedding day timelines, and even managing your wedding budget.
Some of the best handy apps for wedding planning in 2023 include:

Joy

The Joy app is a good all-rounder that includes a host of tools to help with the wedding planning process, including a free wedding website & guest list management!

The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner

The Knot offers a comprehensive wedding app that syncs with your account on their website. It offers a host of helpful tools with everything from checklists, day-of timelines, a wedding countdown, and lots more.

Canva

If you love to create, Canva is a must-have app. It offers a great free version, with a multitude of templates where you can design graphics, invites, menu cards, place cards, social media announcements, and more. The options are endless.

Pantone Studio

The Pantone Studio app is the perfect tech companion for exploring the color scheme options for the big day. You can even use the app to color-match decor & details- amazing!

Zola

Zola is a handy app that not only offers an abundance of wedding information, but also gives you lots of valuable planning tools, including the ability to monitor your wedding gift registry.

In Summary

As you can see there is no shortage of resources available when it comes to bringing your wedding vision to life.

Although, it’s worth bearing in mind that it can be easy to overwhelm yourself when there are so many different resources on offer.

I suggest setting aside some time each week where you can focus on one resource & task at a time. Do this and you will soon identify the best resources for you.

Happy wedding planning!

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