| 21st century weddings still share quite a few | | | | anything, and there's lots of free wedding |
| things in common with weddings of yesteryear. | | | | software available that is fantastic. The best online |
| Brides still wear white. Brides and grooms still | | | | wedding software enables you to manage your |
| pummel each other with wedding cake. Best men | | | | guest list, budget, task calendar, RSVPs, gifts, |
| are still making fools of themselves with | | | | thank yous and every detail for every wedding |
| awkward, R-rated speeches. And bridesmaids still | | | | related event. My Wedding Workbook is an |
| have to wear dresses of eggplant, or ecru, or | | | | excellent choice for online wedding software, and |
| lemongrass, or some other color de jour, which | | | | many other popular Web sites offer some level |
| will never again see the light of day after the | | | | wedding calculators and worksheets. |
| wedding. | | | | Wedding Website |
| However, when it comes to wedding technology | | | | The wedding website is becoming more and more |
| and wedding software tools, things have changed | | | | popular with engaged couples, and for good |
| dramatically, and today's couples have a big leg up | | | | reason. First, they are a great way to |
| with all the options available to them. Here are | | | | communicate with guests regarding items like |
| just a few technological innovations that brides | | | | reception and ceremony directions, travel |
| and grooms (or brides and brides, or grooms and | | | | instructions, registry information and other details. |
| grooms) can take advantage of to help them | | | | Second, a wedding website lets you share your |
| plan, manage and/or celebrate their wedding. | | | | story with your guests and friends. Third, if you |
| Mobile phone applications | | | | provide contact information or a form on your |
| The first wave of iPhone apps and other mobile | | | | site, you can use it as a handy way for your |
| phone applications have arrived, many of which | | | | guests to communicate with you. |
| involve keeping track of guest lists, staying in | | | | There are many services you can use to create |
| touch with guests and locating vendors. Although | | | | a wedding website - some are fee-based and |
| much of this functionality is available on various | | | | some are free of charge - and many of them |
| Web sites, it is convenient to be able to take it | | | | offer fairly easy-to-use interfaces so that you |
| with you, so it's best to seek out those | | | | don't have to know anything about Web |
| applications that integrate with other online | | | | programming to create your site. However, be |
| wedding software suites and applications that | | | | aware that many free wedding websites will |
| enable you to more easily enter in information (a | | | | possibly share your information with wedding |
| computer keyboard still beats the heck out of a | | | | vendors as well as put you on their marketing |
| handheld keyboard any day of the week). | | | | email lists. If you don't want to receive messages |
| Online photo galleries | | | | from vendors as well as marketing emails from |
| Photo sharing sites like Flickr, Photobucket and | | | | the wedding web site provider, you should read |
| Shutterfly all allow you to store and share digital | | | | the fine print before signing up and consider a |
| photos, and you can use these sites to create | | | | fee-based site if you want an uncluttered inbox. |
| galleries for every wedding-related event, including | | | | Wedding blog |
| your engagement party, bridal shower(s), | | | | Brides are also now blogging more than ever, and |
| bridesmaids' luncheon, bachelor and bachelorette | | | | bridal blogs are great places to browse for great |
| parties, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, ceremony, | | | | ideas when it comes to wedding attire, wedding |
| reception, post-wedding brunch and, of course, | | | | floral arrangements, photography poses and |
| your honeymoon. However, you can also invite | | | | settings, wedding ceremony and reception venues |
| your friends to share their photos of these | | | | and other great tips about planning a wedding. |
| events as well as any photos of you and your | | | | Blogs like Wedding Bee and Style Me Pretty are |
| paramour before you were engaged. Although | | | | great places to start in finding ideas, and these |
| some embarrassing and awkward photos may | | | | blogs will also direct you to other blogs where you |
| come to light, this is a great way to relive those | | | | can browse. |
| memories of your dating relationship and to | | | | If you want to create your own blog to |
| involve your friends in your wedding preparations. | | | | document your long journey to the aisle, |
| Wedding software | | | | Wordpress, Blogger, Live Journal and Typepad are |
| Wedding software has been around for a good | | | | all blogging services you can use to start your |
| decade now. The early wedding planning software | | | | blog, and many of them are free of charge. In |
| was mainly PC-based, and you usually bought it in | | | | addition, their interfaces are fairly straightforward |
| a box in a store and loaded it on your computer. | | | | and you don't need to know anything about Web |
| Now there's Web-based wedding planner software | | | | design or development to create a blog or use |
| so you don't have to download or maintain | | | | one (ditto for most wedding website builders). |