6 Google tools I used to plan my wedding

Once you get engaged, it’s not long before friends and family start asking, “So when’s the big day?” But organizing a wedding can be daunting. There’s a lot to keep track of: emails, appointments, RSVPs. Even for those of us who pride ourselves on our organizational skills, it’s easy to lose your way (and your mind). So when it was time to plan our own wedding, my husband and I turned to Google to help us stay on top of the many moving pieces.

Here are six ways we used Google products to make wedding planning a little easier that you can try, too:

1. Track all your to-dos in Google Sheets

Google Sheets was our main tracker from start to finish. We created more than 10 tabs to manage everything from our guest list to our budget (hat tip to functions). Couples today can even take advantage of newer features like smart chips, which help you pull in all the right people, events and files directly into a Sheet. The drop-down chip makes it especially satisfying to track and cross things off your to-do list.

2. Label and filter wedding emails in Gmail

If I could go back in time, I’d set up a joint email address with my husband to manage the flood of wedding-related emails. But with Gmail’s features, we were still able to keep our personal inboxes under control. We set up labels and filters so emails from our florist, caterer and other vendors were automatically organized into folders. And since we usually tackled emails in the evening, we used the schedule send feature so our responses arrived the next morning, avoiding any late-night back and forth. We also created tasks from any emails with deadlines, easily assigning due dates that synced with Google Calendar to help us stay on top of decisions and payments.

3. Compare outfit options in Google Slides

Google Slides came in handy for picking out bridesmaids dresses, especially when we hit a wall deciding on styles and colors. I created a slideshow to lay out all our options, dropping in photos of different combinations of dresses we liked. Once we saw everything organized side by side, we were able to make a quick decision (and landed on a lovely lavender palette).

4. Collaborate on the ceremony in Google Docs

My husband and I wanted a really personal ceremony, so we collaborated on it with our officiant in Google Docs. Through comments and suggested edits, we helped him weave in stories and other little details about us. We also each wrote our own vows in Docs and shared them with a friend to drop in suggestions, questions and comments without worrying about version control.

5. Learn a few dance moves on YouTube

While some couples go all out for their first dance, my husband and I just wanted to have a few moves up our sleeve. So we searched for “easy first dance wedding” on YouTube and learned some steps. Quick tip: You can cast YouTube videos to your Chromecast device to practice with a much bigger screen.

6. Share albums and order prints in Google Photos

Once we got our professional photos, we couldn’t wait to share them with family and friends. We created a shared album in Google Photos and ordered prints of our favorite moments, which made for great holiday gifts. And thanks to Memories, I get occasional glimpses of the day when I open the Photos app.

But above all, our biggest wedding planning advice? Take a deep breath. It will all come together. And these Google tools can help make that process a lot smoother. Good luck!