The perfect destination wedding app would be one that combined (A) organizing the whole wedding with a single tap, (B) paying for the wedding with a limitless budget, and (C) guaranteeing that you and your guests have the most perfect day imaginable.
But until that dream app’s invented, you’re going to want to rely on some more realistic apps for your destination wedding.
From wedding planning and organization to communicating with vendors and guests, we’re going to share our top destination wedding app picks for everyone who’s going to be walking down the aisle …
Best apps for planning a destination wedding
Planning a wedding at home can be a lot of work, but a planning a destination wedding requires an extra degree of organization since you’ll be making the arrangements from afar. We’ve done the homework on the best apps to use during the planning process, and here are our top picks …
Joy: This powerhouse app can help with guest lists, save-the-dates, wedding invitations, your registry, and even your wedding website. Because, let’s face it, not everyone wants to mail out paper invites and count on their guests mailing back RSVPs with all the details properly filled out. (We’re looking at you, Cousin Mary, who used her RSVP card to squeeze in the names and dietary preferences of her many uninvited children.) Digital is simpler for everyone.
Appy Couple: Similar to Joy, this free app helps with invites, RSVPs, and wedding websites, but its focus on wedding travel makes it a perfect destination wedding app. Couples who used this app have reported that the digital aspect made it much easier for their guests to find the correct, up-to-date information without needing to bother them during the final days (and hours) leading up to the big event.
Trello: While this isn’t a wedding-planning app, Trello lets you create masterful To-Do lists of everything you need to remember as you plan your destination wedding, and you can share the details with everyone who needs to see them.
Kayak: This all-in-one app lets you compare prices and organize bookings for flights, hotels, rental cars, and all-inclusives. If you start hunting early, you can even track prices and set alerts to see when they drop so you book your destination wedding travel plans at the best possible time.
UberEvents: Since you’ be in a brand-new country, your guests may be nervous about how they will get to the venue (or travel from the ceremony venue to the reception venue). Instead of letting them sort out cabs or Ubers themselves, UberEvents simplifies guest travel so your guests can relax and enjoy the day. Then you won’t have to worry about guests arriving late and disrupting your carefully curated schedule.
Destination wedding apps for communication
Organizing a destination wedding means that your guests will be travelling for the big event, and you’ll be communicating with vendors you might not meet until a few days before (or the day of) your wedding. Whether everyone’s trekking a few hours south or halfway around the world, here are a few popular destination wedding apps that will help you, your bridal party, your guests, and your vendors stay connected …
Hushed: When you’re filling out online forms for quotes, meeting with prospective wedding vendors, and arranging site visits, you’re going to be asked for your phone number constantly … and chances are, some of those vendors are going to pass your phone number along to spammy lists. One of our fave wedding hacks is using a temporary phone number from Hushed. Give it out to anyone you want while you’re planning your wedding, keep all of your wedding conversations in one place, and then simply burn the phone number after the wedding.
Slack: Wait, wait! We know Slack is normally used for work chatter and file-sharing, but it’s also ideal for connecting with the different “groupings” of people associated with your wedding. You can have a Slack channel specifically for bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc. and another for just you and your spouse-to-be, where you keep track of wedding details, contact info, and important files. Much easier than keeping things spread out between texts, Facebook Messenger, and email.
aloSIM: One of the most useful destination wedding apps just might be aloSIM, because you and your wedding guests will be able to use eSIMs (digital SIM cards) to connect to local networks for affordable prepaid data. It’s perfect if your guests need a bit of mobile data for an internet connection when there isn’t Wi-Fi available, or if your wedding photographer needs steady, fast mobile data so they can back up their photos during the big day. (Psst! Share your Refer & Earn code with your guests and you’ll earn $3 in credit every time someone makes their first purchase. You’ll quickly earn enough free data for your entire honeymoon.)
WhatsApp: Since WhatsApp is a free app and many people are already comfortable using it, it can be a great way to stay connected with your wedding guests. Create different groups for various types of conversations, but try to keep the updates minimal to prevent your Great Aunt Rhonda from replying to the group every time. 😉
Best apps for sharing wedding memories
When you plan a destination wedding, usually there are at least a few guests who can’t attend because it’s out of their budget or they aren’t well enough to travel that far. Missing out on your big day can be devastating for them, and as they’ve probably told you in a heartfelt wedding card, they “can’t wait to see the photos.” So what’s the best app to share the big day with them?
Postagram: With just a few taps on your phone, you can create and send out beautifully-designed postcards with wedding photos or honeymoon photos. What a great way to say ‘thank you’ to a wedding guest whose gift was contributing to your honeymoon!
Chatbooks: Creating real photo books no longer takes hours and hours (and several cursing sessions because the platform crashed your computer). Use an app like Chatbooks to choose your fave wedding photos and order a few copies of these affordable, full-color photo books. You can give them to wedding guests who were sad not to make it to the big day, and also give them as gifts to family and bridal party members.
Postable: Combine thank-you cards with wedding photos and cross this task off your list before the unofficial deadline (which is a year after you get married, BTW). We love Postable’s fresh designs, and they’ll even take care of the mailing so you don’t have to fuss with buying stamps. Nice!
We hope you enjoy this rundown of top destination wedding apps, and good luck planning your big day! If you have any questions about how your bridal party and wedding guests can stay connected with local prepaid data, please reach out to our aloSIM Support team and we’d be happy to chat.