The problem
By the wedding week, the plan is spread over 40 or more emails: the ceremony time moved, a second venue added, the family group list changed twice. Reading back through the thread to build the day's timeline and group-shot list takes about 1.5 hours per wedding. At 4 weddings a month in season, that's 6 hours.
What the AI does
Gemini in Gmail works in a side panel next to the inbox. Open the couple's thread, click Ask Gemini and ask for the confirmed timings, addresses, contacts and group shots, with anything changed or unconfirmed listed separately. Google describes it as turning long email threads into concise bullet points. You check it against the emails, paste it into your timeline and send it to the couple to confirm. On a business account it's in Google Workspace Business Starter (about $8£6€7A$12C$11 per user a month) and above.
A worked example
A wedding photographer in Bath shoots about 4 weddings a month from May to September and keeps all couple emails in a Workspace Gmail account. The week before each wedding, they ask Gemini for the timeline and group list from the thread.
Before
About 1.5 hours per wedding re-reading emails: 6 hours a month in season
After
About 30 minutes per wedding checking Gemini's summary: 2 hours a month
What it's worth
About $186£140€167A$269C$263 a month saved in wedding season, against about $8£6€7A$12C$11 for Workspace Business Starter. Timeline prep drops from 6 hours a month to 2, and 4 hours at an assumed $47£35€42A$67C$66 an hour is $186£140€167A$269C$263.
How to set it up
- Use Google Workspace Business Starter (€6.80, about $8£6€7A$12C$11 per user a month on a one-year commitment) or above for your business email, so Gemini is in Gmail.
- Keep each couple's emails in one thread, or give them a label with the couple's names.
- A week before, open the thread, click Ask Gemini at the top right and ask: 'List the confirmed timings, addresses, contacts and group photos. List separately anything that changed or wasn't confirmed.'
- Check each time and name against the emails, then paste the result into your timeline template.
- Send the timeline to the couple and ask them to confirm or correct it.
What goes wrong
- It only sees email. Plans agreed by phone, WhatsApp or at the venue visit won't be in the summary; add them yourself.
- A later change buried in a reply can be missed. Search the thread for words like 'moved', 'change' and 'actually' before trusting a time.
- On a personal Gmail account, Gemini in Gmail needs Google AI Plus ($5.97£4.49€5.34A$8.62C$8.44 a month) on consumer terms. Couples' details belong in a business account: Google says it doesn't use customers' Workspace data to train its generative AI; personal Google AI plans are on consumer terms.
- Business Starter covers Gmail only; Gemini in Docs and Sheets needs Business Standard (about $16£12€14A$23C$23 per user a month).