The problem
Guest lists change constantly: plus-ones, meal choices, who sits where, and replies arriving by text, email and through the couple's parents. For a planner running 10 weddings at once, 1 hour a week per wedding chasing and merging guest lists is about 43 hours a month (10 × 1 × 4.3), much of it copying between spreadsheets.
What the AI does
Aisle Planner's project tools, on every plan from Up to 15 Projects upwards, include a client portal, guest management and messaging, layouts and seating, an event website with online RSVP, checklists, timelines and budgets. Guests reply through the wedding website instead of by text, the couple and planner work from one guest list, and seating is planned against the same list. Sales Essentials, the cheapest plan, doesn't include these project tools.
A worked example
A two-person wedding planning business in Surrey has about 10 weddings in progress at a time. Each couple gets an Aisle Planner portal with a wedding website for RSVPs, and the planner builds the seating plan from the same guest list.
Before
About 1 hour a week per wedding merging replies and spreadsheets: about 43 hours a month across 10 weddings
After
If online RSVPs and one shared list cut that to 30 minutes a week per wedding: about 21.5 hours a month
What it's worth
About $858£645€768A$1,238C$1,213 a month saved, against about $69£52€62A$100C$98 for the software. About 21.5 hours a month saved across 10 weddings (43 hours down to 21.5), worth about $858£645€768A$1,238C$1,213 at an assumed $40£30€36A$58C$56 an hour, if most guests reply through the website (an assumption to test with one couple). Cost: Up to 15 Projects is $69.99 (about $69£52€62A$100C$98) a month with unlimited users; annual billing saves 10%, about $63£47€56A$90C$88 a month.
How to set it up
- Start the 30-day trial (a card is needed) with one couple who are about to send invitations.
- Set up their event website with online RSVP and import the guest list they already have.
- Ask only for what the caterer and venue need at RSVP, such as meal choice and dietary needs, and tell guests who will see it.
- Invite the couple to the portal so they update the guest list there, not in their own spreadsheet.
- Build the seating layout from the confirmed list and share it with the venue.
What goes wrong
- Sales Essentials ($49.99) doesn't include guest management, RSVPs or seating. You need a project plan, priced by how many weddings you run at once.
- Allergies and some dietary needs are health information under UK GDPR. Collect only what the caterer needs, share it only with them and delete it after the wedding.
- Some guests, often older relatives, will still reply by phone, and someone has to add their replies to the list.
- Going from 15 to 16 active weddings moves you to the $109.99 plan, so archive finished weddings promptly.