Running a wedding industry business looks different for every entrepreneur, but one thing we all have in common is our big heart for weddings and the couples we serve. But I know wedding planners are always asking each other: what wedding planner tools are you using? And which tools should I be using as a wedding planner?

There are a lot of programs and online software that promise to save you time and keep your business running smoothly. But these online programs and subscription services add up in dollars and in time. So which ones might be right for your business?

Today, I'm sharing my top 5 online tools I use to run my wedding planning business. You don't need to use all these tools, just the ones that will help you be more efficient and get things done. So, if you're looking for some wedding planner tools–I got you!

Honeybook

Managing your leads and clients can be a total hassle without the right system in place. You need a reliable system for your sales, onboarding, and client management process. For us, our sales, onboarding, and client management system integrates perfectly with Honeybook.

For over six years, our business used outdated software to manage these processes called ShootQ. The problem? ShootQ did NOT work for our wedding planning business. Not only was it clunky, but it was built for photographers.

But then, we discovered Honeybook. Perhaps one of the best wedding planner tools, ever.

Honeybook is one of the best decisions I've ever made for our business. My team begged me for over a year to switch to the platform. I was hesitant at first because change is hard y'all, but once we did… I kicked myself for not doing it sooner!

It's not only built for wedding planners, photographers, invitation designers, florists– and a variety of creative businesses, but it is intuitive, easy to use, fast, and reliable.

Honeybook plays an integral role in our company. And it's perfect for your wedding planning business. It's at the forefront of our sales process and helps us in so many ways as it relates to managing:

• Contact Forms
• Client Leads
• Our Services & Pricing
• Brochures
• Customized Proposals
• Customized Questionnaires
• Contracts
• Payments & Invoicing
• Events Calendar
• Appointment Scheduling

… and so much more. Honeybook allows us to book clients with ease and make their experience with our company organized, responsive, and simple.

Within the first few hours of using Honeybook, our company landed one of our biggest clients. Ever. And they paid us 15 minutes after sending the proposal.

If you're new to the business, Honeybook will be your secret weapon in developing a process for selling, onboarding, and maintaining a seamless customer experience.

Or maybe you've been around for a minute or two. Honeybook will help you transfer over your current customers and pending leads so you can get back to work.

If you're interested in testing out Honeybook, be sure to sign up using my link, which gets you 50% off your membership for 1 year, OR use the code purpose at checkout.

Flodesk for Email Marketing

What if you could onboard your new clients with email automation?

And what if you could book more of your dreamy, best clients with email marketing?

As a wedding pro, the only email marketing and automation tool you should be using is Flodesk. Flodesk doesn't just make emails pretty–it makes email marketing and communication a breeze. With Flodesk you can:

• Create an email marketing sequence that sells out your services
• Onboard new customers via automated emails
• Nurture your clients with automated email sequences that sends them information on your behalf
• Offboard clients and turn them into legacy clients.

.,. and a lot more! The reason why Flodesk is so powerful is its automation and customization features.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by communication, outdated processes, and client to-do lists, get yourself Flodesk Not only will it help to keep you and your team organized, but your clients will love the experience of having a hub for all their wedding “stuff.”

Sign up for Flodesk and receive 50% off for life! *

Contracts from Legally Set

Once you file that LLC paperwork for your business, your next step is to get you a solid contract. It's one of those wedding planner tools people always ask about: where do I get a contract?

Unless you're a lawyer, the legal side of your business can be riddled with anxiety and many questions.

Do yourself a favor: invest in a sound contract, terms of service, and legal advice for your business. I love Legally Set because:

• You can purchase on-demand contracts
• Attorneys write them
• They answer your questions and take the fear out of legal
• They're a lot less expensive than hiring an attorney to draft up an agreement for you
• They're well-versed in the events industry and know what YOU need to have in your client agreement

If you've been searching for an affordable contract/terms of service solution for your business, check out Legally Set. Please don't rely on people in Facebook Groups to vet your legal — leave it to a pro!

Click here to check out Legally Set & use the code PURPOSE to save 20% off. *

Haute Stock

When I need the right image, whether it's for social media, a blog post, or somewhere on my website, Haute Stock is where I go first. In fact, a lot of CandiceCoppola.com is from Haute Stock! You can use a lot of their images on our social media to fill in the gaps between wedding posts. It's one of my secret weapons as far as wedding planner tools are concerned.

Haute Stock has excellent images for your website when a wedding photo isn't quite right. If you're new to the business and your portfolio isn't robust, you can use images like the ones from Haute Stock to help fill in those gaps.

They've got everything from styled floral flat lays to tech mock-ups you can use. The best part? It's super cheap!

Sometimes, all you need is the right imagery to attract your ideal client. Remember, the eye buys!

Click here to visit Haute Stock and browse their images! You can view images by color story, theme, and collection. Use the promo code CANDICE and save 15% off your subscription!

Showit

Attracting your ideal customers and the philosophy that “the eye buys” is why I am recommending THIS final tool I use to run my wedding planning business: Showit!

Showit is a drag and drop website platform that gives you ultimate control over your website's look and feel.

I know you've checked out other wedding planners' websites for inspiration, and you've probably said to yourself: why do they all look the same?

The wedding industry has become saturated with similar-looking websites that are either WordPress or Squarespace-based. Showit, on the other hand, lets you build a completely custom site without having to know one dang thing about coding or tech.

Plus, there are dozens and dozens of talented Showit designers — like my friend, Elizabeth McCravy, who not only offer custom design but some killer templates you can use as a base and then make them into your own.

This blog design you see right now? Designed by Elizabeth using one of her templates!

In a saturated marketplace, we need all the help we can get to stand out amongst a crowd. That's why I love Showit so much.

Every website built on Showit is entirely unique and different. You can design a web experience that shows future customers what the experience is like when they work with you!

So, if you're ready to ditch your WordPress or Squarespace site, I highly recommend you check out Showit. To learn more about Showit and to sign up for a free trial, click here!

That ends the five online tools I use to run my wedding planning business — but wait! I've got a bunch more tools for you to check out here (including some great project management tools + communication tools we use).

Thanks for stopping by. Happy planning!

Explore More Wedding Industry Resources

• How Do You Know When It's Time to Go From Solo Entrepreneur to Building a Team?
• 5 Time Management Tips & Secrets For Creative Business Owners
• Is Honeybook Right For Your Business? 5 Things You Need to Know Before You Make the Switch
• Want To 2x Your Bookings? This Scheduling Tool Will Help You Book Clients 2x Faster
• How to Start a Wedding Planning Business
• What Are The Best Resources For Wedding Planners?

Some of the links used in this blog post are affiliate links. When you purchase something, our company receives a small compensation at no cost to you. This compensation helps to maintain the cost of creating helpful content, like our podcast, so you can build a profitable business with purpose.