The path to your perfect wedding is paved with these apps

Need help planning a wedding? There's an app for that.  

As millennial brides and grooms seek to cut costs, streamline wedding planning and connect with their guests online, they're increasingly turning to their phones, say wedding industry insiders and technology experts.  

"We kind of want all the resources at our fingertips," said Sara Margulis, co-founder and CEO of Honeyfund, a multiplatform wedding and honeymoon registry service. "Millennial brides and grooms have come to expect technology to give them solutions for throwing a memorable wedding on a budget."

Margulis said technology has helped empower brides and grooms, giving them the resources and confidence to plan budget-friendly weddings, often without the help of a professional wedding planner.

And according to a 2016 Real Weddings Study from The Knot, a wedding-focused multimedia publication, 90 per cent brides actively use their smartphones to plan their weddings.

"Starting from the moment one says 'I will,' to when they say 'I do,' there are about 250 decisions that need to be made and over 300 hours' worth of work," said Kellie Gould, editor in chief of The Knot. "Technology is allowing couples to plan their weddings with confidence by utilizing mobile apps for planning, guest communications, and to even pick their wedding venue, florist, photographer and more."

And there's no shortage of apps to accommodate their needs.

Here's a roundup of five easy-to-use apps that will help turn frazzled couples into functional wedding planners.   

For the no-nonsense couple: Appy Couple

Appy Couple is described as a "personalized wedding hub," ideal for couples in need of a no-fuss, one-stop-wedding-planning-shop. The app helps couples build a wedding website that is linked to an app, allowing them to remotely manage the guest list, send invitations and keep track of RSVPs. When guests download the app, they can view the wedding itinerary, see details about the bridal party and browse photos of the happy couple.  The app is free for guests to access, and the cost for the service is $39 USD for the basic package and $89 for the upgraded option.

For the couple dreaming more about the trip after: Honeyfund

If you're secretly more excited for the honeymoon than you are for the wedding, Honeyfund is the app for you. The app offers similar services to Honeyfund's decade-old online site, allowing brides and grooms to customize a spectacular honeymoon registry, putting everything from airfare to butler services on it. And if couples also need more traditional wedding gifts, like blenders and toasters, they can curate a wedding gift registry through the app as well. Cost: Free.

For the plugged-in couple: Veri

If you changed your Facebook relationship status the minute you started dating and Instagrammed a photo of the ring as soon as it was on your finger, you're going to like Veri. This app allows digitally plugged-in couples to access all photos taken at the wedding -- imagine, hundreds of photos to organize into an epic post-wedding collage. It works by allowing guests to share their photos and videos in real time through an auto-share function on the app. But beware, auto-sharing means everyone from the groomsmen to grandma will see all photos taken during the event unless they turn off auto-share. Be sure your guests will keep things PG. Veri costs $97 CND for couples to set up an account but the app is free for guests to download.

For the type A couple: WeddingWire Canada

Your wedding is going to be the best-planned and most Pinterest-worthy event of the year. But if you're doing it solo, you're going to need help. WeddingWire just might be the stand-in wedding planner you need. This app is a cross between Pinterest, Yelp and Evernote, allowing couples to find vendors, manage their budget, keep tabs on to-do lists and find dress and decor inspiration all in one place. The best part? It's free!

For the forgetful/busy couple: Cozi

Maybe you're both busy people, or maybe it's just one of you who is always dropping the ball. Either way, the Cozi Family Organizer app can help streamline your wedding planning by consolidating all appointments, to-do lists and deadlines in one calendar. Because the app isn't exclusively for wedding planning, you can keep track of other day-to-day appointments, grocery lists and chores on it too. Cost: free!

Katrina Clarke is a Vancouver- and Toronto-based journalist who writes about relationships, health, technology and social trends. You can find her on Twitter at @KatrinaAClarke.