These days, there is a ridiculous amount of gadgets out there, all claiming to make our lives easier. When it comes to being a wedding planner and managing organizational skills along with the endless to-do list, having a tool that can help with all of it seems impossible. That is, until you get yourself a tablet.
A tablet is essentially a laptop that can fit in your hand. It has the processing capability of a computer, more or less, and can not only host a ton of programs, but even have a camera in some cases. Tablets can manage everything that a wedding planner does on the go and are a must-have tool for any wedding professional.
Whether it’s capturing a moment via the photo app or taking an emergency video call with the florist, having a tablet on hand is a must for all wedding planners. They’re versatile, portable, and able to hold a ton of information. Not to mention they are significantly cheaper than laptops. The possibilities are endless.
Here are just a few ways you can use tablets to give your wedding planner business a lift.
What Type of Tablet to Get?
The tablet market has grown significantly in the past few years. With that growth have come a lot of models. Add in size options, and it’s easy to get lost in a minefield of statistics and specs. So let’s break it down to Apple vs. Android.
Apple is still king in the world of tablets. They have more processing power and can handle larger, more complex programs. Over a million Apple iOS tablet apps are available as of 2021, and that number will only continue to grow.
They’re very streamlined and easy to use. Apple tablets tend to cost a bit more, but you can still get a regular Apple iPad for the mid $200s.
Android tablets are great as media players and e-readers but still struggle to run the number of programs that Apple tablets can. However, they are fully integrated with the Google Suite, so if you use Drive, Gmail, or Meet for video chatting, Android may be a better choice.
Android tablets are made by a wide variety of companies, including Amazon, Lenovo, and Samsung. So if you’re not looking to have an iPad, you have a lot more options available to you. Some tablets can become laptops as well, but expect to spend upwards of $1,000 for those.
What Does a Wedding Planner Do with a Tablet?
While the better question may be what can’t they do, let’s break down some of the options you’ll have when using a tablet.
First is its portability. Tablets are much easier to lug around than laptops, can fit into purses or bags a lot easier, and can boot up a lot faster as well. You can use a tablet to take notes, pictures, and even draw up designs.
When you’re doing your initial consultation with a couple, using a tablet is a great way to keep track of and record answers. Make a checklist so you know you won’t be skipping any essential questions.
You can also use dictation apps or voice notes to record everything for reference later. A tablet is a great way to show clients pictures of venues, cakes, and decoration ideas. Think of it as an interactive digital magazine or portfolio.
What Does a Wedding Planner Do— Use a Tablet for Better Organizational Skills!
One great way to use your tablet to help you as a wedding planner is to use it for organization. Drawers full of folders and files are archaic. Keep it digital and tidy at the same time by using a tablet instead.
You can store timelines for the big day using a calendar and even have the entire wedding itinerary as a background image, so you never have to search for it. Having everything at the tip of your fingers is crucial on busy wedding days.
Ensure you know which are the best apps for you as a wedding planner, especially when it comes to keeping up with your organizational skills.
WeddingHappy is one of our favorite apps for wedding planners. It’s great for managing tasks, payments, and vendor agreements as well as keeping up with your timeline. This includes making sure deposits are in on time.
The graphics available will let you know how much you’ve managed to accomplish, and the handy countdown feature front and center will keep you focused on the time you have remaining for each of your weddings.
Having all your information in one place, from notes to photos, is key to organizing. So what does a wedding planner do? They use Evernote. This is a crucial app to have on your tablet.
The best feature of Evernote is its ability to sync across devices. So, if you are working on your laptop in the office and then need to go to a venue, you can grab your tablet, and everything you’ve done is on there as well.
Organizing finances is one of the most vital things a wedding planner can do. While there are plenty of apps that serve this purpose, we recommend Honeydue. It allows you to see what bills are coming up, plus it works with over 20,000 financial institutions in five countries. Versatile and useful!
How to Use a Tablet During and After Weddings
A unique way to use your tablet at a wedding is to use it as a photo booth. As long as the tablet has a camera, the only things you’ll need are the decorations and a way to secure your tablet, of course.
Get a backdrop, some props, good lighting, and voila: You’ve used a tablet in a fun way while also saving your clients thousands of dollars for an actual photo booth. There are a few apps dedicated to photo booths if you want to give your clients a customizable touch.
A great way to not only preserve memories from your weddings but also to showcase to future couples what you’ve done is to use a tablet as a digital photo frame in your office. This will allow clients to see your work and also know that you are technologically savvy.
Customizable skins and cases for your tablet are another way to add some flair and professional touch. If you have a logo, put it on the back of your tablet. Branding can go a long way in making you look attractive to potential clients. It will also be a visual clue for people to know that you’re in charge when on site.
Don’t Forget a Backup!
Even though tablets are beneficial in every aspect of wedding planning, always have physical backups of all your documents. Why? That battery is bound to die at some point. When it does, you don’t want to be caught off guard.
Make sure you always have your charger with you, as well as extra SD cards, in case you run out of memory or need to transfer a file and the Wifi is being wonky. The more you plan ahead for a disaster, the less likely it is going to happen.
Still, better to be safe than sorry.
On that note, make sure your tablet is always secure. You can use biometrics to make your tablet only accessible to you, plus it’s safer than using just a pin or pattern code. There are also locks you can purchase to make sure no one else can access your information.
Having a tablet as a wedding designer is a must. Not only will it help you keep on track of everything you need to do, but it will overall make your professional life so much easier. Download the right apps, get yourself organized, and be the best wedding planner you can be.
