I need a clone! That's what I was thinking a few months before discovering Aisle Planner. I put a lot of value in my personal relationship with my couples, so I couldn't delegate projects to assistants during the planning process and I always ended up with a huge list of tasks, endless emails, and countless reminders to send to each of my couples. The feeling was overwhelming and time consuming. It would take me full days to get through some tasks that I wouldn't have enough time to focus on more important duties. Then I discovered Aisle Planner and decided to give it a try and it changed my life and business! Check out how I use Aisle Planner as a digital assistant and automatization platform!
Checklist
I instantly fell in love with the Checklist tool – it took some time to set up, but it's a huge time saver. I offer my couples a comprehensive planning checklist to keep them on track with the tasks they need to tend to at any phase of the process without the need to send them a single reminder email, Aisle Planner sends them automatically for me!
Another amazing feature is the comment section. My team and clients can keep conversations relating to each task organized rather than having to scroll through emails to see who said what. Check out Using Comments to Collaborate in Aisle Planner to learn how you can start making the best of this feature!
The Permission Settings allows me to have control on who has access to what. The “hidden” section of tasks allows me to keep my own list of detailed tasks and deadlines sorted, receive my own reminders without allowing my client to see (and stress out - you can imagine the length of a wedding planner’s checklist).
Calendar
Automatically adding each task in a project to the Calendar is great on its own, but what I like more about this feature is integrating each project’s calendar to my general google calendar. I like having an overview but still having the cals categorized as separate calendars that I can turn on and off. No more worries of overlapping events and appointments!
Notes
Even when we need to have something written - not everything comes with pictures, there is a solution to keep it organized. For the tasks that come up in almost every event, I have prepared some easy to fill in Notes Templates and share them with my couples. All of the information we're working on gathered in one document! I don't miss trying to figure out where the most recent email is, all the changes and updates are instantly logged in their respective document from both sides.
To up your note game, read Creative Ways to Use Aisle Planner's Note Feature.
Design Studio
Do you ever struggle with receiving hundreds of pictures from your couples for decorations, stationery, makeup or anything else you can imagine? I did, and the biggest issue for me was that I kept receiving these pictures in different ways - from Pinterest boards to endless emails and I had to download and sort through folders and then adjust every time something new was added.
The Design Studio is a great tool to relieve me of all this work. I just create some folders with respective names ( i.e. decoration, makeup ideas, stationery etc) and encourage my client to add their inspiration to share with me – all sorted in one place, with all the comments on each picture, exactly where they belong!
Repetitive Tasks
Creating my preferred vendor lists and most used venue Layouts in the Template feature are the ultimate tools that make Aisle Planner worth a trial even if no other features existed (and they do!)
Instead of painfully trying to share information on possible vendors, or trying to copy-paste the information from files on my desktop to long emails, I create a comprehensive overview of them in the respective section with just a few clicks, using my contacts already saved. And the best is that on each booked contact I can add information, comments and contracts and even the payment plan that automatically updates the budget and sends notifications of due dates to the couple.
Budget
Yes, the Budget Manager! I have tried many types of spreadsheets and shared document formats to keep track of this crucial part of events and keep my clients up to date, but the AP Budget tool exceeded expectations. Not only does it automatically keep track of changes and additions, it also sends payment due date reminders, keeps track of our initially set budget limits and lets me break down each section to small comprehensive categories. So easy to understand for everyone–it's a tool that builds trust between me and the couple with total transparency and minimum manual calculations from my part.
Lists
Keeping the guest list organized, tracking RSVP’s and meal selections, taking notes on special dietary needs – every type of guest related list all in one place, allowing us to update and have a strong overview on attendance and all information related to it. No matter who fills in the information (names, rsvp’s or food selections), we have a constantly updating list where we keep track of all the guest related information. Printing out and distributing lists to the respective vendors is just one click away–the design team at Aisle Planner knows exactly what types of lists we need (from alphabetical to per table lists)!
Seating
Speaking of of tables, remember the venue layout templates? Well, besides the layout they also are a great Seating Tool, I don't need to use additional seating software and charts anymore! And not only this, I also have access to the guest list, neatly categorized in guest parties, helping to arrange seating and make sure no one is left unassigned to a table and, more importantly, apart from their party.
Easy to Use
After initially exploring the software and thinking it's an amazing planning tool, I was a little worried about introducing it to my couples and how long would it take to educate them on how to properly use it.
It was a huge surprise when I noticed all of them instantly taking advantage of the tools when they received the invitation to log in to their project before our onboarding call, where I was supposed to introduce them to the separate features! It's without any doubt easy to use and most of them loved it. Not to mention the professional image my business has now by using a sophisticated and specialized planning platform vs the common emails and usual planning tools I did before.
In conclusion, it feels like I got my clone after all! A digital assistant that took over parts of the planning chores without needing detailed instructions on how to, saving me time to focus on the really important parts and keeping me and my couples organized.
You can find me at Maria Damanaki Wedding & Event Planning and follow me on Instagram!
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