Lifestyle: Are you planning a wedding?

You can learn a lot about people's lives on Facebook; some friends are buying homes, others are having babies and more still are succeeding in their careers as well as social life. It isn’t surprising that falling in love is a strong theme with sparkling gems and wedding dates set in place.

Although planning a wedding is something I’m not currently thinking about, a lot of my close friends have recently got engaged and some have even set a date for their wedding - my friend Lisa has asked me to be her bridesmaid!. It is all really exciting and I can't wait to be a part of their special day but I can't even begin to imagine just how stressful planning a wedding actually is. I intend to show them http://www.weddingsite.co.uk/ to help organise their thoughts.

There is a whole lot more to think about than what date you are going to get married on, where you are going to say your vows and what pretty (but horrifyingly expensive) dress you are going to wear. You also have to decide who you are going to invite, from both families, what your budget is going to be (and you need to make sure you don't go over it as much as you can), what your colour scheme or theme is going to be and who is going to sit where to name just a few things.

This stress can be absolutely soul-destroying for the couple, and their loved ones that surround them. Your usual placid and kind-natured friend may suddenly turn into the monster only known as ‘Bridezilla’, right before your eyes! But what are the best ways to organise your thoughts and keep your sanity in tack in the process?

There is going to be a whole lot of lists happening in the build up to your big day and there is going to be a lot for you to keep track of, that pesky budget being one of them, so it's nice to have somewhere where you can keep a note of what you've got to do, what you've already done and who has replied to your invitations already. Traditionally, most people tend to use note books or if they are lucky enough to be able to afford it, they hire a wedding planner. With the beloved internet, those days are over and there are many free online tools to guide your way.

Allowing you to keep a track of all of the to-do lists that you have got and who you've invited to the big day, the best planner have to be the seating planner and budget tool. Keeping on track with your budget is so important, you can easily let it spiral out of control. For my friends’ weddings, I’m definitely going to tell them to download the tracker to save them a small fortune.

You can also use the website to arrange your seating plan for the reception so you can make sure that Aunt Marge and Uncle Brian are kept apart after the fiasco at the last family wedding. This is a factor often forgotten in the run-up to the Big Day. Having this online makes matters SO much easier.

As well as the tools, there is a full and comprehensive list of UK suppliers from florists to chefs that are tailored to suit your wedding. You can do all the hard work from the comfort of your sofa. Another nice touch, is the little wedding countdown on the website so that you know just how many days you have got left until the big event. 

I will definitely be recommending an online planner to all of my friends who have got weddings coming up and maybe when the time is right, I might find myself using it too! 

This post was written in collaboration with the brand