The Party
A planning app designed for wedding parties
Shaunda Lambert-Gary
Allison Fitzgerald
Overview
Anyone who’s been in a wedding party knows the challenges: constant group texts, costly outfits, and time off for travel and events. The biggest pain points are inconsistent communication and high expenses. To solve this, we propose "The Party," an extension of The Knot, which integrates event planning, budgeting, and messaging to provide stress-free organization and communication for everyone—not just the nearlyweds.
Onboarding
When users create a profile, they are able to provide information for rest of the wedding party such as name, pronouns, social media handles, and electronic cash profiles. This allows users to quickly connect and learn about other members involved in the wedding that they may not have known previously.
Messaging
Imagine Slack, but for weddings. Party members can chat within the app, eliminating the need for group chats with unsaved numbers. Different channels are easily accessed and integrated with events, budgeting, and calendars. Polls can also be created in chats to gather preferences for meetups, event costs, clothing options and more.
Budgeting
Wedding party members often experience unexpected additional costs—from dress alterations to travel accommodations, party members need better expectations to reduce stress. The budgeting page of the app allows users to track wedding-related expenses by category, and to split costs between party members.
Calendar
Users can create events for bachelor parties, wedding showers, bridesmaid lunches, and more. Party members can RSVP within the app and anticipate budgeting and time expectations before the event. Events can be shared in different chat channels and integrate with personal calendars to reserve a time and space automatically.
User Research
"Things just add up. Shit adds up. Be prepared for a pretty significant financial commitment. Money expectations vary a ton, especially with the bachelorette party. I’ve been expected to pay $600 for one weekend and then $100 for another."
Austyn, 28 - Bridesmaid and Bride-to-be
"People get testy and irritated when you’re in a group DM going back and forth about people’s schedules."
Derek, 31, Groomsman
User Needs
• Simple setup
• Inclusive language
• Clear expectations
Frustrations
• Unclear communication
• Conflicting opinions
• Increased time commitment
Pain Points
• Overspending $$$
• Unbalanced responsibilities
• Emotional exhaustion
Reflection
When time is limited, testing products using personal experiences from myself and the team proved invaluable. Testing early and often helps balance function over fidelity, preventing wasted effort. Weddings are often the best day of our lives for the nearlyweds, but the wedding party should share in that joy too. A dedicated hub for communication and planning is the missing link—let's make it happen.
