We used ChatGPT as our wedding planner — it saved us $5,000

Sex & Relationships

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By Asia Grace

Perhaps their vows should read, “AI do.”

Maria Cortese’s jaw dropped after receiving a $5,000 rate from a New York wedding planner.

The penny-wise Poughkeepsie, New York native feared the inflated fee would blow the $34,000 budget she and fiancé Ryan had set for their August 2024 nuptials. 

But rather than biting the bullet, the bride-to-be enlisted a bot.  

“I’m using ChatGPT to literally do everything for my wedding,” Cortese, 32, told The Post, admitting she had never used the free artificial-intelligence platform before getting engaged in September. 

Cortese is one of the many budgeting brides-to-be to forgo hiring humans and, instead, give cybernetics a go at making big-day arrangements. 

“I’m saving so much money,” she bragged. “I don’t need a wedding planner. The AI does it all.”

A 2024 survey via Zola, a virtual wedding hub, determined that 52% of engaged couples are leaning toward entrusting automation with the details of their fetes. 

Per the findings, tech-happy honeys are giving robo-bridesmaid duties a go, such as creating wedding websites, writing vows and managing budgets. 

Allison Cullman, vice president of Brand Marketing & Strategy at Zola, says the convenience and efficiency of systems like ChatGPT relieve some of the mental load of hosting a hitching. 

“Generative AI has the potential to address a lot of pain points and streamline many aspects of the wedding-planning process,” she tells The Post. “It can help couples expedite more manual tasks [and] help wedding vendors draft detailed schedules.”

In April, Zola introduced a custom GPT tool for soon-to-weds called “Split the Decisions.”

For a $20 monthly ChatGPT+ subscription, the intuitive technology divides “I Do” must-dos between the two partners based on their individual strengths and interests. It also suggests joint projects that fiancés and fiancées can tackle together.  

Upper West Side bride Megan Riehl says completing duties alongside her now-hubby, Nate, made organizing their less than $80,000 shindig magical — especially with ChatGPT’s image generator, DALL-E, at their fingertips. 

“We typed our exact vision into the system,” Riehl, 28, a social media marketer, told The Post. “It output beautiful artwork for our invitations.”

The colorful illustration featured the lakefront landscape of the venue, Crispin Hill in Rochester, New York, where the pair exchanged vows in September 2023.  

“It looked like an artist had painted it.”

Rather than shelling out an additional $1,200 for a graphic designer, the pair used free credits they’d earned on DALL-E’s platform and spent just $50 to have 200 copies of the computerized creation printed through Canva. 

“It was fun to do it with Nate,” said Riehl. “And it was a nice way to save a good chunk of change.”

Zanah Hernandez, 28, a financial analyst from San Diego, California, wanted to save herself the stress of planning a honeymoon after her October 2023 ceremony with groom Luis. 

So, the savvy bride-to-be tasked ChatGPT with cranking out some suggestions for their post-union vacation to Italy’s Amalfi Coast. 

“I asked it, ‘Can you provide me a 10-day travel itinerary with a budget ranging between $4,000 to $6,000 with flights and hotels included?’ ” said Hernandez. “I also asked for a list of boat tours, restaurants and fun excursions in each beach town we’d planned to visit.”

The automation advised the jet-setting sweeties to stay at the lovely Hotel Punta Regina in Positano. 

She and Luis also took AI’s tips for a romantic row around the Italian coastline.

“It was so useful,” praised the grateful newlywed. “Wedding planning was so overwhelming.”

“ChatGPT helped me put in the least amount of effort when it came to having a good time.”