‘AI do’: S’pore wedding planners say yes to artificial intelligence in industry despite challenges

SINGAPORE – Whenever soon-to-be newlyweds came to her, wedding planner Belicia Tan used to think she would have to guide them through the A to Zs of making a fairy-tale wedding come true. But that was before artificial intelligence (AI) became big.

Now, most of those looking to tie the knot are coming to her with their wedding already planned out, thanks to AI.

Planners The Straits Times spoke to say about 50 to 70 per cent of clients are now engaging them for coordination instead of planning services, compared with five years ago – before ChatGPT came about – when about 30 per cent of clients sought coordination services.

While wedding planning comprises everything – from coming up with the colour scheme to picking the vendors – wedding coordination deals only with events on the day, such as making sure the programme is followed to the minute.

With AI doing the planning, couples can fork out less money by opting for coordination packages. Checks by ST found that coordination packages range from about $2,000 to $3,500, less than half the price of planning, which costs between $7,500 and $10,000.

Planners have also adopted AI tools, which they say speeds up their ability to carry out administrative and technical tasks.

While AI is not without its flaws – both planners and couples have noticed the tech has issues with accuracy, and lacks critical thinking and the ability to connect emotionally – planners say AI is here to stay.

When planning their wedding, Ms Hui Ting, 27, and Mr Shawn, 30, used ChatGPT to guide them on matters like Chinese wedding traditions and the wedding flow.

The couple, who did not share their full names for privacy reasons, did not hire a wedding planner and said ChatGPT was a sufficient enough resource that provided information at no cost.

“We could consult (it) anywhere and at any time… and we were able to plan for our wedding smoothly without concerns such as texting late at night and being charged extra,” they said.

Manna Weddings’ Ms Tan said about 70 per cent of her clientele, compared with 30 per cent pre-ChatGPT, have been coming to her for coordination instead of planning services.

She now devotes her skills to coordinating the wedding day itself, ensuring that the wedding programme is adhered to and goes smoothly. “We’re embracing this change,” she said.

For Mr Vin Ramash, managing director of Alangkaar Wedding, couples often come armed with AI-generated ideas, including mock-ups showing what they want their wedding venue to look like. But this has posed a new challenge for Mr Vin – having to match AI’s sometimes unrealistic ideas.

“For example, (the AI will show) flowers hanging from the ceiling. But the venue doesn’t have that kind of support system and there’s nothing for us to mount the flowers on… Logistically, it’s not achievable,” he said.

Such situations have made wedding planning slightly more daunting, he added. “It’s no more plug and play. We have to ideate, revamp and rebuild to see how we can get as close as possible to ChatGPT’s visuals.”

Ms Hellen Lie, founder and creative director of Rosette Designs and Co, said about 10 per cent of her clients come with mock-ups. This was not a practice before ChatGPT, she said.

While such mock-ups help her envision what clients want, Ms Lie said it also stifles her creativity. “We just become an executor instead of a creator,” she added.

Despite challenges posed by AI, wedding planners celebrate the tech, saying it has eased parts of their job and improved efficiency.

When ST visited a wedding venue that was being set up by The Wedding Entourage (TWE), a video backdrop featuring musical notes and tree branches lit up the stage.

TWE senior wedding planner Leong Pei Yen said AI was used to draw up a mock-up of the backdrop, a practice which she says has saved a lot of time when understanding what couples want.

Ms Lie said it now takes less than an hour to create a mock-up, compared with three hours pre-AI.

At Lagun Sari, an AI chatbot is the company’s first line of contact for potential customers.

Founder Trina Ng said besides providing customers with instant and accurate replies to common questions, the chatbot also efficiently filters leads so that the popular Malay wedding planning company can focus on the couples who are ready to commit and start planning.

Mr Vin uses AI for research, but has found the tech can be inaccurate on cultural matters.

“I would say 75 per cent of the time, AI is unable to differentiate the different types of Indian weddings. We have Gujarati, Punjabi, Hindi, Sikh, Indian Muslims, South Indian, Telugu, Karnataka – so many different types of weddings,” he said. “But AI is not able to identify which type of wedding, ceremony and process, what we need for the wedding, and the dos and don’ts.”

In one instance, when asked to curate ideas for the menu of a South Indian wedding, ChatGPT paired fishhead curry with naan – an unacceptable blunder for Mr Vin.

“Why was there naan in the picture? It’s a North Indian dish. And nobody eats naan with fishhead curry,” he said.

But he said that while ChatGPT can make mistakes, he is often able to guide it towards the right answers with a few more prompts.

Wedding planners say there is no replacing them and the critical thinking, network and emotional support that they offer.

“The role is fundamentally human,” said Ms Ng, pointing out that AI cannot, for example, be there to manage unexpected crises at a wedding. “Sometimes, couples experience a higher guest turnout than expected… or a vendor might fail to arrive.”

In such cases, planners can monitor the buffet and ensure no shortages to avoid any embarrassment. For vendor no-shows, wedding planners can step in immediately by calling trusted contacts from their network, she added.

Ms Lie echoed the importance of her vendor network and the trust cultivated.

She said when couples search for vendors on the internet, the companies they find are those who have succeeded in the “SEO game”, referring to search engine optimisation.

“But we know who is the best in the service who may not be out there on the internet,” she added.

Thanks to her network of vendors, she was even able to plan a big wedding – filled with 500 guests – in just a week.

And most importantly, AI can never provide emotional support the way a wedding planner can, especially on the wedding day, which can be stressful and emotional for some. “AI can come up with a happy quote for you, but it’s very different to have someone physically there for you,” said Ms Tan from Manna Weddings.