After getting engaged in June, I assumed marriage ceremony bells had been ringing, however after seeing a few of these marriage ceremony venue quotes, they’re extra like alarm bells.
“Ding-dong” has been remixed to “cha-ching” – and I need assistance.
I do not even know the right way to begin Marriage ceremony planning. What are the primary steps? What do I must prioritize first? Which duties are pressing – and which might wait a 12 months or two?
I made a decision to enlist the assistance of an AI assistant. To take it a step additional, I assumed it will be attention-grabbing to see which chatbot – Gemini Superior or ChatGPT Plus (i.e. ChatGPT 4o) – is the higher marriage ceremony planner.
Gemini vs. ChatGPT: Create a to-do checklist
I plan to get married in the summertime of 2026 – someday between August and September. I have never set the rest but, so I requested each Gemini and ChatGPT to present me a to-do checklist based mostly on the next immediate:
“My marriage ceremony is between August 2026 and September 2026. Give me a to-do checklist of issues I must do for the remainder of 2024, 2025 and 2026 for a marriage with 100 friends.”
Reply from ChatGPT:

ChatGPT’s response
Photograph credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Gemini’s reply:

Gemini’s reply
Photograph credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Each began their lists proper: setting a funds is a vital first step. The issue with Gemini’s reply, nonetheless, is that she recommends researching venues earlier than Making a visitor checklist. You can not seek for marriage ceremony venues with out have a tough concept of the variety of friends you’ll be having. One of many first questions venue coordinators ask is, “How many individuals are coming to your marriage ceremony?”
Curiously, ChatGPT needs me to take the early fowl strategy. It really useful that I guide my venue in 2024 and finalize different distributors (e.g. florists, leisure and photographers) in 2025. Gemini, however, is OK with reserving each in 2025. ChatGPT needs me to arrange a registry in 2025 and get a wedding license in 2025; Gemini, however, has no drawback with me delaying the previous till 2026 – and makes no point out of a wedding license.
In equity, nonetheless, ChatGPT did not point out something about honeymoon planning.
Each agree that 2025 is the 12 months I can purchase marriage ceremony attire and ship out save-the-date playing cards. For 2026, each advocate sending out invites and confirming bookings with suppliers.
ChatGPT supplied useful suggestions I hadn’t considered earlier than, together with utilizing a binder or folder to prepare quotes, contracts, and concepts in a single place and creating a marriage day timeline.
Winner: ChatGPT
Gemini vs. ChatGPT: Discover a low cost venue
I used to be curious if Gemini Superior and ChatGPT Plus may assist me discover a venue that might be price my cash and match my funds (i.e. $20,000).
After looking the farthest reaches of the web, I discovered a number of venues for underneath $20,000 that provide all-inclusive packages together with DJ and grasp of ceremonies, limo service, florists, cake, and photographers.
Because of this, I examined Gemini Superior and ChatGPT Plus to see if they might discover these places utilizing the next immediate:
“Searching for a venue that matches my $20,000 funds and provides a whole marriage ceremony package deal. The venue must be in Queens, Lengthy Island, or Hudson River Valley on the most. I’ve 100 friends. My marriage ceremony is in 2026, ideally between August and September. Sunday weddings are superb, as are Saturday weddings. It does not matter if it is in the course of the day or at night time.”
ChatGPT’s response

ChatGPT’s response
Photograph credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
These are marriage ceremony venues that I’ve seen throughout my analysis and that provide lovely, visually gorgeous weddings with out exorbitant prices.
Pavilion at Sunken Meadow State Park truly has a whole marriage ceremony package deal, with a beginning worth of $18,000. I am unsure if Bourne Mansion and Larkfield supply full marriage ceremony packages, however the latter charged me $110 per individual for a day marriage ceremony with 100 friends, together with meals and marriage ceremony cake. Together with the $1,500 ceremony charge, that involves a complete of $12,500.
Mashable Pace of Mild
Did it miss different funds venues that I found in my analysis? Sure, but it surely’s heading in the right direction.
Gemini, however, shocked me – and never in a great way. Gemini is a Google-owned service, so I assumed it may use its huge wealth of knowledge to beat ChatGPT. As an alternative, Gemini supplied a moderately disappointing, lame reply.
Gemini’s reply

The reply from Gemini Superior
Photograph credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Leonard’s Palazzo is a marriage venue that I obtained a customized quote for once I was in search of a venue. They do not supply a full marriage ceremony package deal, however together with meals and cake, they quoted me round $16,000 for a ceremony and reception with 100 friends. Not unhealthy!
The Manhattan suggestions are a thriller as they aren’t in my most popular space. (At the very least Andaz fifth Ave is roughly inside my funds.)
After which Gemini had the nerve to say, “I hope this helps!” Is {that a} troll in opposition to me?
Winner: ChatGPT
Gemini vs. ChatGPT: Calculate costs
Each Gemini Superior and ChatGPT Plus can “learn” PDFs and screenshots, making them ultimate AI assistants on the subject of understanding complicated pricing tables (in addition to the taxes and suggestions included in them in small print that have to be added to the bottom price).
Right here is an instance of one of many many charts I discovered whereas researching a venue:

Value checklist 2025 for Whitby Fort
Photograph credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
I made a decision to check the calculation capabilities of Gemini and ChatGPT based mostly on the PDF above.
“Take a look at this 2025 marriage ceremony worth checklist. Calculate complete based mostly on a date between August 2025 and September 2025, Sunday midday, and a visitor checklist of 100 adults. We’ll maintain the ceremony on-site. Consists of admin charge, NY gross sales tax, urged gratuities, and bridesmaid charge.”
Gemini Superior supplied a complete of 21,017 USD whereas ChatGPT Plus posted $20,568.69. Why are the totals completely different? Within the first one, the bridesmaid charge of $400 was included within the subtotal. earlier than plus an administration charge of twenty-two%.
ChatGPT, however, charged the 22% administration charge solely on the bottom price (i.e. $130 x 100 friends) and the ceremony charge – after which Added to that was $400 for the bridesmaid. Based mostly on different venues’ information, ChatGPT’s calculation appears to be extra correct.
Winner: ChatGPT
Gemini vs. ChatGPT: Marriage ceremony idea picture technology
I requested Gemini and ChatGPT to create a picture of a marriage reception idea based mostly on the next immediate:
“My fiancé and I are tech journalists and naturally, we love all issues tech, together with laptops, telephones, VR headsets, gaming, XR glasses, and so forth. We additionally love area and are leaning in direction of a kind of celestial vibe for our marriage ceremony. Creating a picture of a marriage reception conveys that marriage ceremony theme and design fantastically.”
Picture by ChatGPT

ChatGPT’s tackle a tech-focused, galaxy-themed marriage ceremony
Credit score: ChatGPT / Open AI
Gemini Photos

Gemini’s tackle a tech-focused, galaxy-themed marriage ceremony
Photograph credit score: Gemini / Google

Gemini’s tackle a tech-focused, galaxy-themed marriage ceremony
Photograph credit score: Gemini / Google

Gemini’s tackle a tech-focused, galaxy-themed marriage ceremony
Photograph credit score: Gemini / Google
ChatGPT returned one picture and located precisely what I used to be in search of. Gemini spat out three, and solely one in every of them, the primary one, caught my eye.
Nonetheless, probably the most placing picture was produced by ChatGPT.
Winner: ChatGPT
Gemini vs. ChatGPT: Creativity Based mostly on Marriage ceremony Present Concepts
Lastly, we requested Gemini Superior and ChatGPT Plus for marriage ceremony reward concepts.
“My fiancé and I wish to get low cost tech marriage ceremony presents. Give us 10 tech marriage ceremony reward concepts that can wow our friends.”
ChatGPT’s checklist
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Customized USB drives:
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Transportable cellphone chargers:
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LED keychain
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Earphones
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Smartphone PopSockets
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Mini Bluetooth speaker
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Touchscreen gloves
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Digital photograph frames
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VR Cardboard Headsets
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Health tracker bracelets
Gemini’s Checklist
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Customized USB drivers
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Mini Bluetooth speaker
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Telephone ring holder
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Customized Telephone PopSockets
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Transportable energy banks
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Flashing LED badges
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Selfie ring lights
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Miniature LED projectors
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Card-sized multitools
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Wi-fi charging pads
On ChatGPT’s checklist, moveable cellphone chargers, earbuds, mini Bluetooth audio system, and health tracker bracelets caught my eye. On Gemini’s checklist, mini Bluetooth audio system, moveable energy banks, and wi-fi charging pads additionally caught my consideration.
Sadly for Gemini, ChatGPT gained this spherical as effectively.
Winner: ChatGPT
Gemini vs. ChatGPT: Winner
ChatGPT Plus outperformed Gemini Superior on this comparability. To my shock, ChatGPT supplied extra considerate, research-based solutions in comparison with Gemini.
ChatGPT Plus prices $20 monthly; Gemini Superior additionally prices $20 monthly.
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