by DIY Bride on 31.03.2015 - 06:17 PM

One of the most stressful parts of DIY wedding planning, as I'm sure those of you without a venue manager or event planner, is working out the design/layout of your venues. How long should the aisle be? How many seats can you fit in a row? How many tables can you fit in the courtyard? How do you mask the ugly fence that divides the property? What do you about that one awesome (but awkwardly placed) tree in the garden?

These kinds of decisions can be maddening because there aren't a lot of space planning resources for DIYers. Many of us do-it-yourselfers just wing it when it comes to laying out our spaces and, goodness, does that ever yield costly mistakes. Budgets are tight, yo! Nobody's got cash to waste on errors.

(Confession: I crammed too many people into the tiny rose garden amphitheater where I held my own wedding. Not a fun experience for my guests and it could've been avoided with better planning. Learn from my mistake!)

All this leads me to introduce you to the Home Outside Palette app (with the $2.99 Weddings and Events add-on) that allows you to mock-up indoor or outdoor spaces. You can add tables, chairs, tents, runners, dance floors, photo booth, and common decor items. The wedding planning app makes it so easy to map out exactly what needs to go where and to share your design ideas with vendors, your wedding party, or your partner via email or social media so you can collaborate on the best layout for your needs. I LOVE THIS!

The Home Outside Palette app is the brainchild of award-winning landscape designer and gardening expert, Julie Moir Messervy of the Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio. Pride of workmanship and solid industry expertise make this an quality app that has its roots in solving in real-world design dilemmas.

From a blank event hall to a beautifully designed reception

So, here's how it works:

1. From the Home screen, click "new" to create a layout.

2. A blank palette will appear; this is the canvas upon which you'll create your masterpiece. You have the option of changing the background color, adding grids and rulers (very helpful), and using actual photos or maps in your background. So, you can snap a picture of your venue and add elements right on top of it.

3. The fun begins when you start adding design elements (Palettes) to the canvas: tables, chairs, aisle runners, trees, shrubs, chuppahs, etc.

4. For my test run of the app, I did a simple ceremony layout. It took just a few minutes to get the hang of it.

It's all drag 'n' drop tech, so no worries about figuring out how to use the app. You already know how.

Notice at the top of the app window: it keeps track of the number of seats you create! So smart.

Without grid / with grid and different background.

5. Changing things is super easy. You can resize, tilt, add new elements, delete, undo, create sketches with your finger.

Maybe a fanned-out seating arrangement would be better? Let's see...

The app lets you get as detailed as you want - or need - to create the perfect event space.

If you're not feeling very design-y, the team at Home Outside can deliver a personalized wedding design layout through the app that's based on your submitted site images, property measurements, wedding colors, and other info. The cost is $249; a significant discount on traditional design services.

Beyond the wedding, for you new homeowners, the app can be used to mock up your property and design your yard and garden. Or use it for other parties and events (showers, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.).

The Home Outside Palette app is available for iOS and Android devices. Grab it on Google Play or the Apple Store. The app is free but the Wedding & Events Palette add-on is just $2.99. At 3 bucks it'll be one of your least-expensive wedding purchases and one that'll actually save you a bunch of cash. How can you not love it?

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[Photo Credits: Evening wedding: Gia Canali and Blue and white wedding: Lindsay Raymondjack]