Gemini vs ChatGPT: Which one is better for planning my wedding?

After getting engaged in June, I had been eyeing wedding bells, but after seeing some wedding venue quotes, it was more of a wake-up call.

“Ding-dong” has been remixed to “cha-ching” – I need help.

I don’t even know how start Wedding planning. What’s the first step? What do I need to prioritize first? Which tasks are urgent—and which tasks can wait a year or two?

I decided to seek help from an artificial intelligence assistant. Going a step further, I thought it would be interesting to see which chatbot – Gemini Advanced or ChatGPT Plus (i.e. ChatGPT 4o) – is the better wedding planner.

Gemini and ChatGPT: Building a to-do list

I am planning a wedding in the summer of 2026 (sometime between August and September). Other than that, I had nothing else for sure, so I asked Gemini and ChatGPT to give me a to-do list based on the following tips:

“My wedding will take place between August and September 2026. Please give me a to-do list for 100-guest weddings in 2024, 2025 and the remainder of 2026.”

ChatGPT’s reply:

ChatGPT’s response
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

Gemini’s response:

Gemini’s response
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

Both men laid out their lists exactly: Creating a budget is a crucial first step. The problem with the Gemini response, however, is that it suggests finding a venue forward Draft a guest list. If not, you won’t be able to search for wedding venues Have a rough idea of ​​your guest count. One of the first things the venue coordinator asks is “How many people are coming to your wedding?”

Interestingly, ChatGPT wanted me to take the early bird approach. It recommended that I book the venue in 2024 and finalize other vendors (e.g. florist, entertainment and photographer) in 2025. Establish a registry in 2025 and obtain a marriage certificate in 2025; Gemini, on the other hand, agreed that I would postpone the former to 2026 and did not mention the marriage certificate.

To be fair, though, ChatGPT didn’t mention anything about honeymoon plans.

Both agreed that 2025 was the year I should go wedding dress shopping and send in save the dates. Both parties recommend issuing invitations and confirming bookings with suppliers in 2026.

ChatGPT offers helpful tips that I had never considered before, including using folders or binders to organize quotes, contracts, and ideas in one place, and creating a timeline for your wedding day.

winner: Chat GPT

Gemini vs. ChatGPT: Finding Cheap Venues

I’m curious if Gemini Advanced and ChatGPT Plus can help me find a good value within my budget (which is $20,000).

After scouring all corners of the internet, I found several venues for under $20,000 that offered all-inclusive packages that included a DJ and emcee, limo service, florist, cake, and photographer.

So I tested Gemini Advanced and ChatGPT Plus to see if they could find these locations with the following prompt:

“Find a venue that is within my $20,000 budget and offers a complete wedding package. The venue should be in Queens, Long Island, or the Hudson Valley area at most. My guest count is 100. My wedding will be in 2026. Sunday weddings are OK between August and September, as are Saturday weddings, day or night.

ChatGPT’s response

ChatGPT’s response
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

These are the wedding venues I saw during my research that offer gorgeous, visually stunning weddings without the hefty price tag.

The Pavilion at Sunken Meadow State Park does offer complete wedding packages starting at $18,000. I’m not sure if Bourne Mansion and Larkfield have full wedding packages, but the latter quoted me $110 per person for an afternoon wedding for 100 people, including food and wedding cake. Including the $1,500 ceremony fee, the subtotal is $12,500.

Did it miss other affordable places I discovered during my research? Yes, but it’s on the right track.

Gemini, on the other hand, shocks me—and not in a good way. Gemini is a service owned by Google, so I think it can use its vast trove of information to defeat ChatGPT. Instead, Gemini gave a rather disappointing, lazy answer.

Gemini’s response

Gemini Advanced’s response
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

Leonard’s Palazzo is a wedding venue and I received a personalized quote while searching for a venue. They don’t offer full wedding packages, but with food and cake included, they quoted me about $16,000 for a ceremony and reception of 100 guests. good!

The Manhattan recommendations were a headache because they were not in the area I wanted. (At least Andaz Fifth Avenue is within my budget.)

Then, Gemini boldly says, “I hope this helps!” Is this teasing me?

winner: Chat GPT

Gemini and ChatGPT: computational pricing

Both Gemini Advanced and ChatGPT Plus can “read” PDFs and screenshots, making them ideal AI assistants for making sense of confusing pricing charts (and the small text within them for taxes and tips that need to be added to the base cost). .

Here’s an example of one of the many charts I’ve come across while shopping:

Whitby Castle 2025 Pricing Schedule
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

I decided to test Gemini and ChatGPT’s ability to perform calculations based on the PDF above.

“Take a look at this 2025 wedding price list. The full total is calculated based on dates from August 2025 to September 2025 at noon on Sunday, and a guest list of 100 adults. We will hold the ceremony on site. Includes administration fees, New York sales tax, suggested tip and bridal attendant fees.

Gemini Advanced offers a total of $21,017 USD When ChatGPT Plus is released $20,568.69. Why are the totals different? The former adds $400 for bridesmaid fees to the subtotal forward Plus 22% management fee.

ChatGPT, on the other hand, only applies a 22% admin fee to base costs (i.e. $130 x 100 guests) and ceremony fees — and then It also adds $400 in bridal attendant fees. Based on what I’ve been quoted by other venues, it appears that ChatGPT’s calculations are more accurate.

winner: Chat GPT

Gemini and ChatGPT: Image generation for wedding concepts

I asked Gemini and ChatGPT to generate images of a wedding reception concept based on the following prompts:

“My fiancé and I are both technology journalists, and of course, we are obsessed with technology, including laptops, phones, VR headsets, games, XR glasses, etc. We also love space and we tend to have a certain space vibe for our wedding. The wedding reception images convey this wedding theme and design perfectly.

Image of ChatGPT

ChatGPT’s interpretation of a tech-centric, galaxy-themed wedding
Image source: ChatGPT/Open AI

Gemini pictures

Gemini’s interpretation of a tech-centric, galaxy-themed wedding
Image credit: Gemini/Google

Gemini’s interpretation of a tech-centric, galaxy-themed wedding
Image credit: Gemini/Google

Gemini’s interpretation of a tech-centric, galaxy-themed wedding
Image credit: Gemini/Google

ChatGPT provided an image and identified what I was looking for. Gemini made three, but only one of them, the first, caught my attention.

However, ChatGPT produced the most striking images.

winner: Chat GPT

Gemini vs ChatGPT: Ideas Based on Wedding Ideas

Finally, we asked Gemini Advanced and ChatGPT Plus for wedding gift ideas.

“My fiancé and I are looking for cheap tech wedding favors. Give us 10 tech wedding favor ideas that will delight our guests.”

List of ChatGPT

1. Customized USB drive:

2. Portable mobile phone charger:

3. LED keychain

4. earplugs

5. Smartphone PopSockets

6. mini bluetooth speaker

7. touch gloves

8. digital photo frame

9. VR Cardboard Headset

10. fitness tracking bracelet

Gemini list

1. Personalized USB driver

2. mini bluetooth speaker

3. mobile phone ring holder

4. Customized Phone PopSockets

5. Portable power bank

6. LED flashing badge

7. selfie ring light

8. Micro LED projector

9. Card-sized multi-function tool

10. wireless charging pad

ChatGPT’s list of portable phone chargers, earbuds, mini Bluetooth speakers, and fitness tracking bands caught my eye. Likewise, on Gemini’s list, the mini Bluetooth speaker, portable power bank, and wireless charging pad also caught my attention.

Unfortunately for Gemini, ChatGPT also won this round.

winner: Chat GPT

Gemini vs. ChatGPT: The winner

ChatGPT Plus beats Gemini Advanced in this face-off. To my surprise, ChatGPT’s response was more thoughtful and research-based than Gemini’s.

ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month; Gemini Advanced also costs $20 per month.