Results Summary
| Before | After | Business Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Day-of timelines built separately in Google Docs, outside her planning software | Every timeline, including day-of-only clients, built in Folia | One consistent system across every client type |
| Manually searching sunrise and sunset times per wedding | Automatic sunrise & sunset calculation on every timeline | Less manual research per event |
| Manually calculating hair and makeup session times | Built-in hair and makeup session builder with drag-and-dropLess manual math, easier last-minute changes | Less manual math, easier last-minute changes |
| Project management tools only available bundled with a CRM tier she already had covered elsewhere | Access to the planning tools she actually needed, on their own | Not paying for business tools she already had through another platform |
The challenge: tools that didn't fit how she actually plans
Dumi Gordon has been a wedding planner for five years, running A Gordon Event in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her workflow shifted depending on the service package: day-of coordination clients ran through HoneyBook alone, while partial and full planning clients were onboarded into Aisle Planner for to-do lists, notes, and design boards.
Day-of timelines, however, lived outside that system entirely. Dumi built them separately in Google Docs, and used Canva to sketch ceremony layouts and processional order by hand.
“I never liked Timeline Genius, so my day-of timelines lived in Google Docs instead since I can create view-only links for all vendors. For ceremony layouts, I was literally drawing arrows in Canva to assign seats.”
By the numbers
| Customer role | Owner & Lead Planner, A Gordon Event |
| Background | 5 years as a wedding planner in the San Francisco Bay Area |
| Old workflow | Aisle Planner, Google Docs for timelines, Canva for ceremony layouts |
| Buying trigger | Wanted the project management tools she needed without paying for a bundled CRM she already had covered elsewhere |
Why A Gordon Event chose Folia
Two things pushed Dumi to look elsewhere. On Aisle Planner, the project management tools she actually needed were only available in a higher pricing tier, bundled together with a CRM and other business-management tools she was already handling through a separate platform. Timeline Genius, meanwhile, never fit her process for day-of timelines.
Folia gave her exactly that: the planning tools she needed on their own, plus a handful of things she'd never had access to at all, including a shopping list with Amazon linking, ceremony seating linked directly to the guest list, an upcoming processionals tab, and a built-in hair and makeup session builder.
“I essentially wanted a product that gave me the project management tools I actually needed, and if it included other useful features beyond that, those were a bonus.”
The features that made the difference
Timelines that do the sunrise/sunset math for you
Automatic calculation replaced a manual search for every wedding.
“I used to Google sunrise and sunset times manually for every wedding. Now it's just there.”
A hair and makeup session builder that does the math for you
Cuts down manual calculation; drag-and-drop makes changes easier.
“That feature significantly cuts down on manual calculations, and the drag-and-drop functionality makes timeline changes much easier.”
A seating chart that stays in sync with the guest list
Assign or reassign guests without cross-referencing a separate list
A few things Aisle Planner never offered at all
Shopping list with Amazon linking, ceremony seating linked to the guest list, upcoming processionals tab
The outcome: what's better now
| Outcome Type | Verified Result |
|---|---|
| Workflow consistency | Every timeline, including day-of-only clients, now built in the same system |
| Design workflow | One system for both planning and day-of client design boards, instead of splitting between two tools |
| Client experience | Couples enjoy seeing their wedding on screen and ask to be added themselves |
| New capabilities | Access to tools her previous platform never offered, including a shopping list and ceremony seating linked to the guest list |
“Couples love seeing it on screen. They ask to be added, and they always want the seating chart pulled up.”
What other wedding planners can learn
| Evaluation Question | Evidence From This Case |
|---|---|
| Do you have to buy tools you don't need to get the ones you do? | do? Unlike her previous platform, she's not paying for a bundled CRM tier just to access planning tools. |
| Can it replace multiple disconnected tools? | Replaced Aisle Planner, Google Docs, and Canva-based ceremony sketches with one system. |
| Does it save real manual work, not just look nice? | Automatic sunrise/sunset calculation and a hair & makeup session builder both remove manual math from every timeline. |
| Does it support every client type, not just full-planning clients? | Day-of-only clients now get the same timeline and design board system as full-planning clients. |
Frequently asked questions
Why did A Gordon Event move away from Aisle Planner?
The project management tools Dumi Gordon needed were only available in a higher Aisle Planner tier bundled with a CRM and other business tools she was already managing through a separate platform. She wanted a product built around the planning tools themselves, with anything extra as a bonus, not a requirement. Folia gave her that, plus features she didn't have before at all, including a shopping list with Amazon linking, ceremony seating linked to the guest list, and a built-in hair and makeup session builder.
Which Folia feature does Dumi Gordon use most?
The timeline, particularly its automatic sunrise and sunset calculation and built-in hair and makeup session builder, along with a seating chart that stays in sync with the guest list.
How do couples react to seeing their wedding in Folia?
Couples enjoy seeing their wedding on screen, often asking to be added themselves, and are especially drawn to the seating chart.
Does A Gordon Event use Folia for day-of coordination clients too?
Yes. Day-of timelines used to be built separately in Google Docs and excluded from her previous planning software. All timelines, including day-of-only clients, are now built in Folia.
What wedding trend is Dumi Gordon predicting for 2027?
Darker, moodier color palettes and deep browns, organic multi-dimensional florals, plenty of drapery, and serpentine table shapes.
What's the most unique wedding Dumi Gordon has planned?
A July wedding that turned her clients' parents' home into a full venue from scratch, with a ceremony held over a pool that was covered, then uncovered and flipped for the reception, all built around a rainbow color theme.
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