Pearl Planner by David's Bridal Expands Agentic AI Features with New Free Budgeting Engine, Removing Financial Guesswork out of Wedding Planning

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World's Leading AI-Powered Wedding Planning Platform, Pearl Planner by David's, Newest Feature Turns Budgeting into Actionable Clarity Through Dynamic AI

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA / ACCESS Newswire / May 14, 2026 / David's Bridal, Inc. ("David's"), the nation's leading bridal and special occasion authority, today announced the launch of a revolutionary suite of Smart Budgeting features within its free AI-powered wedding planning platform, Pearl Planner. For most couples, the "money talk" is the single most stressful part of planning a wedding; often becoming a high-stakes puzzle of 300+ tasks where one "splurge" can send the entire wedding budget into a tailspin. Pearl Planner uses proprietary, agentic AI to solve this age-old planning anxiety with a free tool designed to replace financial friction with total confidence, and move the conversation from "Can we afford this?" to "Here is exactly how we make it happen" - no spreadsheets, no templates, no stress.

According to a 2025 report from LendingTree, nearly half of newly married couples said they went into debt to pay for their wedding, while 77% reported wedding costs were higher than originally expected. Wedding costs themselves continue to climb. According to wedding industry research firm Wedding Report, the average U.S. wedding now exceeds $30,000 in many major metro markets, with venue, catering, décor, and guest-related expenses representing the largest budget categories, making the launch of the free AI budgeting feature within the Pearl Planner more timely than ever. Pearl Planner's proprietary technology and newest planning tools make the experience even more robust and industry-leading, especially as couples face increasing financial pressure navigating the realities of modern wedding planning.

Key features of the Pearl Planner Budget experience include:

• Smart Budget Setup & Validation: Most couples start their planning journey with a spreadsheet of messy tabs and outdated templates that offer zero context. Pearl Planner replaces manual juggling and tracking by allowing users to simply enter their total budget, location, and guest count, so couples then see a real-time chart of average costs for their specific region. This moves the process from "guessing" to "knowing," validating their financial plan against 76 years of David's wedding industry expertise before they even book their first vendor.

• Personalized Category Planning: Users select from 12 expense categories, such as Venue, Catering, Photography, and more - and then rate their importance. Pearl AI then automatically distributes funds based on these priorities and local market data.

• Performance Dashboard & Real-Time Rebalancing: When a couple decides to splurge, they can ask Pearl AI for a solution - for example, "The estimate for the flowers I really want came in $1,500 over what we planned, but now that I've seen them, I don't want to give them up. How can we make room in the budget?" Pearl AI then automatically calculates and suggests specific adjustments across other categories, such as entertainment or decor, to accommodate the "must-have" floral vision while keeping the total budget firmly on track.

• Agentic Expense Tracking: Users can upload a receipt and Pearl's AI will automatically pull and categorize the expense details for you. For on-the-go updates, couples can also add expenses via a quick chat with Pearl AI; just type a command like, "Hey, I just spent $84 on supplies for reception decor at Target, please add the expense," and the system instantly logs the transaction into your master budget.

• AI-Powered Insights: Pearl AI serves as a 24/7 financial advocate that understands the "why" behind your spending. By analyzing your total budget, guest count, and specific priorities, Pearl AI highlights exactly where you're saving and where you need to adjust. This awareness allows Pearl to act as a personalized consultant, helping couples make informed decisions by factoring in their real-time financial health to ensure every choice aligns with their vision and bottom line.

"Planning a wedding is one of life's most beautiful journeys, but the financial complexity can often overshadow the joy," said Elina Vilk, President and Chief Business Officer of David's Bridal. "By pairing several decades of heart-led wedding expertise with the precision of our proprietary AI, we've created more than just a calculator - we've built a partner. Pearl Planner gives couples certainty, so they can stop worrying about the math and focus on moments that truly matter."

Pearl Planner serves as the intelligent heart of David's Bridal's "Aisle to Algorithm" transformation, evolving the brand from a traditional retailer into a wedding technology powerhouse. Built on over 75 years of wedding expertise and powered by AI, this all-in-one digital workspace turns the complexity of wedding planning into structured, actionable guidance. From custom timelines and a 24/7 AI concierge to smart budgeting and seamless integration with the David's Diamond Loyalty program, Pearl Planner delivers a personalized, step-by-step experience that removes the guesswork for every couple. By pairing human-led heritage with advanced AI architecture, David's Bridal offers a digital advocate that validates decisions in real time, making the planning journey as seamless and celebratory as the big day itself.

Pearl Planner is available for free to all couples. To start planning your dream day and master your wedding budget, visit Pearl.DavidsBridal.com.

ABOUT DAVID'S BRIDAL

With over 75 years of experience dressing people for all of life's special occasions, David's Bridal exists for magical moments. Since its "Aisle to Algorithm" strategic pivot, David's has evolved from iconic bridal retailer to wedding technology company, media powerhouse, and marketplace platform, transforming how people plan, shop, and celebrate life's biggest moments.

From assuming full production of Vera Wang Bride to launching Diamonds & Pearls, a curated couture boutique experience, David's entrance into this new era marks a pivotal moment for retailers going beyond traditional scopes and expanding into new categories.

At the center of David's technological and retail evolution is Pearl by David's, Pearl Planner and Pearl Media Network - the all-in-one digital wedding destination connecting consumers with everything from AI-powered planning tools, inspiration and vendor directories, expanded retail categories and leading content, while enabling brands to tap into David's unmatched market reach to authentically connect with consumers through media across the web, social, podcast, streaming, video, in-store and more.

Under the Pearl Media umbrella is Love Stories by David's, the top wedding media brand taking a digital-first approach to wedding content and inspiration with over 20M viewers per month across content platforms, including the wedding industry's sole podcast network, streaming TV and Snap Discover channels, and largest YouTube and TikTok channels, and a library of over 30,000 real wedding videos. Each video comes equipped with wedding data and details, contributing to a marketplace of over 60,000 wedding professionals to help couples better dream about, research, and plan their big day.

With more than 190 stores across the US, Canada, and franchise locations in Mexico, David's Bridal offers the convenience of one-stop shopping for every magical event in her life, including weddings, Quinceañera, graduations, proms, communions, or simply making the world her runway and beyond. To learn more about David's, sign up for Pearl Planner, and connect on social media through Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

David's Bridal Media Contact

[email protected]

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SOURCE: DAVID'S BRIDAL CORPORATE