🎊 VowFlow

📖 Overview

VowFlow is a comprehensive, feature-rich multi-tenant SaaS platform designed specifically for wedding planners and event management businesses. Built with modern technologies and best practices, VowFlow provides everything needed to manage events from initial planning to final execution.

Key Highlights

Technology Stack

✨ Features

Core Event Management

• Event Creation & Tracking - Create unlimited events with comprehensive details
• Event Types - Wedding, Corporate, Birthday, Anniversary, and custom types
• Status Management - Planning, Confirmed, Completed, Cancelled
• Venue Management - Track venue details, addresses, and contact information
• Theme & Styling - Set event themes, primary and secondary colors
• Event Timeline - Build detailed day-of timelines with milestones
• Notes & Files - Attach notes and documents to any event

Client Management

• Client Database - Store client contact information and preferences
• Client Portal Access - Create portal accounts for clients to view their events
• Communication History - Track all interactions and communications
• Multiple Events - Link multiple events to the same client
• Custom Fields - Add client-specific information

Vendor Management

• Vendor Directory - Organize vendors by categories
• Vendor Categories - Catering, Photography, Music, Flowers, Venues, etc.
• Service Details - Track services offered, pricing, and contact information
• Vendor Bookings - Create and manage vendor bookings for events
• Rating System - Rate vendors and track performance
• Booking Status - Pending, Confirmed, Cancelled tracking

Budget & Financial Management

• Budget Categories - Organize expenses by category
• Budget Items - Track individual line items with estimated and actual costs
• Payment Status - Mark items as paid/unpaid with payment dates
• Budget Overview - Real-time calculation of totals and remaining budget
• Payment Schedules - Create installment plans for large expenses
• Payment Reminders - Track upcoming payments
• Financial Reports - Export budget data for accounting

Guest Management Advanced

• Guest List - Add unlimited guests per event
• CSV Import - Bulk import guests from spreadsheets
• CSV Export - Export guest lists for printing or external use
• RSVP Tracking - Confirmed, Pending, Declined status
• Meal Preferences - Track dietary restrictions and meal choices
• Plus-One Management - Allow guests to bring additional persons
• Guest Categories - Family, Friends, Colleagues, VIP
• Contact Information - Store email, phone, address
• Table Assignments - Assign guests to tables

Seating Management

• Table Creation - Create tables with capacity limits
• Seating Chart - Visual representation of table arrangements
• Guest Assignment - Assign guests to specific tables
• Capacity Limits - Enforce table capacity rules
• Seating Notes - Add special notes for table arrangements

Timeline & Task Management

• Event Timelines - Create detailed timelines for events
• Timeline Items - Add milestones with dates and descriptions
• Task Lists - Create and assign tasks to team members
• Task Priority - High, Medium, Low prioritization
• Due Dates - Set and track task deadlines
• Status Tracking - Pending, In Progress, Completed
• Task Assignment - Assign tasks to specific users
• Task Calendar - View tasks in calendar format

File & Document Management

• File Uploads - Upload contracts, images, PDFs, documents
• File Organization - Link files to specific events
• File Categories - Organize by type and purpose
• File Descriptions - Add notes to files
• Secure Storage - Files stored securely on server
• File Downloads - Easy download and sharing

Admin Panel Pro

• Super Admin Dashboard - Overview of entire platform
• Tenant Management - View and manage all tenants
• Tenant Statistics - Usage metrics for each tenant
• Subscription Management - Track tenant subscriptions
• Platform Analytics - System-wide statistics and insights
• Tenant Suspension - Suspend/activate tenant accounts
• Billing Overview - Track payments and subscriptions

Client Portal Client Access

• Client Dashboard - Clients view their assigned events
• Event Details - View comprehensive event information
• Budget Visibility - Limited budget overview
• Timeline Access - View event timelines and milestones
• Vendor Information - See assigned vendors
• Read-Only Access - Clients cannot edit data
• Secure Login - Protected portal access

Advanced Features Phase 7

• Toast Notifications - Success, error, warning, info messages
• Loading Skeletons - Beautiful loading states (table, card, list, stats)
• Empty States - Helpful messages when no data exists
• Activity Feed - Timeline of recent actions
• CSV Exports - Export events, clients, guest lists
• PDF Exports - Print-ready event reports and guest lists
• Calendar View - Visual calendar with event indicators
• Month Navigation - Navigate between months easily
• Event Highlighting - Color-coded events by status

Security & Access Control

• Multi-Tenant Isolation - Complete data separation between tenants
• Role-Based Access - Super Admin, Planner, Client roles
• CSRF Protection - All forms protected against CSRF attacks
• SQL Injection Prevention - Eloquent ORM with parameterized queries
• XSS Protection - Input sanitization and output escaping
• Secure Sessions - Encrypted session handling
• Password Hashing - Bcrypt password hashing
• Soft Deletes - Recoverable data deletion

User Experience

• Dark Mode - Modern dark theme throughout
• Responsive Design - Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile
• Intuitive Navigation - Easy-to-use sidebar menu
• Quick Actions - Fast access to common tasks
• Search & Filter - Find information quickly
• Pagination - Handle large datasets efficiently
• Form Validation - Real-time input validation
• Success Messages - Clear feedback for user actions

⚙️ Installation

Server Requirements

• PHP >= 8.2
• MySQL >= 8.0 or MariaDB >= 10.3
• Composer (latest version)
• Node.js >= 16.x
• NPM or Yarn

PHP Extensions Required

• BCMath PHP Extension
• Ctype PHP Extension
• Fileinfo PHP Extension
• JSON PHP Extension
• Mbstring PHP Extension
• OpenSSL PHP Extension
• PDO PHP Extension
• Tokenizer PHP Extension
• XML PHP Extension

Step-by-Step Installation

Step 1: Extract Files

Extract the downloaded ZIP file to your web server's root directory (e.g., public_html, www, or htdocs).

Step 2: Set Permissions

Set the correct permissions for storage and bootstrap/cache directories:

chmod -R 775 storage
chmod -R 775 bootstrap/cache

Step 3: Install Dependencies

Install PHP dependencies using Composer:

composer install --optimize-autoloader --no-dev

Install JavaScript dependencies:

npm install

Step 4: Environment Configuration

Copy the example environment file and configure:

cp .env.example .env

Generate application key:

php artisan key:generate

Step 5: Database Setup

Create a MySQL database and update your .env file:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=vowflow
DB_USERNAME=your_database_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_database_password

Step 6: Run Migrations

Run database migrations to create tables:

php artisan migrate --seed

Step 7: Link Storage

Create symbolic link for file storage:

php artisan storage:link

Step 8: Build Assets

Compile frontend assets:

npm run build

Step 9: Configure Web Server

Point your web server document root to the /public directory.

Default Login Credentials

Troubleshooting Installation

Issue: 500 Internal Server Error

• Check file permissions (storage and bootstrap/cache need 775)
• Verify .env file exists and is configured correctly
• Check Laravel error logs in storage/logs
• Ensure PHP extensions are installed

Issue: Page Not Found (404)

• Verify web server document root points to /public
• Check mod_rewrite is enabled (Apache)
• Clear route cache: php artisan route:clear

Issue: CSS/JS Not Loading

• Run: npm run build
• Clear browser cache
• Check APP_URL in .env matches your domain

Issue: Database Connection Error

• Verify database credentials in .env
• Ensure MySQL service is running
• Check database exists and user has proper permissions

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

The .env file contains all configuration settings. Here are the important ones:

Application Settings

APP_NAME=VowFlow
APP_ENV=production
APP_DEBUG=false
APP_URL=https://yourdomain.com

Database Configuration

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=vowflow
DB_USERNAME=your_db_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_db_password

Mail Configuration

MAIL_MAILER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=your_mail_host
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=your_email
MAIL_PASSWORD=your_password
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=noreply@yourdomain.com
MAIL_FROM_NAME="${APP_NAME}"

Cache & Session

CACHE_DRIVER=file
SESSION_DRIVER=database
QUEUE_CONNECTION=database

File Upload Settings

FILESYSTEM_DISK=local

Application Configuration

Max File Upload Size

To change maximum file upload size, update your php.ini:

upload_max_filesize = 10M
post_max_size = 10M

Session Timeout

Edit config/session.php to change session lifetime:

'lifetime' => 120, // minutes

Timezone

Set your timezone in config/app.php:

'timezone' => 'America/New_York',

Customization

Logo & Branding

Replace the following files with your own:

• public/images/logo.png - Main logo
• public/favicon.ico - Browser favicon

Color Theme

Edit resources/css/app.css to customize colors:

:root {
    --primary: #ec4899;  /* Pink */
    --secondary: #8b5cf6; /* Purple */
}

After making changes, rebuild assets:

npm run build

Performance Optimization

Cache Configuration

php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache
php artisan view:cache

Clear Caches

php artisan cache:clear
php artisan config:clear
php artisan route:clear
php artisan view:clear

Queue Workers (Optional)

For better performance, set up queue workers:

php artisan queue:work --daemon

📘 User Guide

Getting Started

First Login

1. Navigate to your VowFlow URL
2. Click "Login" button
3. Enter your email and password
4. You'll be redirected to your dashboard

Dashboard Overview

The dashboard provides a quick overview of your events:

• Event Status Cards - See counts of Planning, Confirmed, Completed, Cancelled events
• Upcoming Events - List of events happening soon
• Recent Activity - Latest actions taken in your account
• Quick Actions - Buttons to create new events, clients, vendors

Managing Events

Creating an Event

1. Click "Events" in the sidebar
2. Click "Create Event" button
3. Fill in event details:
   • Event Name (required)
   • Event Type (Wedding, Corporate, etc.)
   • Event Date and Time
   • Venue Information
   • Client (select from dropdown)
   • Guest Count
   • Theme and Colors
4. Click "Create Event"

Editing an Event

1. Go to Events list
2. Click on the event you want to edit
3. Click "Edit" button
4. Make your changes
5. Click "Save Changes"

Viewing Event Details

Click on any event to see comprehensive details across multiple tabs:

• Overview - Basic event information
• Budget - Financial details and budget items
• Timeline - Event timeline and schedule
• Guests - Guest list and RSVPs
• Vendors - Assigned vendors and bookings

Managing Clients

Adding a Client

1. Click "Clients" in sidebar
2. Click "Add Client"
3. Enter client information
4. Click "Save Client"

Creating Portal Access for Clients

1. Open client details
2. Click "Create Portal User"
3. Set email and password
4. Client can now login to view their events

Managing Guests

Adding Individual Guests

1. Go to event details
2. Click "Guests" tab
3. Click "Add Guest"
4. Fill in guest information
5. Set RSVP status
6. Save guest

Importing Guests from CSV

1. Prepare CSV file with columns: first_name, last_name, email, phone
2. Go to event guests page
3. Click "Import Guests"
4. Select your CSV file
5. Click "Upload"
6. Review imported guests

Exporting Guest List

1. Go to event guests page
2. Click "Export to CSV"
3. File will download automatically
4. Open in Excel or Google Sheets

Budget Management

Creating Budget Items

1. Click "Budget" in sidebar
2. Click "Add Budget Item"
3. Select event
4. Choose/create category
5. Enter estimated and actual amounts
6. Mark as paid/unpaid
7. Save item

Tracking Payments

• Mark items as "Paid" when payment is made
• Enter payment date
• View budget summary to see totals
• Filter by event to see specific budgets

Vendor Management

Adding Vendors

1. Click "Vendors" in sidebar
2. Click "Add Vendor"
3. Fill in vendor details
4. Select category
5. Add pricing and services
6. Save vendor

Creating Vendor Bookings

1. Go to "Vendor Bookings"
2. Click "Create Booking"
3. Select event and vendor
4. Enter booking details
5. Set amount and status
6. Save booking

Seating Charts

Creating Tables

1. Go to "Seating Chart"
2. Click "Create Table"
3. Enter table number/name
4. Set capacity
5. Link to event
6. Save table

Assigning Guests to Tables

1. Select a table
2. Click "Assign Guests"
3. Select guests from list
4. System enforces capacity limits
5. Save assignments

Timeline & Tasks

Creating Timeline

1. Go to "Timelines"
2. Click "Create Timeline"
3. Select event
4. Add timeline items with times
5. Save timeline

Managing Tasks

1. Go to "Tasks"
2. Click "Create Task"
3. Enter task details
4. Set due date and priority
5. Assign to team member
6. Track completion

👤 Admin Panel

Accessing Admin Panel

1. Login with Super Admin credentials
2. You'll be redirected to /admin/dashboard
3. Navigate using the admin menu

Admin Dashboard

The admin dashboard provides platform-wide overview:

• Total Tenants - Number of active planning businesses
• Total Users - All users across all tenants
• Total Events - Sum of all events
• Revenue Metrics - Subscription revenue tracking
• Recent Activity - Latest platform activities

Managing Tenants

Viewing All Tenants

1. Click "Tenants" in admin menu
2. See list of all registered tenants
3. View subscription status
4. Check activity metrics

Viewing Tenant Details

1. Click on any tenant
2. View comprehensive information:
   • Business details
   • Subscription info
   • Usage statistics
   • User list
   • Recent activity

Tenant Actions

• Suspend Tenant - Temporarily disable access
• Activate Tenant - Re-enable suspended tenant
• View Statistics - Usage metrics and analytics
• Manage Subscription - Update billing information

Analytics

Access platform-wide analytics:

• User Growth - New tenant registrations over time
• Event Metrics - Total events created
• Revenue Charts - Subscription revenue trends
• Usage Statistics - Feature usage across platform

🔌 API Documentation

API Features (Planned)

• RESTful API endpoints
• Token-based authentication
• Event management endpoints
• Client management endpoints
• Webhook support
• Rate limiting

💬 Support

Getting Help

If you need assistance with VowFlow, we're here to help!

Common Questions

How do I reset my password?

Click "Forgot Password" on the login page and follow the instructions.

Can I customize the colors and branding?

Yes! See the Configuration section for customization options.

Is there a limit on the number of events?

No limits on events, clients, guests, or any data. The system scales with your business.

Can clients edit their events?

No, client portal users have read-only access. Only planner users can edit data.

How do I export data?

Use the CSV export buttons on Events, Clients, and Guest lists.

What browsers are supported?

VowFlow works on all modern browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Reporting Bugs

If you find a bug, please report it with:

• Detailed description of the issue
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Screenshots (if applicable)
• Browser and device information

Feature Requests

We welcome feature suggestions! Send your ideas to features@vowflow.com

📝 Changelog

Version 1.0.0 - December 2025

Initial Release

Core Features

• ✅ Multi-tenant architecture
• ✅ Event management system
• ✅ Client management
• ✅ Vendor directory and bookings
• ✅ Budget tracking
• ✅ Guest list management
• ✅ RSVP system
• ✅ Seating charts
• ✅ Timeline builder
• ✅ Task management
• ✅ Payment schedules
• ✅ File management
• ✅ Notes system

Admin Features

• ✅ Super admin dashboard
• ✅ Tenant management
• ✅ Platform analytics
• ✅ Subscription tracking

Client Portal

• ✅ Client dashboard
• ✅ Event viewing
• ✅ Read-only access
• ✅ Secure authentication

Advanced Features (Phase 7)

• ✅ Toast notifications
• ✅ Loading skeletons
• ✅ Empty states
• ✅ Activity feed
• ✅ CSV exports
• ✅ PDF exports
• ✅ Calendar view

UI/UX

• ✅ Dark mode theme
• ✅ Responsive design
• ✅ Intuitive navigation
• ✅ Modern interface

Upcoming Features

Roadmap

• 📧 Email integration (SMTP)
• 📱 SMS notifications
• 💳 Payment gateway integration
• 📅 Calendar sync (Google Calendar, iCal)
• 🤝 Real-time collaboration
• 📱 Mobile app
• 🎨 Drag-and-drop seating chart
• 📊 Advanced reporting
• 🎨 Custom branding per tenant
• 🔌 REST API