Personal wedding website

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Personal wedding websites are websites that engaged couples use to aid in planning and communication for their wedding. The websites are used to communicate with guests about their wedding and inform them of the location, date, time, and gift registry. Each wedding website is different, and a couple has to pick what is best for them. [1] The websites can be free but may sometimes cost a fee. [1] Criticism of wedding websites include that invitations from websites are too informal for the occasion.

Contents

Personal wedding websites differ from wedding vendor websites. Some wedding vendor websites allow customers to plan and book very small weddings on their websites, using that vendor's location, officiant, photographer, and other services. [2]

Purpose

Personal wedding websites are used for various purposes, including communication with guests, sharing wedding photos and videos with those who could not attend, providing maps, hotel and destination information, bridal party and couple biographies, and profiling vendors. Increasingly, the sites are being used as tools for wedding planning. Many do-it-yourself sites offer features like online RSVP, blogs, registry management, and budget management tools to aid couples through the wedding organizing process. [3] Wedding websites offer a way for couples to showcase their personality and set the tone for what their wedding will be like. [4]

As wedding couples see the importance of wedding websites, there has been a growth in worldwide wedding website suppliers. Led by many of the large United States-based operators, wedding website suppliers now operate in many worldwide locations, many creating specific functionality and tools for their own national identities, customs, and faiths. Each website offers different templates and services, and some charge a fee to use them and experts recommend comparing websites before choosing one. [3]

Depending on the specific site, some will host the personal "wedpage" for six months, 12 months, or forever. The cost is strongly correlated between factors such as domain name, advertisements appearing on the page, number of pages available, and different amounts/types of media available. [1]

Communication

Personal wedding websites have changed how information about weddings is communicated. Unlike traditional wedding invitations, which provide limited details about the ceremony and reception, wedding websites offer more information. These online platforms usually allow guests to RSVP and select their meal preferences conveniently. Additionally, they provide information about local attractions, hotels, and details of the events. [5]

Beyond logistical details, wedding websites can offer a personal touch. Couples can post engagement photos, share their love story and engagement journey, and link to any online wedding gift registries. These websites may also feature an online guestbook where guests can leave comments and well-wishes.

While traditional mailed invitations remain a cherished part of wedding customs, [6] wedding websites present a more interactive and comprehensive means of communication. They make planning more efficient for the couple and enhance the overall experience for guests by providing easy access to all wedding-related information. If plans change, the website can be updated with the new information. [6]

Costs and other features

While personal wedding websites are mostly to give the guests information on the wedding such as the date, time and location, the websites can also include things such as blogs and planning bibliographies in which viewers of the wedding website can interact with the bride. [7] Weddings brought to life from personal wedding websites may lack in creativity and originality as many of them suggest traditional weddings and encourage brides to look at celebrity weddings for inspiration. [7]

Most brides see personal wedding website, particularly free ones, as a more cost-efficient way of planning and informing friends and family about their wedding, however, some of these websites may promote expensive wedding products and ideas as opposed to less expensive and more realistic items. [7] With free or fee-based websites, the user receives their own domain name for the website. [1] Most wedding websites are used for both planning purposes and personal pages. [8] "For many engaged couples, a personal website is an important part of the wedding-planning process." [9] As of 2018, 74% of married couples created a wedding site (only 59% of them do so in 2015). [9]

Reception

Criticism of wedding websites includes the process of sending out invitations via email rather than by mail. In a 2011 survey, 37% of voters said that evites should "never" be sent out, while 49% said it "depended on the wedding," and 14% said "anytime." [10] Most wedding planning books suggest to the brides ways to find cheaper wedding invitations and typically do not suggest evites. [11] [12] However, evites are a money-saving and environmentally friendly way of sending invitations. Money is not spent on the actual paper and postage, and paper is not used. [13]

Website etiquette can become complicated when it comes to what information can be put on the personal site. Putting a gift registry on the website is looked down upon by some experts.[ citation needed ] Couples are not to put events that not all guests are invited to on the website,[ according to whom? ] such as the engagement party or wedding shower. [14]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sabino, Catherine (2009). Stylish Weddings for Less: How to Plan Your Dream Wedding on a Budget. New York, New York: Filipacchi Publishing. pp. 183–184. ISBN   978-1-933231-65-5. Archived from the original on 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  2. ↑ Strauss, Alix (2022-09-01). "When Wedding Planning Is More Like Online Shopping". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-09-17. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  3. 1 2 Melendez, Jason and Crystal (2007). E-Plan Your Wedding: How to Save Time and Money With Today's Best Online Resources. Mediasoft Press. pp. 46–63. ISBN   9781933457000. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  4. ↑ Naylor, Sharon (2003). Your Day, Your Way: The Essential Handbook for the 21st Century Bride. Random House Digital Inc.
  5. ↑ Lluch, Alex; Lluch, Elizabeth (2010-12-16). The Very Best Wedding Planner, Organizer & Keepsake. WS Publishing Group. p. 245. ISBN   978-1-936061-07-5.
  6. 1 2 Edmunds, Valerie (2008). The Green Wedding Guide: Creating a Celebration That's Elegant and Ethical. Leisure Arts. p. 21. ISBN   978-1-60140-869-3.
  7. 1 2 3 Daws, Laura Beth (2009). Happily Ever After.com: The Construction of Identity on Wedding Websites. University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  8. ↑ Ingraham, Chrys (2008). White Weddings: romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture. Taylor & Francis. p. 90. ISBN   9780203931028. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  9. 1 2 Bortz, Daniel (2 Jul 2019). "Tips for Building a Wedding Website". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 Dec 2024.
  10. ↑ Manjoo, Farhad; Emily Yofee (20 September 2011). "Digital Manners: Do Evites Cheapen a Wedding?". Slate. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  11. ↑ Bain, Susan (2011). Cheap Chic Weddings: Cheap Weddings that look like a Million Bucks. AuthorHouse. p. 53. ISBN   9781456752378. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  12. ↑ Ingram, Leah (2007). Tie the Knot on a Shoestring. Penguin. ISBN   9781440651083. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  13. ↑ Cameron, Barbara (2009). 101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding. Avon, MA: F+W Media INC.
  14. ↑ Naylor, Sharon (2005). The Essential Guide to Wedding Etiquette . Sourcebooks. ISBN   9781402205125.
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