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] However, most couples find that the website fee is less costly than hiring a wedding planner, as wedding planners can cost as much as 15% of the total wedding cost.[2] Criticism of wedding websites include that invitations from websites are too informal for the occasion.

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.[3]

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.[4] Wedding websites offer a way for couples to showcase their personality and set the tone for what their wedding will be like.[5]

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.[4]

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.[6]

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,[7] 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.[7]

Comparing and contrasting the price of a wedding planner with the price of a website

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.[8] 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.[8] Most brides see personal wedding website, particularly free ones,[9] as a more cost-efficient way of planning and informing friends and family about their wedding, however, some of these websites promote expensive wedding products and ideas as opposed to less expensive and more realistic items.[8] With free or fee-based websites, the user receives their own domain name for the website.[1] It is also important to note that wedding planners are to help the bride while the wedding website caters more to the guests.[8] Most wedding websites are used for both planning purposes and personal pages.[2]

According to White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture, wedding planners typically consist of 15% of the wedding's total cost.[2] Depending on what percent the planner takes, they usually make between $2,880 and $4,320 for every wedding they plan.[10] Wedding planners can charge an hourly wage, ranging from $40-$100, depending on which part of the country they conduct their services in.[10] The rate also depends on how much experience the wedding planner has had; those with more experience are paid more than those just starting out.[10]

Criticism of wedding websites

Criticism of wedding websites includes the process of sending out invitations via email rather than by mail. In a recent survey, 37% of voters said that evites should "never" be sent out, while 49% said it "depended on the wedding," and 14% said "anytime."[11] Most wedding planning books suggest to the brides ways to find cheaper wedding invitations and typically do not suggest evites.[12][13] 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.[14]

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. Couples can put the registry on the websites but let the guests find it themselves. Couples are not to put events that not all guests are invited to on the website, such as the engagement party or wedding shower.[15]

See also

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. 1 2 3 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.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. 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.
  5. ↑ Naylor, Sharon (2003). Your Day, Your Way: The Essential Handbook for the 21st Century Bride. Random House Digital Inc.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 1 2 3 4 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.
  9. ↑ Keever, Cheyenne (2020). Best wedding website builders: everything you need to know. Medium. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2020-04-07. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  10. 1 2 3 Camenson, Blythe (2002). Opportunities in Event Planning Careers. McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 160. ISBN 9780071382281. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ Ingram, Leah (2007). Tie the Knot on a Shoestring. Penguin. ISBN 9781440651083. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  14. ↑ Cameron, Barbara (2009). 101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding. Avon, MA: F+W Media INC.
  15. ↑ Naylor, Sharon (2005). The Essential Guide to Wedding Etiquette. Sourcebooks. ISBN 9781402205125.
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