More couples turn to the Web to plan weddings
By Tanya Bricking
Advertiser Staff Writer
 |
| Illustration by Jon Orque The Honolulu Advertiser |
Trying to find useful, reliable wedding-planning resources on the Internet can be a daunting task. Wedding sites are among the fastest-growing industries on the Net.
A study by Greenfield Online, an Internet marketing research company, reported that 30 percent of American brides in 2000 turned to the Internet at some point in the planning of their weddings. But in the nearly two years since that report, the percentage, by most accounts, has more than doubled.
Alan Fields, one of the authors of "Cyberbride: The Complete Online Guide to Planning Your Wedding," estimates nearly 90 percent of couples now look to the Web for at least some of their wedding planning.
In an effort to simplify things for the masses, recent brides, brides-to-be and wedding consultants in Honolulu agreed to weigh in on their favorite sites. Here's a sampling:
From ideas on wedding gowns to songs and themes, this site has it all, including a budget estimator, a guest-list manager and an extensive checklist.
"I used it on a daily basis," said Tamsin Keone, 26, of Pauoa, who got married Nov. 24 at the Kamehameha Schools chapel. "It had the weekly calendar that told you what you needed to do for the week. I would print it out and put it on the bulletin board."
This is a good runner-up to theknot.com, said Karen Tsuruma, a wedding consultant at Bridal Emporium on Ward Avenue.
"I like a site that has everything — gowns, accessories," she said. "Some sites have mainly tips. Some of them are good, but I wouldn't want to waste my time."
The weddingchannel.com site has links to registries for local retailers such as Macy's (macysweddingchannel.com), which, incidentally, is promoting Hawai'i as a wedding and honeymoon destination that will include a giveaway of 19 Hawai'i wedding and anniversary packages.
Bride-to-be Lori Gorospe of Honolulu has been switching back and forth between theknot.com and weddingchannel.com. Both sites require the bride to enter an e-mail address; weddingchannel.com generates more mail, which can be overwhelming, Gorospe said.
This has links to poetry and humor, as well as practical things, like helping you to make personalized CDs for favors.
This site touts itself as the ultimate groom's guide to getting married. It may even be a good idea for the best man to check it out. It has tips on toasts and bachelor parties.
Amazon just launched this part of its shopping empire, allowing couples to create a wedding registry. It includes links to sample registries, honeymoon ideas and wedding discussion boards. And for a limited time, it enters those who register in a contest to win KitchenAid appliances and other gadgets.
Brides such as Claire Guzman, a Honolulu accountant who tied the knot Feb. 24, checked it out amid her planning but didn't buy anything. The theory is that the site will save you money by quoting a better price on things like gowns.
Well, don't count on the bargains you might find in the Martha Stewart line at Kmart, but this site does have ideas and pretty pictures.
Modern Bride magazine has an interactive calendar on its Web site based on your wedding date. Plug in the date you plan to get hitched, and it will give you a to-do list with deadlines.
This site lets couples register for anything, regardless of manufacturer or retailer. The company then sends notices to guests and posts the registry online for a fee.
Similarly, this site helps couples build honeymoon packages and assigns a gift value to each part. Guests are charged a 15 percent handling fee before the company pays the happy couple.
Feeling overwhelmed yet? This site is for the wedding-planning-challenged. There's even a message board where you can post questions about finding alternatives to the big wedding. Or you can just order the book: "Let's Elope: How to Have the Wedding Your Mother Never Dreamed Of." (Bantam Books, $12.95)
Reach Tanya Bricking at tbricking@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8026.
