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E-planning for smart weddings
Source: Economic Times, January 12, 2007
Elaborate invitation cards for weddings are passe. When all possible details about a wedding can be given by just passing along a URL, why bother with postal addresses. Starting from inviting guests to organizing accommodation, wedding websites are all set to change the way a wedding is planned.
Wedding websites provide you with a customized domain where you can put up all required details of the wedding,from venue to travel options to what weather to expect. All you need to do is choose a template and fill in the details. The basic service comes for free, while the premium ones, complete with the webcast of the wedding itself, could cost upto Rs 50,000/-. |
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| There are several US websites like ewedding.com and Wedding Window that offer such services, both paid and free. In India too, online companies have started offering these services. "We started offering wedding websites only 6 months ago, and so far we have done 6 or 7 such sites," says Mr Nayan Khandor, proprietor of Five Online, a web design company. He says that wedding websites are very popular abroad and the trend has now begun to trickle into India as well, though most of them still use the free services offered by US websites.
Adds Mr Nitesh Pal, proprietor of website developing firm Web Tigers, "we go the idea from our US clients. It is just catching on in India. We charge the customers depending on how many pages they want and the kind of content they want." In India, techies have been quick to catch on to the concept. "This struck me as a more innovative way of inviting friends and family rather than sending email invites. I intend to put up wedding photos also later," says Mr Karthik K, a software engineer who recently signed up for a wedding website of his own. A wedding website would offer online RSVP, a guestbook, family details, gift wish list and password protection. To make it more interesting one could even add a poll or quizz on the couple. The utility of the wedding website, does not end with the wedding itself.
The newly weds can put up their photos or wedding videos on the site. Sites like MyDreamShaadi.in host sites in Hindi as well. The premium package offered by this site includes a photo gallery, background music, a 30 minute webcast and password protection among other things.
By Savitha V, Bangalore
savitha.venugopal@timesgroup.com
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Weddings go hi-tech
Source: The Hindu, January 18, 2007
| Young couples are looking at websites as another option for inviting guests to their wedding |
PHOTO: SATISH. H
MARRIAGE VOWS Wedding websites allow you to tell your story
Behind every perfect wedding celebration, there's lot of running around.
Most important of all is the task of inviting people. This starts with printing the cards, getting all the addresses in place and visiting innumerable homes.
Everyone wants to know where it all started and how. Just imagine the plight of the bride and the groom who have to repeat the same story 100 times.
Is there a way to escape this? Yes, thanks to technology.
Love story retold
How about creating a website for your wedding that contains all the requisite information?
A whole lot of websites now help you create a personalised wedding website in the simplest possible manner.
They allow you to choose the themes (classic, bohemian, Indian), colours, the number of pages and the kind of pages.
You are free to write the content and upload pictures. A wedding timer will provide a countdown to the Big Day and you also have an exciting opening page using Flash.
And yes, all it costs is about $10. Since most of these sites are based in the U.S. or U.K., the mode of payment is in dollars, which in Indian Rupees will translate to about Rs. 500 a month.
Though some sites allow you to pay depending on the number of months you want it online, most work on an annual basis.
Many websites even allow you to chose your personal URL, conduct polls and quizzes, but at extra cost. And, once the wedding it over, you can use the space to upload your honeymoon pictures and other family details.
Shilpi Agrawal, a business analyst who is all set to tie the knot in February, found the idea of having a website enticing and practical as well.
"My fiancé Chirantan also liked the idea as we could say much more this way than through traditional cards. Also, unlike cards, which are either from the bride's or groom's side, we could keep the website common. Even my parents liked the idea," she says.
Her site narrates everything from their story to the wedding functions to directions to the function hall and online RSVP.
A good alternative
"I am getting different kind of responses, most of them appreciative. Websites cannot replace the traditional cards, but are definitely a good alternative," she feels.
This concept is a hit abroad, but is yet to catch up in India.
Namrata started her website, mydreamshaadi.in, about a year back and gets about 15 enquiries a month. "We came up with this idea to ease the stress in information sharing before, during and after the wedding. Though based in the U.S., I have a lot of Indian as well as NRI clients. Our projection is that in the next 18-24 months, wedding websites will become mainstream," she says.
The ones who are getting married soon are already taking to it.
Aarthi Ramaswamy, a consultant, wants to have her site up for at least 45 days before her June wedding.
"I think it's a good idea as my fiancé is in the U.S. and it will be easier to convey the news through the website. People can know all that we have to say."
The publicity the couple gets, she feels,has both positive and negative aspects.
"Even those who needn't know about our wedding will get to know about it," she adds.
- Mangala Ramamoorthy
MyDreamShaadi.in helps young couples create website for their wedding
Source: Alootechie.com, January 23, 2007
By Rajesh Barnwal
MyDreamShaadi.in enables young couples who are about to get married to create a personalised website for their wedding that contains information like their story to the wedding, directions to the function hall and online RSVP.
The concept of wedding website is being seen by young couples as another option for inviting guests to their wedding. And, once the wedding is over, the married couples can use the online space to upload their honeymoon pictures and other family details.
Namrata, who started MyDreamShaadi about a year back, has said, “We came up with this idea to ease the stress in information sharing before, during and after the wedding.” (Source: Hindu)
I guess the idea of wedding website might specially appeal to NRIs and couples who are based in India and abroad.
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MyDreamShaadi – Personalised Shaadi Websites
Source: Shunya.com, January 23, 2007
The idea is typical of one of those cute startups – create a personalised wedding website. I imagine the strength of the idea is that the good old desi show off culture would love to have a url printed on the card. Interestingly the site charges you to provide a webpage for the wedding. They ask you to fill up a form and the company contacts you, asking for details to create your personalised wedding site. I like the effort of bringing the Internet into real world, we need more of such sites that bridge the gap between the real and the virtual worlds in India.
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MyDreamShaadi.in - ‘Webify’ your marriage
Source: Startupdunia.com, January 23, 2007
MyDreamShaadi.in facilitates about to be married, young couples to create a personalized website about their wedding. You can put up information about your impending marriage, create photo galleries, create a guest book, host marriage related videos, directions to the venue, online RSVP etc.
They have varied pricing plans and the package features vary depending on the pricing plan. Here’s an excerpt from Hindu: "Behind every perfect wedding celebration, there’s lot of running around.
Most important of all is the task of inviting people. This starts with printing the cards, getting all the addresses in place and visiting innumerable homes. Everyone wants to know where it all started and how. Just imagine the plight of the bride and the groom who have to repeat the same story 100 times. Is there a way to escape this? Yes, thanks to technology."
The site mainly seems to be targeted to NRI clients and may take some time to catch up in India. Overall, I think, its a great concept, has a viable business model and if executed well, may become a winner. But watch out - it wont take long for BharatMarimony.com and Shaadi.com to catch up and come up with their own act.
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