Wedding Blog

Last Tuesday I went to a party for WeddingWire, which is a new nationwide wedding planning website launching here from the DC area. The party was at CafÆ’© Asia, which is a really modern sushi restaurant/bar downtown. I got a chance to meet the founders, who are the same guys that founded Blackboard (remember that from college?), plus the rest of their staff, some local wedding vendors, other engaged couples, and some of their investors.

The coolest thing, though, was learning about the new site and what their future plans are for it. It really sounds like they’re making strides towards changing the entire wedding industry and putting the power back in the hands of the customer. First of all, they’re collecting vendor reviews from newlyweds so future brides can check on their local vendor’s reputations before booking them. Also, you can look at vendor portfolios online and comparison shop before scheduling appointments. Eventually you’ll be able to book your vendors right through the site and keep track of everything online. They just released a community area, too, so brides can chat and ask questions to each other or to professional vendors. Planning tools are in the works and so are free wedding websites.

Here’s an unflattering photo of me (right) with Erica and Brian, two of the WeddingWire staff members.

For you brides in the early planning stages, it is a great resource for checking out what vendors are in your area. I really love how the site uses Google Maps so you can see specifically where they are located.

Check it out at www.weddingwire.com.