Cyber Brides
George Cranford
The Internet promises to be the information, communication and shopping medium of the future. If you’re getting married this year or next, it’s likely you’ll research some of your needs over the Internet, and you might make some decisions or purchases based on what you see.
You could conceivably purchase everything over the Internet. Brides today rely on online wedding planners, purchase dresses, sign up for bridal registries and book honeymoons. They surf wedding and reception sites, select wedding cake designs, shop for limousine services, select tuxedo fashions, view the work of wedding photographers and consult wedding coordinators.
Many successful and established wedding purveyors have registered domain names and websites. And using the Internet to view and purchase products and services has never been easier. If you’re shopping for a Hawaiian honeymoon or destination wedding, for example, simply type “Hawaiian wedding” into nearly any search engine, and you’ll have more than a dozen sites to choose from.
“By searching the Internet, brides can find services they can’t find in their hometowns,” said Tim Clark, president of Hawaiian Island Weddings in Maui, Hawaii. “Brides select from more than 20 wedding packages on any of the four Hawaiian Islands. They expect us to take care of everything from providing a minister to licensing arrangements.”
Companies such as Clark’s provide all-inclusive destination weddings. He said that seven years ago print advertising was his marketing mainstay, but today he books more than 50 percent of his business over his Internet site. Other wedding-related companies receive up to 90 percent of their business from the Internet. Most brides correspond with vendors using email or toll free phone numbers.
“We’ve arranged entire weddings via email and not spoken with couples until their wedding day,” Clark said. “There’s a form on our website called ‘book my wedding’ where brides select a starting package and add extras.”
Clark said the Internet provides his firm with an international market, and the medium has allowed him to cost effectively expand his business. He said his site, www.hawaiianislandweddings.com, gets more than 2,500 hits per month.
You can shop for complete wedding packages or find individual services in nearly any city in the world. Whether you’re going to Hawaii or Paris, you can book your own discount travel over the Internet. Brides go to familiar sites such as www.expedia.com or www.travelocity.com.
Links to Internet travel sites can be also found on popular start pages such as Excite, Yahoo, Lycos or MSN. Or, you can enter “travel agent” into a search engine. The Excite search engine, for example, returns more than 14 million responses. Refined searches reduce responses based on destinations, departure cities or specialties, such as cruises or resorts.
Travel, destinations and reception sites are the most obvious candidates for Internet research, but what about personal items such as wedding gowns? Many brides overlook this opportunity to review thousands of styles and fashions. And many purchase their gowns online.
Tom Hunt, vice president of marketing for NetBride.com in Minneapolis, said brides and bridesmaids can have the same personalized service online they receive from their local boutiques. NetBride.com has been selling gowns over the Internet for more than five years. Hunt said his and other businesses offer size guarantees, refunds and exchanges.
“Brides order from selections on our site or they provide us with a manufacturer’s name and style number,” Hunt said. “They can even order a dress from a magazine – they just give us the issue and page number. Brides also fax us photos or email pictures as attachments.”
Brides see an online fashion show, shop for accessories, read testimonials, learn how to size and measure, ask questions and place orders.
But is there a benefit to shopping online?
“Brides receive excellent service and a substantial cost savings by ordering online – up to 35 percent off retail,” Hunt said. “There are brides who live in rural areas and may not have a local dress shop. Those brides shop the Web from home. Payment is by check or credit card.”
Some brides purchase dresses and accessories through Internet auction houses. Kevin Pursglove, senior director of communications for eBay in San Jose, Calif., said brides bid for new and previously owned gowns as well as wedding jewelry.
“All a bride does is register on eBay, and she can buy and sell wedding items there,” Pursglove said. “Transactions take place between private parties. The bidder sends a check or money order, and the seller ships the merchandise. Brides can email sellers and ask questions. Our function is to bring together large amounts of buyers and sellers.”
There is no shortage of services offered over the Internet. But to some the process of navigation can be confusing and the volume of responses can be overwhelming. To assist with Internet and wedding-related frustrations there are online wedding consultants.
“I receive around 1,500 emails per month from brides asking wedding planning questions,” said Sherry Matthews of Sherry Matthews Consulting at www.weddinghelpline.com in Miami. “They ask where to find services and how to manage their weddings.”
Online wedding consultants also serve as confidantes and big sisters. Matthews said she solves problems concerning anything from wording on invitations to understanding the fine print on an entertainment contract.
The website receives up to 70,000 hits per month, she said. Her primary function is to save a bride time and money, dispense advice and minimize frustrations. Brides often want nothing more than wedding theme ideas, she said.
“More and more brides want to personalize their ceremonies,” she said. “I have links to sites where they can find vows and ceremony suggestions. There’s a page on the site listing the marriage license requirements for all 50 states. The website is a resource center for brides with a vision and a wedding fantasy.”
Many brides have concerns about security and safety when shopping the Internet. Your best safeguard is to make purchases using national credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, Amex or Discover. If there’s a dispute or fraud, most credit card banks will credit your account.
If you have a complaint about a company, the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection will investigate. Simply go to www.ftc.gov and click the link titled “File a Complaint Online.” But generally you’ll find that most wedding purveyors on the Internet are on the up-and-up.
If you truly want to expand your resources and increase your shopping options, the Internet is there for you 24/7. From San Diego to Long Island, and everywhere in between, you’ll find there is an abundance of information and assistance instantly available with the quick click of your mouse.