Is It Time For You to Get Hitched at SharedWeddings?

With Cory and Gretchen's wedding last month, weddings have been on my mind of late, and one fascinating social/nuptial site called SharedWeddings has definitely gotten my attention.

It's also an Irish start-up, which helps me fulfill the promise I made to an expat to review more Eireo 2.0 companies in the next week.

But regardless of where it's from, SharedWeddings is worth your attention. But first a little wedding background.

Weddings are big business. Actually they are huge business. This article from Black Enterprise says that every year wedding companies of all shapes and sizes chalk up between $38B and $42B annually. You've got venues, photographers, videographers, tuxes, invitations, dresses, food, bouquets, liquor, bands/DJs, and of course the cake, which can routinely run you $15 a slice. The average wedding, I am told, goes for about $20K.

So it's not at all hard to understand why there are many digital companies in this space.

SharedWeddings offers a comprehensive communications solution for weddings. With it you can:

Make a free password protected wedding website for your personal nuptials, including a choice of templates
Avail yourself of wedding planning tools so you know what to do when
Inform guests about your wedding details, pre-wedding events, directions, maps, etc.
Use their free blogging platform
Guests can RSVP online
Create multiple photo albums
Offer an entertaining wedding quiz and poll
Display your registry information
Collect and display user comments
Visit and participate in wedding forums

In terms of looks, the templates are attractive but very much focused on functionality versus bling. Having seen some wedding sites out there, I think that is a good thing. Anyone, from webizen to Great Grandma can figure out these mini sites.

Now it's time for the usual OLDMTA refrain...I am not sure what the revenue model is...I don't see ads though I would imagine their either they or CPA referral services to venues, dressmakers, planners, etc. are in the offing. Happily for SharedWeddings, there are no shortages of revenue opps in the wedding sector. It's a nice product, and of course free which makes it even nicer.

Now, there are probably those who think that couples would be fine blowing a couple hundred on Flash site templates at one of the many paid wedding hosting sites out there. But I think there are millions of customers that want to control costs any way they can. And for them...SharedWeddings is a great opp.

And if you are a wedding marketer, it'll be a great community to be a part of.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.