I was reflecting on my own wedding day, nine years ago and realised that I didn't even have a computer at home, never mind internet access. The photographs were on film, so they were taken and then a couple of weeks passed by before choosing which photographs we would like to put in our album. The wedding list was at a department store where we spent the day browing through items to put on our list which was then printed and sent with the invitations. It was all organised without even the slightest hint of a keyboard.
How times have changed, now everything is instant, online and can be done in your own home. You can even have your own 'Wedding Website' and have invitations sent electronically. There is a plethora of wedding directories on the Web as well as a diverse array of gift lists which go from the traditional to the alternative. Forums abound as brides everywhere talk about their impending nuptials, asking for advice and sharing ideas. If you haven't got the time or the inclination to plan your own wedding you can always find a wedding planner online!
It did not surprise me to learn that one of the most successful topics for marketing to women online is-weddings.
So is this trend set to continue?
According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics) there were 311,180 weddings in 2004 which showed an annual increase on 2003. Analysis from Hitwise, the leader in online competitive intelligence, reveals that the market share of visits to wedding websites grew 15% year on year, comparing the weeks of 13 August in 2005 and 2004, with the smaller players snapping at the heels of long dominant, www.confetti.co.uk and www.hitched.co.uk
It certainly looks like the online wedding world has a healthy future.