Weddings
Two weekends ago, I was honored to be part of my sister’s wedding.
Signe is my only sister and my only sibling. I love her dearly. My parents were, of course, proud. Chris is a great man. Over the past year I’ve come to know him well.
Watching them over the past year, I’ve seen how the web can assist in planning a wedding. Particularly, it allows the couple to communicate to friends and family in a different way. It allows them to tell their story.
I’m now at the age that many of my friends are getting married. In the past couple of years, I’ve been to a few weddings. Not all have used the internet to organize–they haven’t created sites using one or more of the many services available. Instead, I have received a simple invitation and an RSVP card or envelope.
Signe and Chris took a different approach that I don’t think is that far out of the ordinary for many couples these days.
I admit, I do have a bit or a bias here–I know more of my sister’s backstory than other people who attended the wedding. That being said, I did feel that they were very open with telling their story. Guests could learn the story on their website. They told the very personal stories of how they met and of the night Chris proposed to Signe.
At many other weddings, these stories are spread by word of mouth. To them, web communication may have felt too impersonal. Instead, my sister and her husband made the web personal and made it their own.
And, that’s the way it should be.
A lot of money is spent on weddings each year. It’s a cash cow for all the vendors involved throughout the process. However, to make it a truly memorable event, you don’t have to have a large, highly produced event. Instead, you have to make sure all guests are part of the community. The ability to be an effective storyteller makes them feel closer to you and the event more enjoyable.
Of course, there are some very fundamental ways the internet has made weddings easier, too. Bargain shopping for rentals or purchases of any utensils, napkins, or placemats is at your fingertips. Online registries make inventory management far simpler—guests don’t have to worry as much about purchasing duplicate gifts. Brides and grooms can even register parts of their honeymoon so guests buy them a night of theatre, tickets to a baseball game, or breakfast in bed.
In this case, the internet is here to help and assist, playing a supporting role in the organizational process.
Overall, it helps you build and communicate with your community.
That’s the way it should be, right?
My warmest congratulations to my Signe and Chris.
And, Chris, welcome to the family.
Oh, and today is Signe’s birthday. Happy Birthday!
