A wed 2.0 service:

• makes it easy for non-technical brides and grooms to develop, share and access content
• gets newbies up and running with a minimal learning curve
• provides an organized, easy to use, intuitive experience
• works great on all types of platforms from desktops to cell phones
• encourages collaboration, information sharing and social networking
• responds to trends quickly and nimbly
• is free or low-cost

Now, let’s talk about the types of services I will be gleefully bashing, the ones that make me fly into a rage…

A non-wed 2.0 service

• gets away with charging more than it should by using the word “wedding”
• makes my iPhone crash, isn’t compatible with macs or different types browsers
• takes forever to load a page
• forces me to click through page after page searching for what I want
• exists as a static website where users passively consume information
• adds new features slowly
• reacts to change instead of creating it

Thoughts? What am I forgetting?

Although as trends go, I gotta say…um, I know it sounds crazy patently obvious, but technology’s here to stay. The Knot isn’t going too far out on a limb here. I think it’s more a question of how brides and grooms will use technology in their planning. Will they keep the actual event traditional, but facilitate the planning by purchasing some of the great software out there? Or will they use the free tools from sites like Martha Stewart and The Knot?

The only wedding planning software available for the Mac. Are you listening, Steve Jobs?!?!?

What about taking it to the next level by posting photos on Facebook and asking their friends to vote on everything from wedding-day ensembles to centerpiece options? Photo-booth kiosks where guests’ photos are downloaded onto a hard drive instead of printed out? And I’ve even heard talk of emailed invitations and online RSVPs (greener options, yes, but I’m not quite there yet). Stay tuned…