In seven days, I will be getting married. I don't know what percentage of the projected $95 Billion in 2006 online sales will be wedding-related, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is a big chunk. One friend calls a wedding registry the "Super Bowl for Women," and I'd believe it...we're registered for three different kinds of napkin rings, and we don't even have any napkins in our house. We now have over 100 things to drink from and only two mouths to use them (granted mine is admittedly big). I do have a friend who offered to go off-registry to get me a power drill instead of that fine china that we won't use until Thanksgiving of 2035. I'll have to save an extra piece of wedding cake for him.

As a fraternity alum, I do recognize the fine line between meaning and hazing in this whole ritual. Standing in front of your friends and professing your love: meaningful. Vowing in front of a holy person that your fidelity is strong: meaningful. Doing the fox trot with your mom in front of your college roommates: hazing.

I'm just glad vendor negotiations are not more like weddings:

Buyer:  "We really have a good feeling about your company."

Vendor:  "Great, here is the contract that we have drawn up for you."

Buyer:  "Okay, we'll just insert this little clause here that says that if this good feeling ever goes away, we'll take your company for half of its worth, but you don't have to worry about that."

Vendor:  "Sounds good to me.  Welcome to our family!"

Overall, I have been impressed with some of the great lifecycle marketing that we have seen during our past year of engagement. Wedding-related marketers seem to have a great handle on the whole "right message to the right person at the right time" strategy.  I'd be interested to see a study about a retailer who does wedding-related and non wedding-related email marketing to see which program generates the better ROI. 

Of course, the next step would be for each registry to allow the couple to upload a list of attendees to schedule reminders.  That would not only be insanely tacky (at least in the U.S.), but it would throw a roadblock in my power drill plan.  However, it would go nicely with this site: www.weddingregift.com.