[ibimage==26037==Large==none==self==null]Long gone is the ‘bridezilla’ trope inspired by the trials and tribulations of managing the big day. Castle Rock-based mywedding aims to relieve some of the stress by being the one-stop shop for efficient wedding planning in the digital age.

They are doing this by venturing into the world of content. On the website, members can search everything from dress styles to potential vendors to honeymoon destinations. For brides, “we’re trying to provide her not only with tools, but with a plethora of information to guide her throughout her planning adventure,” said Meghan Schoen, VP of Marketing.

Offering a large amount of content also helps to remedy the issue of short-term users. “We look at ourselves as a young women’s media network,” rather than a website solely for wedding planning, said president Woody Pastorius. In addition to an extensive Articles & Advice section, mywedding has also entered the world of journalism with mywedding: The Magazine. The online publication’s first issue was released in Winter 2013, and it features a host of inspiration for all facets of a wedding, from themed photoshoots to menu ideas.

Years ago, the wedding planning business “wasn’t nearly as competitive as it is today,” Pastorius said, with social media sites like Pinterest now becoming vital tools to share and search for inspiration. But its location-based technology that sets mywedding apart from its competitors, since members can hire local vendors for wedding essentials like cakes and flowers. More than just gathering inspiration, brides “wanted to look at those beautiful images and be able to find someone near them who could recreate exactly what was inspiring them,” Schoen said. “That’s what perpetuated our continuing focus on our local products.”

In terms of making their vendor listings more effective, Schoen said mywedding has “invested time and resources into figuring out exactly what appeals to the bridal user.” The company utilizes this information to “implement a more effective marketing campaign” by “specifically tailoring the message in a way that we know will be impactful for the bride.” The company also holds “two dozen wedding professional events during the year,” said Pastorius, where they discuss sales and marketing strategies with variety of vendors.

mywedding is in over 1,000 markets from Canada to the United Kingdom, South Africa to Australia, Pastorius said, so the company definitely has its pulse on the modern bride. Looking towards the future, “more and more brides are harnessing the power of individuality and focusing on how to create their unique wedding celebration,” Schoen said. “We’ve tailored our product offerings and our content to appeal to those needs.”