Q: Why did you recently relocate your corporate headquarters from Washington state to Castle Rock?
A: Castle Rock is a quintessential Colorado city that provides us access to the million-plus workforce of Denver and Colorado Springs, while still offering a great quality of life.
And the local community is very involved, a big factor for us since our success has always come because we are locally focused. We will still maintain our offices in Bainbridge Island, Wash., and Beaverton, Ore.
Q: What are the biggest surprises an engaged couple encounter when planning a wedding?
A: The two biggest surprises we usually hear are how much over the initial budget the bridal couple went and how long the planning really took.
We’ve all been to weddings and admired the cake, flowers, dress and food, but until you’re doing the planning yourself, you can’t fully appreciate the work and money that goes into creating a personalized wedding experience. Which is exactly what we look to help with — giving couples tools to better manage their time and budget so wedding planning is an enjoyable experience rather than a stressful one.
We also hear that couples are surprised by how fun wedding planning turned out to be. Couples find they can create a very unique day that is all about them.
Q: As an advertising-supported site, how have you been affected by the weak economy?
A: One of the best parts about being in the wedding business is that people will always get married. The large number of weddings in the U.S. each year indicates that while people may have different budgeting priorities, no one is sacrificing the actual event.
Since our local guides offer a range of wedding-related services at multiple price points, couples are still able to find the type of vendors who fit their budget. Our wedding websites are free for consumers, which is good in any economy. Most couples are using the Web for much of their planning and inspiration, so we continue to keep our services affordable for the wedding vendors.
Edited for length and clarity by staff writer Steve Raabe.
