Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by w1ntermute on Thursday August 16, 2012 @03:48PM
(#4393300)
The most difficult part about getting into the wedding business as a startup is advertising. People (hopefully) only get married once, and they're usually too happy to go shopping around for deals. This is why wedding businesses can rake in huge profits by ripping off their customers. You get similar phenomena in the baby business and the funeral business (although with the latter the lack of interest in comparison shopping is due to grief). So RegistryLove's success will hinge largely on their ability to get the word out to the general public.
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Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by patio11 on Thursday August 16, 2012 @03:56PM
(#4393349)
The mortuary industry is also covered by state regulations designed to keep out competition, justified by entirely specious public health reasons. For example, it is illegal to import wooden boxes without a license in most American states, if those boxes are intended to be either buried or burned. Wooden boxes are well-understood commodity items which, if they had an OSHA sheet, would be stamped "generally regarded as safe."
The bridal-industrial complex does not benefit from similar regulations, but not for want of trying.
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by minikites on Thursday August 16, 2012 @08:31PM
(#4394438)
Honest question: could the wooden box license be intended to slow the transport of pests via wood? Moving firewood that hasn't been heat treated has been responsible for a lot of pest plagues in forests.
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by travisp on Thursday August 16, 2012 @10:03PM
(#4394710)
If so, it would be about moving wood that hasn't been heat treated. The law is generally worded to specifically be related to the funeral business. There are other laws that are similarly restrictive, such as a law in Louisiana that prohibits anyone from selling "funeral merchandise" if not licensed:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/casket-making-monks-fight-sel...
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by rdl on Thursday August 16, 2012 @10:37PM
(#4394819)
Not really an issue with treated/finished lumber.
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by patdennis on Thursday August 16, 2012 @04:13PM
(#4393420)
So RegistryLove's success will hinge largely on their ability to get the word out to the general public.
I agree with this. But, assuming the advertising dollars are there, it's extremely easy to target brides-to-be through specialty wedding publications, etc.
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by AznHisoka on Thursday August 16, 2012 @04:25PM
(#4393479)
if it's easy for them, it's easy for others as well.
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by mattgreenrocks on Thursday August 16, 2012 @03:54PM
(#4393342)
I would pay good money for a service that advertised vendors with a fair rate. I'm so sick of every vendor marking things up 100% or more because it is for a wedding. I'm really happy to pay for quality, but it becomes exploitative quickly.
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by allardschip on Thursday August 16, 2012 @06:16PM
(#4393942)
I recommend refraining from using the W word when getting an initial quote if you can.
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by tburch on Thursday August 16, 2012 @04:50PM
(#4393592)
You could easily apply the wedding registry idea to baby registries. I think there's a lot of potential in trying to make this more local instead of only at the big box stores.
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by Jerpo on Thursday August 16, 2012 @05:18PM
(#4393707)
Thanks for the input! We have plenty of local/ independent stores signed up, and want to have a huge focus on that.
Baby Registries are coming up soon :)
Re:Wedding Startup RegistryLove (YC S12) Lets Couples Regist...
by allardschip on Thursday August 16, 2012 @06:19PM
(#4393957)
I think you are spot on. It's the same reason why making a successful online dating website is very hard.