Daily Aisle Creating a One-Stop Site for Wedding Planning

Kira M. Newman August 26, 2011 Tweet

In a viral video last week, a Canadian man set up a surprise wedding for his girlfriend and then proposed to and married her on the same day. The blushing bride, rather than bemoaning the loss of her wedding-planning fun, was ecstatic.

“So much stress is alleviated,” she said. “I don’t even have to think about it anymore.”

Daily Aisle, currently graduating from 500 Startups, is also hoping to alleviate wedding stress—but not with an over-the-top romantic gesture. Brides- and grooms-to-be just search their site by location, number of guests, and price, and discover venues like the San Francisco Art Institute, the chic Hotel Vitali, and the majestic Julia Morgan Ballroom. Instead of contacting venues and caterers individually, fiancé(e)s choose a full package—which will later include extras like photography, entertainment, and flowers.

Daily Aisle is in beta and launching in the Bay Area in late September.

The idea struck cofounder Jeffrey Lu when he was helping a friend plan his nuptials. “I saw how inefficient the wedding planning process was,” says Lu. “We want to be the easiest place for people to plan and book their weddings.”

Daily Aisle also cuts stress for merchants. According to Lu, who spent time with venues to understand their problems, 90 percent of the wedding leads they receive are immediately disqualified—with the wrong price limit, date, or number of guests. And they often pay big bucks just for premium listings on popular sites like Wedding Wire and The Knot. Daily Aisle competes by taking a 10 percent fee only if a wedding is booked.

Daily Aisle has signed up about thirty venues near San Francisco, a small selection for picky brides. If your dream wedding is elsewhere, be sure to let them know.