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D. Murali

Agonising over a gift for your friend's wedding? Online wedding registries where the bride and groom put up a wish list and guests could choose what to gift are the fashion. And there's some help for the newly single too.

IT is not common for people getting married to announce a list of sponsors. However, one successful e-com ideas is that of a wedding registry. If you thought we are talking about what is done in the sub-registrar's office, you're wrong.

Wedding registries are the online answer to putting up a wish list, where guests could choose among the things needed and gift-wrap the same. From an economic standpoint, it makes good sense to match supply with demand. "Start by checking the `still need' column to see which gifts the couple hasn't received," advises one such site. "When you're ready to buy a gift, simply click on the `buy item' button."

Thereafter, the shopping cart software takes over and, as a good guest, you make the payment from your account. Another site helps the newlyweds finance their honeymoon. "For any honeymoon destination, you can create registry items for any part of your honeymoon — airfare, hotel, restaurants, snorkelling, tennis lessons, horseback rides, parasailing — practically anything you can think of!"

And the site's registry `wizards' can "help you create a complete honeymoon registry in about 5 minutes." For instance, a couple can describe components of honeymoon required — such as, five numbers of "romantic dinner on the town", three units of "fun evening at the beach bar", one "breakfast in bed", two "in-room massage" and 10 "500 miles of airfare" — and specify the dollar value for each.

What are the financials? A registry site informs that for its registrants, out-of-pocket costs are zero. "There's no signup or setup charge for your registry. Your personal wedding Web page is free. Even your optional email address is free!" Not everybody could be lucky in getting gifts. So, "in the unlikely event that none of your guests contribute to your registry, please just consider the Web page and so on to be our wedding gifts to you." What does the site gain out of this? "We simply deduct a 9 per cent service charge (lower than others out there, we might add) from the total of your guests' cash contributions," it notes. If you thought it too high, there is a concession of 3.5 per cent if you travelled through the site's "preferred partner".

That is all fine, but with a good percentage of marriages ending in divorce, is there need for help to reduce the pain for those affected? Breaking up is a tough thing. So, here comes Pete Siegel with his site theytookeverything.com, to take some of the sting out of divorce. On his site, newly single people can register and create an online gift registry, because they also need things. "You might think the mere idea of the site is funny, even a little crazy," states the site in `about us'. "The reality is, these situations are never easy, not for the person going through it, or your friends who really want to help."

Those who have registered have sorrowful tales: Sarang says, "Broke up with my girlfriend." Kristi complains, "My husband had been abusive both mentally and physically throughout our entire marriage." Brandon rues: "My girlfriend of two years broke up with me six months ago. I met her online back in 1998." Nicole reminisces, "I was dating a guy for 9 months; we were best friends, together every single day, everything was perfect." And Rob regrets, "After 14years of marriage, I took her for granted. The grass is not green out here." And they can put up a list of items `needed', as for instance a player with which "you can fall asleep to the sound of your favourite CD, not your ex's snoring."

Well, these lonely people require `things' and also `therapy'. "Welcome to Self Help Therapy," invites the site. "Ok, you're angry, you're sad, maybe even happy. No matter what your current feelings are, who couldn't be a little better with a little bit of light-hearted fun, especially when your ex is on the receiving end of the joke." The therapy is designed as a game where "you can dress up your ex in a wide variety of humiliating and painful outfits." You have to "simply drag the items to him with your mouse and they'll snap right into place! Then when you're satisfied, print him out and frame him above your toilet!"

There is a contest too, that is closing in a few days, the Valentine's Day "Horror Story Contest." The winner will receive $100 in merchandise. So what are you waiting for?

ITworks@thehindu.co.in

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