Can't Buy Me Love - Unless You're Bidding in Real Time

In 2013, the average cost of a wedding was approximately $30,000. Over the course of an 8 hour wedding day, that means that couples spent $3,750 per hour. In Manhattan, couples spent an average of $87,000, which essentially equates to the cost of a used car for each hour of their big day.

When planning a wedding, many brides pretend money is like your boozy aunt’s ability to stay sober longer than 30 minutes into the reception: it simply doesn't exist. Having said that, most couples would love to reduce the costs associated with tying the knot. Atlanta-based startup AlphaBride wants to make weddings more affordable for everyone.

Founded by Sterlin Barkley, “AlphaBride, helps couples reduce costs associated with marriage by up to 30 percent. (We) allow newlyweds to focus more on growing together as a couple, as opposed to focusing on financial survival,” says Barkley. “(Excessive) wedding spending creates premarital debt, which often carries over into the lives of newlyweds, and contributes to the leading cause of relational conflict and ultimately, divorce. Ironically, money helps make marriages possible, but can also bring them apart.”

While other wedding websites’ sole focus is helping brides-to-be find local vendors, AlphaBride uses reverse auction, real-time bidding technology, “which is robust and mature, but has not yet been available to the wedding industry,” he explains. “We provide brides a platform to exercise their economic powers in the same way that governments and enterprise level businesses might do when taking bids from competitive vendors.”

Atlanta-resident Barkley got the idea for AlphaBride after he began producing wedding videos over 10 years ago. Over time, he noticed that all couples, regardless of their economic background, had a common desire to reduce the cost associated with celebrating their big day. “I would constantly receive requests from brides for a lower service rate or a discount,” he recalls. “But, I would only offer a discount if I felt it was necessary to do so, as a result of a competitor offering a better rate than mine.”

The AlphaBride team are currently seeking $250k in funding. With 2.1 million marriages taking place annually and a U.S. market value of $60 billion, the opportunity is ripe for them. If you’re planning a wedding this year, be sure to check out AlphaBride.

Follow AlphaBride on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlphaBride
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alphabride
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/alphabride/