I am beyond thrilled, beyond delighted to welcome you to the brand new Polka Dot Wedding. This website has been years in the making, it is what I have plotted and planned and thought out over many long walks and deep-dive sessions. It’s what when we asked for your feedback last year we were working towards. It’s everything we wanted and it’s so much more.
Firstly, meet our new brand! In a turn up for the books, we’ve ditched the pink (that we’ve had as our hallmark for fourteen years!) and embraced, well colour. Everything we do is filled with colour, so why not add a little more? Joyful cheer is one of our brand values, and I never feel anything but joyful when I embrace the rainbow tones.
That’s not all that’s new though. When it comes to the website, apart from deliciously big new images and a long-overdue mobile-friendly site, we’ve also made other changes. And when I say some of these changes have been years in the making, they really have. There has been SO much planning and scheming behind the scenes. and now it’s finally coming to life!
Goodbye to Polka Dot Bride
Polka Dot Bride, our homepage, is no more. We’ve already changed our name, of course, but this is the last part of our transition. You’ll now find what used to be Polka Dot Bride’s content, on Polka Dot Featured. But of course, our specialty titles remain, with their brand new look… except for one.
Seeya Polka Dot Groom
We spoke a lot, when we changed our name to Polka Dot Wedding, about the reason we started Polka Dot Groom in the first place. When we did, there was nothing for grooms, so trying to be inclusive we introduced a blog, especially for the grooms. But times have changed, and as we have learnt more and understood more about inclusivity, we realised it was time to wave goodbye to Polka Dot Groom. You’ll now find this content all over Polka Dot Wedding.
Introducing Polka Dot You
When we changed our name to Polka Dot Wedding, it seemed a little silly to keep our blog, written by couples themselves as they plan and share their day, as Polka Dot Weddings, so we’ve switched it up into what it actually is. Polka Dot You. We have always wanted to give you a voice, and this is your space. As a bride OR groom, you are free to write about your wedding, your engagement, your plans. This is your space.
Enjoy more video
Video has been something we have been wanting to make more of for ages and now we’ve finally figured out one little nod towards one of our favourite things. You’ll spy our latest videos on our homepage, and be able to access our videos all in one place.
Filter weddings and shoots by style, setting, colour, location
We’ve been categorising our weddings and features so you can easily find what you’re looking for, for years, but now it’s actually easy to access. On every wedding and shoot, you’ll soon be able to see each detail and click to find more. Bear with us as we work through older posts adding this info. This feature is hitting the site oh so very soon!
A brand new directory
Our directory has had an overhaul! Each listing is now the same, and they all rotate randomly.
It is important to note that for our directory, we’ve opted out of various things. We’ve opted out of charm pricing across our site, and we’ve said no to decoy packages. Instead, we have now opted for just one package, with monthly or yearly payments, at one round price. And the best part? Our directory is entirely self serve, so you can pop in, and join the Polka Dot fam whenever you please. We’d love to have you join us, click here to sign up.
A new submissions site
Our submissions site has now been rolled into our main website. This means you have one login for everything (throw the confetti team, it’s a Christmas miracle!) We’ve also amped up the functionality, which means adding (and crediting) vendors, and sharing your questionnaire with the happy couple is even easier.
There is more on the way
We have a lot more launching, which we’ll be rolling out over the next few weeks, including a feature that we have literally been working behind the scenes on for four years. The roadmap ahead is busy, so consider what you’re seeing, somewhat of a half-finished version.
When you’ve been publishing content for fourteen years, there’s a lot to do. Redesigning a site such as ours requires heavy lifting. Everything you do takes longer, everything you dream up takes extra technical skill, and it is nothing short of climbing Everest to get it done. I often joke Polka Dot is a beast.
Our thanks and gratitude has to go to our designer She Designs Co – this amazing woman has been designing for us for, amazingly, over a decade and never fails to take what is in my head and execute it perfectly. Our dev team has also been incredible this year and managed to incorporate our massive dreams and tame the beast that is Polka, without ever faltering.
The patterned people have been the steady-state behind this all, pitching in with the endless to-do list, dealing with inevitable delays, bugs and chaos as we brought the dream to life. They cheered us on and pushed this forward. Their words, their ideas their touch is all over this beauty in ways they probably don’t even realise.
So many hours of work over many months by these amazing people to execute a vision that has been in my head for many years – I couldn’t be more grateful.
Bare with us over the next few weeks as we fix the bugs that only become apparent when real people see what you’ve been working so hard on. And stay tuned, because we have a LOT more coming!
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