The Most High-Tech Dream Wedding Debuts In June By The Knot

NEW YORK, April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Knot, the #1 online wedding resource, today announced that this year's The Knot Dream Wedding will showcase how technology will personalize the next generation of weddings, and it all comes to life for one lucky couple who will receive an all-expenses paid wedding. The couple who won America's hearts—and votes—to become the 2015 Dream Wedding couple is Samantha Carisch and Taylor Sinclair of Redondo Beach, California. An annual event, The Knot inspires, plans and books a luxe wedding, and allows America to help by voting on several key elements, including the couple who were announced today at TheKnot.com/dreamwedding.

TheKnot.com will document the couple's journey to their "I dos" and capture all of the exciting, dramatic and love-filled moments that come with preparing for a wedding through original content, articles, the bride's blog, social media and video—the centerpiece of the program. Each week, Anja Winikka, The Knot site director, will host an online video program joined by Samantha Murphy Kelly, senior tech correspondent at Mashable, to announce some never-been-seen-before tech elements that will elevate their day. The crowdsourced wedding will be live-streamed on June 4, 2015.

"The technology trends you'll see implemented at The Knot Dream Wedding will be ahead of the curve, and we anticipate that most, if not all, weddings will be using many of these elements by 2020," Winikka said.

Simple applications of technology can make a big impact on personalization, which is a growing trend for weddings. The Knot Dream Wedding will be applying smart uses of technology to help tell the couple's unique story. Expect to see drones, 3-D printing, data to record the bride's and groom's heart rate at key moments, and some cutting-edge, high-tech surprises.    

The Knot four-week video series launches on TheKnot.com/dreamwedding on Wednesday, April 29, at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. The Knot editors will suggest four options for the wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses, florist, stationery, hair and makeup, wedding rings and even the honeymoon, and America will have the final vote on each element. Live voting opens during the Wednesday program and closes on the following Tuesday at midnight ET/9 p.m. PT.

TheKnot.com local vendor marketplace has more than 250,000 wedding professionals from around the country to help couples plan their perfect wedding. For the annual Dream Wedding, The Knot highlights some of their prestigious local and national partners and clients. The venue sponsor and pouring partner for 2015 is Chateau St. Jean. Its vineyard will be the backdrop for the couple's elegant, outdoor affair. Other promotional partners include Mashable, Kleinfeld Bridal, H.L. Gross & Bros. Jewelers, BHLDN, Jenny Yoo, Allure Bridesmaid, Amsale, Farm Girl Flowers, California Cut Flower Commission, PRIV and The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. Twitter is the official social media partner.

"Samantha and Taylor have a truly heartfelt, unique love story, and we're excited to bring their personalized wedding to life, with a little help from America," said Rebecca Dolgin, editor in chief of The Knot. "We know that millennials are infusing technology into their lives, and soon it will be in an integral part of their weddings too."

About the Couple
Samantha and Taylor were selected by America from one of the top six final couples, chosen from thousands of engaged couples who wrote to The Knot sharing their love story. They met at a minor league baseball game when Taylor was playing for the Visalia Rawhide, a minor league baseball team associated with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Taylor proposed during a vacation in Mexico. The couple made two attempts at planning their wedding, but both were postponed as the bride's mother fell ill, and Samantha eventually moved in to be her full-time caretaker. With the experts at The Knot planning their dream wedding, the third time will be the charm. Plus, the digital, high-tech components of the couple's wedding will allow the mother of the bride to feel a part of the planning and the day, even if her illness prevents her from attending in person.

About The Knot Dream Wedding
The Knot Dream Wedding began in 2000 when The Knot and the TODAY show partnered to create one of the first ventures into interactive television, TODAY Ties The Knot. Millions of TV viewers watched The Knot editors preview key elements of the wedding on TV, as they encouraged America to vote online and make the final decision on everything from the dress, venue and the flowers to the cake and even the couple. This interactive TV partnership continued for 10 years, and in 2013, The Knot embarked on the first-ever live-streamed, crowdsourced wedding planned by The Knot experts, celebrity wedding professionals and TheKnot.com members. The Knot Dream Wedding in 2014 was live-streamed to an incredible audience of approximately 200,000 online viewers. In 2015, The Knot Dream Wedding will provide a glimpse into the future of the next generation of weddings by showcasing the cutting-edge technology that can be applied to a wedding in a meaningful and personalized way.  

About The Knot
The Knot is the nation's leading wedding resource, reaching nearly every couple in America through the #1 wedding website, TheKnot.com; mobile apps; The Knot national and local wedding magazines; The Knot book series; and syndicated columns in newspapers nationwide. The Knot is the flagship brand of XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO), the premier consumer Internet and media company dedicated to guiding people through transformative lifestages - from getting married and moving in together to having a baby. Follow The Knot on Twitter and Instagram @TheKnot.

Forward Looking Statements 
This release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or our future financial performance. These statements are only predictions and reflect our current beliefs and expectations. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the projections or forward-looking statements. It is routine for internal projections and expectations to change, and therefore it should be clearly understood that the internal projections and beliefs upon which we base our expectations may change. Although these expectations may change, we will not necessarily inform you if they do or update this release. Please refer to documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of the risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein. Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

CONTACTS:

Caty Bennett, Public Relations Manager, The Knot, (212) 515-3595, [email protected]

Jennifer Perciballi, Vice President, Corporate Communications, XO Group Inc., (212) 515-1595, [email protected]

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SOURCE The Knot

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