It seemed like everyone I know got married in the summer of ’99. Every other week my husband and I found ourselves in yet another picturesque village or snazzy London venue, toasting the happy couple and wishing we hadn’t eloped.

By mid-September I was hell-bent on my own walk down the aisle, so I started doing my research. I spent hours on the phone with my newlywed girlfriends, and I soaked up wedding magazines and websites like a thirsty sponge.

Although I found myself making decisions on dresses (no meringue) and venues (urban chic) with surprising ease, the question of where to register our wedding list was another issue.

My husband detested the idea of being dragged through the shops, and almost all of my friends recounted some kind of wedding list horror story. These ranged from tales of unending waiting lists, impersonal service and broken bits & bobs, to consistent complaints about the lack of imaginative selection - one bride-to-be was so uninspired by what was on offer that she went to the trouble of building her own list from a variety of shops across London.

I just knew that there had to be an easier way to build a decent wedding list and as an Internet development manager, I was convinced that the convenience of the web would hold the key.

So in early 2000, I asked Jonathan Doull, a good friend and website guru, if he could build the necessary technology. He was up for a challenge and agreed. I then asked another friend Catherine, well known in my circle as a stylish and consummate shopper, if she would help me to create a portfolio of products that went above and beyond the wedding list norm. It took all of 2 seconds to convince her to join my crusade and the wrapit site is the result of our efforts to create the ultimate wedding list service.

We feature an outstanding selection of things for your home, as well as some rather amazing things for your life: fancy a massage in a Mongolian yurt? Moreover, we’ve done it in a way that’s completely flexible, so you can change your mind about what you want even after your wedding. And we’ve made sure that your very own wrapit Personal Consultant will take good care of you and your guests every step of the way.

If you’d like, you can visit our London showroom, but you’ll find that we’ve designed our website with all the tools you’ll need to manage your whole wedding list without ever having to leave your home.

That’s the part my husband likes most.

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