The top-level domain (TLD) .WED is a unique internet entity introduced as part of ICANN’s new gTLD program (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). The .WED domain is primarily targeted towards couples seeking to celebrate their marriage and wedding businesses. It provides an exclusive platform for couples to create wedding websites and for wedding service providers to market their offerings.
At global level, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), a non-profit organization that oversees the allocation and categorization of internet domain names, launched the new gTLD program in 2012. According to ICANN, the goal of initiating this program was “to increase competition and choice by introducing new gTLDs into the Internet’s addressing system.” (ICANN’s gTLD website). Among the hundreds of new TLDs introduced, .WED is one of the domain extensions that was designed and introduced specifically for the global wedding industry.
As stated by “.WED – Top Level Domain” (tldesigner.com), .WED is an excellent tool for couples who wish to create a unique, memorable address for their wedding website. For instance, maryandjohn.wed could be a potential website address for a couple named Mary and John, making it easy for guests to remember and access information about the wedding.
For wedding industry service providers, such as photographers, caterers, planners, venue providers and bridal shops, the .WED domain provides a fresh, niche platform for branding and marketing. They can use this unique domain to distinguish their brand from competitors and directly target their potential clients. For example, a wedding photography business called “Dream Shots” can have a domain like dreamshots.wed.
Despite these potential applications, this TLD had a tough ride. The .WED TLD was administered by Atgron, Inc. However, according to a report by Domain Name Wire, the organization faced difficulties maintaining the domain and eventually, in 2019, ICANN announced the termination of the .WED top-level domain agreement with Atgron. Due to lack of renewals, the fate of this TLD hanging in balance.
This information about the .WED domain and its application has been gained from multiple reliable sources such as ICANN’s official gTLD documentation, domain industry news site Domain Name Wire, and TLD designer’s review of the .WED domain.
Sources:
1. ICANN: https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/
2. TLD Designer: https://tldesigner.com/tlds/wed-top-level-domain
3. Domain Name Wire: https://domainnamewire.com/2019/02/21/wed-top-level-domain-to-be-auctioned-with-hopes-of-50m-sale/
