My Not-So-Private Big Fat Greek Wedding

Since 2000, there have been more than two million marriages every year in the United States. In fact, the average cost of a wedding in America is approximately $25,000.

But what about the privacy cost? Planning a wedding often involves communicating with ten or more vendors. From photographers and caterers to musicians and cake bakeries, wedding planning requires providing your personal contact information to total strangers. On top of this, attending bridal expos can result in sharing your personal phone number and email address with dozens of vendors as part of the selection process for each facet of your wedding.

All of this can expose you to high volumes of spam that could take months, if not years, to fully eliminate. Then there's the risk of your personal data falling into the hands of scammers. Do you really want the entire world knowing every minute detail about your big day?

In this special "MySudo Monday" episode of Privacy Files, we examine the wedding planning process and how you can use a privacy app like MySudo to limit your digital exhaust, thus reducing your exposure to spammers and scammers.

We kick off the episode by welcoming Nina to the show to discuss her recent wedding and some of the challenges she faced, and still faces to this day, as the result of using her primary email address over the course of an entire year while planning her special day.

Sarah then jumps into some fascinating wedding statistics, from the average cost per guest to the states where weddings cost the most. Did you know the average wedding cake costs just under $500?

After Rich briefly touches on the not-so-well-known subject of wedding insurance, Sarah dives into the do's and don'ts of wedding websites for ensuring you maintain control over your privacy. From creating a secure wedding website and streaming safely to asking permission before publishing guest photos and deactivating your wedding website when the event is over, there are some simple things you can do to protect yours and others' personal information.

We close out the episode by outlining a few examples where MySudo can be used to protect personal data during the wedding planning process. And beyond the privacy angle, MySudo also can be used to conveniently manage key vendors. For instance, you can create separate Sudos, or digital identities, for things like catering, floral arrangements and the wedding reception venue.

Rich also plugs MySudo's upcoming appearance at the Bridal Expo in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah on May 20, 2023.

Links Referenced:

https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-cost-of-wedding

https://lovelyweddingskc.com/2021/08/03/cyber-safe-wedding-websites/

https://staysafeonline.org/online-safety-privacy-basics/wedding-planning/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com