by Lydia Chen

Created on: August 25, 2009

The big day is set. You've started a wedding planning notebook to keep organized, bought a pile of bridal magazines for inspiration, and started searching online to find the perfect wedding favors. But before you start filling out any forms to request information from vendors, here are a few things you should know if you don't want your inbox to be full of spam for the first few years of wedded bliss.

Create a Designated Wedding Email Address

It takes some extra effort, but creating a designated wedding email address is worth the time to avoid having your personal email address swamped with spam. Use your favorite free email provider such as Yahoo, Gmail, or Juno to set up an email account that will only be used for wedding related needs. Using a designated email address for your wedding planning will also help keep you organized and can be used as an RSVP tool for wedding attendees.

Be Selective

Many times, vendors want an email address simply because it assists them in conducting their marketing campaign. Unless the vendor requires an email address or needs it to communicate with you, then leave the entry blank. Only give out your email address when you must and you'll save yourself some unnecessary spam.

Look for the Fine Print

When filling out contact information or setting up an online account to make a wedding related purchase, look for a section defining your email preferences. Be sure to read the fine print carefully and check or uncheck the appropriate boxes so that you will not receive ongoing email correspondence from the vendor.

Use the Phone

Doing as much wedding planning as possible via phone not only will help you to avoid receiving spam, but many times it is a better way to do business. You can ask questions and receive immediate feedback, ask for any special discounts or coupons, and actually talk to a person rather than dealing with vendors through the impersonal Internet.

Optimize Your Spam Detector

Did you accidentally give out your personal email address without thinking about it? Then make sure the spam detector in your personal email account is working at its optimum. Use the help feature of your email provider to navigate the spam detector features and options. Any time you do receive spam in your inbox, report it as spam so that your filter will automatically recognize it as such the next time the same vendor sends spam your way.

Unsubscribe to Spam

If you're already receiving spam, do what you can to remove yourself from the vendor's subscriber list. Many times at the bottom of a spam advertisement, there's an option to "unsubscribe here." Click on this option and then follow the prompts to remove yourself from the vendor's email contact list.

Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life and with all the planning it takes to make your special day go smoothly, the last thing you want to deal with is extra spam in your inbox. Follow these simple tips and you won't let spam get the upper hand.

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