Webbing

Let the searching begin!

Wow!  Talk about available information!  So much is out there and I love it!  The amount of information at our fingertips is jaw-dropping.  Enter the BIG problem...is it possible that there is too much information!?!  LOL!

I started with using Google.  Just for fun, I typed in "wedding".  An amazing 309,000,000 results came up in 19 seconds.  Now, I know my search topic was very broad, but I wanted to see what I was up against.  I am also using Bing.com as another search engine.

After seeing the many results, I decided I really need to make a plan and sort out exactly what I needed to be searching.  I used bubbl.us to make a graphic organizer of information I will be looking for. It really helps me stay focused and on topic.  Believe me, there are so many aspects of a wedding and it would be easy to get caught up in everything.  Deciding to focus on just a few elements of the reception has already helped me gain better direction.  Below is my "plan of attack"!

 
I am sure I will have to add questions and possible alter existing ones.  I have already taken off my search of a fancy port-a-potty.  I have come to the conclusion that as nice as they might be from a port-a-potty point of view...we are going to have to make sure the tent can be close enough to the house to used the restrooms inside the house!

Once I created my handy-dandy graphic organizer, I was able to better narrow down my online searches.  I focused on one topic at a time and change my search terms accordingly.  At first I started with the basic "outdoor wedding reception".  Those sites were full of fabulous tips and information that I will definitely be able to put to use when I am actually planning my entire wedding.  For this purpose, I had to zoom in on my topics a little closer.  When looking for tents, I searched "tents for outdoor receptions".  I found a fabulous site that lets you put in the number of people expected and it tells you the size tent you need and how many tables and chairs!  Amazing!  My searches for each topic became more and more specific.

I am using Delicious and trying out Diigo.  The two overlap, but because I am already familiar with Delicious, I thought I would stick with that.  I really like what Diigo has to offer as far as highlighting and capturing.  I think it will really come in handy when I create my website with all of the information I have gained from this project. 

I have 5 different areas of focus and each time I find a website, I am placing under that specific tag (for example: websites about tents are under the tag "tent").  I think this will help me keep each point of interest sorted in an easy to find way, especially when I begin evaluating (wiggling) my resources. 

Just as I am always telling my students, the internet is not the only source of information.  I visited the library and found magazines, books, and even a couple movies on planning weddings (thank you Martha Stewart!).  The library only had one magazine, but plenty of books to choose from in their collection.  I also enlisted a couple of my friends that were recently married.  I sent them a little survey to fill out with questions specific to their type of wedding.  I asked my friend that got married outdoors many questions about the ins and outs of an outdoor wedding.  With my other friend (indoor wedding), I focused more on the menu, dessert, and decorations.  

Sadly, I tried to ask-an-expert, but the wedding expert charges for the answers...that is unless you are not 100% satisfied.  You had to put the deposit down first and I wasn't willing to do that.  I consider my friends experts, so I decided to stick with them and save my $30!!

All of these resources are just the starting point for my inquiry.  It is time to really find out which resources are worthwhile and will provide me with the information I need.  

It is time to start Wiggling!!