Stop paying for clicks. Pay once and stay listed.
WeddingWire charges you every month, then charges again for placement. WedStay charges once, for a live profile that couples contact directly.
A monthly fee, or one payment
WeddingWire bills you again every month you stay listed. WedStay bills you once. Move the sliders to see what that difference is worth for your business.
Your numbers
Include listing fees, featured placement, and any per-lead charges.
Most vendors stay in business far longer than one listing cycle.
Your difference over 3 years
$10,301 kept
One WedStay payment equals 2 months of what you pay WeddingWire now. After that, every month is yours.
WeddingWire
RecurringWedStay
OnceCharter members pay $199 total. Everyone pays once.
This calculator compares platform fees only, using the monthly amount you enter. It makes no prediction about leads, bookings, or revenue on either platform. WedStay membership is $499 once ($199 for the first 25 charter seats) and is not a guarantee of results.
Build your profile free. Pay once when you want it live.
Create your free profileSide by side
WeddingWire built a marketplace that bills every month. WedStay built a membership you pay for once. The difference shows up on every line.
| Feature | WeddingWire | WedStay |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Recurring fee, plus paid placement on top | $499 once, for life ($199 for the first 25) |
| Per click, impression, or lead | Advertising products are priced per click, impression, or lead | None. The membership is the only thing you pay |
| Commission on bookings | None | None |
| Couple contact | Through the platform inbox | Direct: name, email, date, and message to your inbox |
| Pricing calculator on your profile | Not offered | Included. Couples build a quote before they reach out |
| Placement | Paid upgrades decide who ranks | Members outrank unpaid listings. No bidding, no upgrades |
| Included marketing work | Sold separately | SEO audit, social strategy, newsletter feature, blog post |
| Your own performance data | Platform-reported metrics | Views, clicks, and leads in your dashboard |
| Audience | Every wedding type | Couples at private estates, unique venues, and destinations |
| Contract terms | Multi-month advertising commitments are typical | None. Paid once |
| Best for | Vendors who want maximum volume and will pay monthly for it | Vendors who want one bill, paid once, and direct contact |
The critical difference
WeddingWire earns more the longer you keep paying. WedStay was paid the day you joined. That is why the price is $199 once for the first 25 charter seats and $499 once after that, and why there is nothing to renew.
Create your free profileThe work couples are hiring for
Real weddings by WedStay vendors at private estates, unique venues, and destinations nationwide.
Why vendors choose WedStay
Six things that change when the bill stops arriving every month.
No advertising spend
Your membership includes everything. Zero per click, zero per impression, zero per lead, and no bidding against other vendors for placement. Couples reach you through your profile, not through an ad you paid to win.
The membership is the only thing you ever pay
Paid once
$199 once for the first 25 charter seats, then $499 once. No renewal, no annual fee, no card on file. The price you pay is the last price you pay.
$499 once, for life
A quote before the first message
Your profile carries an interactive pricing calculator. Couples build a quote on it before they contact you, so the inquiries that arrive already have a budget attached.
Included on every member profile
Couples who already chose a venue
Couples on WedStay are planning at private estates, unique venues, and destinations nationwide, and many have already booked. They are assembling a team, not browsing.
Open to every couple, not only WedStay guests
Marketing work included
A website conversion and SEO audit, a social strategy written for your business, a newsletter feature, and a blog post with a link back to your site. Requested from your dashboard and delivered by staff.
Four deliverables, one of each per year
Your own numbers
Your dashboard shows your profile views, direct clicks, and leads from day one. Across the network in the last 60 days: 3,555 views and 360 direct clicks.
68% of vendors got at least one direct click
Lifetime, stated plainly
A vendor paying $300 a month for a listing spends $3,600 a year and $18,000 over five years, and owns nothing at the end of it. One WedStay payment is $499. It never comes due again, and the profile it buys stays live for life.
Enter your own monthly fee in the calculator above to see your number.
Build your profile free. Pay once when you want it live.
Create your free profileA marketplace, or a membership
WeddingWire sells advertising to every vendor at every wedding. WedStay lists vendors for couples planning at private estates, unique venues, and destinations, and charges once. The two models pull in opposite directions.
What a monthly bill does to a marketplace
The platform earns more the longer you pay
A recurring fee rewards keeping you listed and spending, not getting you booked. Every renewal is a chance to raise the price, and every new ad product is another line on your bill.
Placement goes to whoever pays most
When ranking is sold, the vendors at the top are the ones with the biggest ad budget. Your work is not what a couple sees first; someone else's spend is.
Every wedding type in one search
A couple comparing your estate package against a ballroom package is comparing two different jobs. Broad marketplaces push that comparison onto price.
The bill outlives the results
Stop paying and the listing disappears. Ten years of monthly fees buys nothing you keep.
What one payment changes
WedStay was paid the day you joined
$199 once for the first 25 charter seats, then $499 once. There is no renewal to sell you and no reason to raise a price you will never pay again.
Members outrank unpaid listings, and that is the whole ranking
No bidding, no boosted profiles, no ad packages. Preferred Vendor status, the only other distinction, is awarded on the work alone and cannot be bought.
Couples who are planning the wedding you do
WedStay couples are planning at private estates, unique venues, and destinations. Many have already chosen the venue. Your profile carries a pricing calculator, so the quote comes before the first message.
The profile is yours for life
Live, indexed, and unlocked for as long as WedStay exists. Turn it off from your dashboard if you ever want to, and turn it back on later.
The first 25 seats are $199
Charter members pay $199 instead of $499 and hold a numbered seat permanently. After seat 25 the price is $499, still once, still for life. The live seat count is on the membership page.
Every category is open: photography and videography, planning, floral, food and beverage, DJ and music, hair and makeup, transportation, cake and desserts, rentals, jewelry, and other specialized services.
Create your free profileWedStay vs WeddingWire: vendor questions answered
Every question we hear from vendors comparing the two. Straight answers about cost, contact, and what happens after you pay.
Still comparing?
Build your profile free and see your dashboard before you pay anything. When you want the profile live, you pay once.
Create your free profile