His Wedding Companion Is Software Package A wedding shareware package designed by a young Jacksonville entrepreneur is winning kudos from software reviewers and professional bridal consultants nationwide. Robert Lam, 27, launched his part-time, home-based business, Five Star Software (http://users.southeast.net/ ~fivestar/), in December 1995 after looking in vain for a wedding software package that would be helpful in planning his June 1995 wedding to his wife, Mimi. He surveyed several wedding software packages and found them lacking. "I couldn't find a decent wedding program to help us plan our wedding, so I decided to write one myself," Lam says. The software "didn't let me handle my budget, draw maps, compare vendors, plan my reception menu or map my to-do lists very well," he recalls. Lam's software, "My Wedding Companion," is packed with features designed to guide couples through the entire wedding process, from scheduling wedding tasks, maintaining guest lists and arranging seating to tracking budgets, comparing vendor costs and printing customized mailing labels. The main screen has large buttons labeled Guests, Reception, Budget, Gift Registry and Honeymoon, and the individual screens are set up as tab folders, with entries for items such as music, seating and attire. Each software package comes with unlimited technical support, an 80-page manual, a tutorial and on-line help for each screen. "I have compared 'My Wedding Companion' to several other versions of wedding planning software, and I can tell you that nothing compares to what Five Star puts out," says Daniel Licitra of Brideline, an on-line bridal referral service. "Not only is it the exclusive software product on the Brideline site, but we also use it for contests and prize giveaways. Robert has done a superb job." "My Wedding Companion is an excellent wedding planner that covers all the details," raves a June 1996 review published by Ziff-Davis's ZDNet. "My Wedding Companion is attractive, efficient and easy to use," the review further said. Lam, who wrote most of the code himself, estimates he had sold about 700 copies of the software, which is also available through distributors. The cost of registering the shareware is $39.95, although a 10 percent discount is available for orders placed through Five Star's Web site. |
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