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    • .wed

    Generic top-level domainsDNSSEC

    Overview

    • .wed was a generic top-level domain (gTLD) proposed and operated by Atgron, Inc.
    • The string was intended as a wedding-focused namespace to provide couples with short, meaningful domain names related to weddings and wedding planning.
    • The registry described .WED as an open, unrestricted gTLD with policies designed to prioritize short-term, couple-oriented registrations.

    History

    • Application and Approval

      • The .wed application was submitted under ICANN's New gTLD Program and successfully passed evaluation.
      • The application was noted on Reveal Day (13 June 2012) and Atgron received a Registry Agreement in October 2013.
      • The applicant submitted Public Interest Commitments (PICs) during the application process.

    • Delegation and Operations

      • .wed was delegated to the DNS root zone on 23 January 2014.

    • Compliance and Termination

      • ICANN issued a Notice of Breach to Atgron, Inc. on 7 December 2017 for failure to pay required fees and initiated termination proceedings.
      • After arbitration, ICANN terminated the .wed Registry Agreement on 5 October 2020.

    Usage and Audience

    • Target audience

      • Primary constituency: couples planning weddings, with an initial marketing focus on the United States.
      • Intended users included couples, families, and wedding planners who wanted a direct, memorable domain for engagement and wedding websites.

    • Community and organizational mission

      • Although not a community-based gTLD, Atgron described a community mission to employ and train U.S. veterans.
      • The registry emphasized a brand image that "epitomizes the special nature of a wedding" and a "wholesome, responsive venue" for wedding-related content.

    • Policy goals for the audience

      • Discourage domain parking, speculation and cyber-squatting to keep desired names available to couples.
      • Active measures described to combat possible harms such as human trafficking.

    Registration Rules

    • Registration model

      • .WED was described as an open, unrestricted registry (no community-only eligibility).
      • The registry explicitly promoted short-term, annual registrations to match typical wedding timelines.

    • Pricing and term policies

      • Pricing strategy aimed to keep annual registrations affordable for couples who typically need a site for a year or up to about 18 months.
      • Registrations or renewals beyond two years were intended to be priced significantly higher to discourage long-term speculation or commercial hoarding.

    • Registrar and bulk-registration policies

      • Bulk registrations and renewals were restricted: registrars were required to confirm bulk actions were the result of direct interaction between the registrant and the couple/family planning a wedding.
      • Registrars offering terms longer than two years needed to obtain electronic acknowledgement from registrants about higher pricing for multi-year registrations.

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • Brand positioning

      • .WED was marketed to create an immediate semantic connection between a domain name and a wedding event, reducing the need to rely on third-party wedding-site resellers.
      • The registry framed the TLD as a concise, wedding-specific namespace that could improve brand clarity for couples and families.

    • Trust and content controls

      • The operator emphasized policies to minimize misuse (speculation, cybersquatting, human trafficking), positioning the TLD as a trustworthy space for wedding-related content.

    • Operational status

      • ICANN terminated the .wed Registry Agreement in October 2020, marking the end of Atgron’s operation of the string.

    Operator

    Emergency Back-End Registry Operator Program - ICANN

    Whois

    % IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       WED

organisation: Emergency Back-End Registry Operator Program - ICANN
address:      12025 Waterfront Drive
address:      Suite 300
address:      Los Angeles CA 90094
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         EBERO Event Director
organisation: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
address:      12025 Waterfront Drive
address:      Suite 300
address:      Los Angeles CA 90094
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 310 301 5800
fax-no:       +1 310 823 8649
e-mail:       eventdirector@icann.org

contact:      technical
name:         Nominet EBERO Event Manager
organisation: Nominet
address:      Minerva House
address:      Edmund Halley Road
address:      Oxford Science Park
address:      Oxford Oxon OX4 4DQ
address:      United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
phone:        +44 1865 332470
e-mail:       ebero@nominet.uk

nserver:      DNS1.EMDNS.UK 213.248.217.153 2a01:618:401:0:0:0:0:153
nserver:      DNS2.EMDNS.UK 103.49.81.153 2401:fd80:401:0:0:0:0:153
nserver:      DNS3.EMDNS.UK 213.248.221.153 2a01:618:405:0:0:0:0:153
nserver:      DNS4.EMDNS.UK 2401:fd80:405:0:0:0:0:153 43.230.49.153
nserver:      DNSA.EMDNS.UK 156.154.100.3 2001:502:ad09:0:0:0:0:3
nserver:      DNSB.EMDNS.UK 156.154.101.3 2001:502:2eda:0:0:0:0:3
nserver:      DNSC.EMDNS.UK 156.154.102.3 2610:a1:1009:0:0:0:0:3
nserver:      DNSD.EMDNS.UK 156.154.103.3 2610:a1:1010:0:0:0:0:3
ds-rdata:     60571 8 2 32ed00d841e724eaa980472283420ee9de48905e1b04709e79fc418c08fa1561

whois:        

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information:
remarks:      https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/ebero-2013-04-02-en

created:      2013-12-12
changed:      2025-01-30
source:       IANA