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Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 15, 2026

1. Introduction

The WDDNG Co (“we,” “us,” “our”) operates the WDDNG platform (wddng.co and wddng.vercel.app), a wedding vendor marketplace and AI-powered planning platform (the “Service”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and other applicable South African data protection laws.

This Privacy Policy explains:

  • What personal information we collect
  • How we use your information
  • Who we share your information with
  • Your rights regarding your personal information
  • How we protect your data

By using the Service, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Account Registration (Couples):

  • Name (first and last)
  • Email address
  • Phone number (optional)
  • Password (encrypted)

Wedding Planning Information:

  • Wedding date
  • Wedding location (city/venue)
  • Estimated budget
  • Number of guests
  • Service requirements (photographer, venue, DJ, etc.)
  • Style preferences (modern, rustic, traditional, etc.)
  • Any additional details you provide in vendor requests

Subscription Payment Information (if applicable):

  • Billing name
  • Payment method details (processed securely by PayStack; we do NOT store credit card numbers)

User-Generated Content:

  • Reviews and ratings of vendors
  • Photos uploaded to your profile or reviews
  • Messages sent through the platform
  • AI Assistant chat history

Account Registration (Vendors):

  • Business name
  • Contact person name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Business address
  • Service category (photographer, venue, caterer, etc.)
  • Service areas (cities covered)
  • Pricing information
  • Portfolio photos
  • Business description

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Usage Data:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Pages visited and time spent on pages
  • Referring website
  • Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
  • Clickstream data (links clicked, search queries)

Cookies and Tracking Technologies:

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to:

  • Remember your login session
  • Analyze how you use the Service
  • Personalize your experience
  • Serve relevant advertisements (if applicable)

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of the Service.

Third-Party Analytics:

  • Google Analytics (tracks website usage and traffic sources)
  • Facebook Pixel (tracks ad performance and conversions)

These third-party tools collect data in accordance with their own privacy policies.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

Social Media Login (if applicable):

If you sign up using Google or Facebook, we may receive:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Profile photo
  • Any other information you authorize the social media platform to share

Payment Processor (PayStack):

PayStack provides us with transaction confirmation data but does NOT share your full credit card details with us.

3. How We Use Your Information

3.1 To Provide and Improve the Service

For Couples:

  • Create and manage your account
  • Match you with relevant vendors based on your wedding details
  • Enable vendors to contact you in response to your requests
  • Provide AI Assistant recommendations and planning tools
  • Send you vendor responses and booking confirmations
  • Personalize your experience on the platform

For Vendors:

  • Create and display your vendor listing
  • Send you lead notifications when couples request your services
  • Process payments when you unlock leads
  • Provide analytics on your profile performance
  • Facilitate communication between you and couples

3.2 To Communicate with You

Transactional Emails:

  • Account verification and password resets
  • Vendor request confirmations
  • Lead unlock notifications (vendors)
  • Subscription renewal reminders
  • Service updates and important notices

Marketing Communications (with consent):

  • Wedding planning tips and inspiration
  • New features and product updates
  • Special offers and promotions
  • Newsletters

You may opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking “Unsubscribe” in any email or contacting us at privacy@wddng.co.

3.3 To Process Payments

We use PayStack to securely process subscription payments. PayStack collects and processes your payment information in accordance with their privacy policy. We receive transaction confirmations but do NOT store your credit card details.

3.4 For Analytics and Research

We analyze usage data to:

  • Understand how users interact with the Service
  • Improve AI Assistant recommendations
  • Identify and fix bugs
  • Develop new features
  • Conduct market research (using anonymized, aggregated data)

3.5 To Ensure Safety and Security

We may use your information to:

  • Detect and prevent fraud, spam, and abuse
  • Verify the legitimacy of vendor listings
  • Investigate disputes between couples and vendors
  • Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service

3.6 For Advertising (if applicable)

We may use cookies and tracking pixels to:

  • Serve personalized ads on third-party platforms (Facebook, Google)
  • Measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
  • Retarget users who visited our website but did not sign up

You can opt out of personalized advertising by adjusting your browser settings or using tools like the Google Ads Settings or Facebook Ad Preferences.

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 With Vendors (When You Submit a Request)

When you submit a vendor request, we share the following information with matched vendors:

  • Your name
  • Email address and/or phone number
  • Wedding date
  • Wedding location
  • Budget range
  • Service requirements and preferences

Vendors receive this information ONLY after they pay to unlock your lead. Vendors are responsible for how they use and store your information once shared.

4.2 With Service Providers

We share your information with third-party service providers who help us operate the Service:

PayStack (Payment Processing):

Google Analytics (Website Analytics):

Maileroo (Email Service):

  • Sends transactional and marketing emails

Cloud Hosting (Vercel, AWS, etc.):

  • Hosts our website and data

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and may only use it to provide services to WDDNG.

4.3 For Legal Compliance

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to:

  • Court orders, subpoenas, or legal processes
  • Requests from government authorities or law enforcement
  • Protection of our legal rights or the safety of users
  • Investigation of fraud, security breaches, or Terms of Service violations

4.4 Business Transfers

If WDDNG is acquired, merged, or undergoes a business restructuring, your information may be transferred to the successor entity. You will be notified of any such change via email or a prominent notice on the Service.

4.5 With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties if you explicitly consent (e.g., sharing your wedding story on social media or in marketing materials).

4.6 Aggregated and Anonymized Data

We may share anonymized, aggregated data (e.g., “60% of couples in Pretoria spend R15-20K on photography”) for research, marketing, or business purposes. This data cannot be used to identify you personally.

5. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a South African resident, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

5.1 Right to Access

You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We will provide this information within 30 days of your request.

5.2 Right to Correction

If your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request that we correct or update it. You can also update your account information directly through your profile settings.

5.3 Right to Deletion

You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to:

  • Legal retention requirements (e.g., financial records for tax purposes)
  • Ongoing disputes or investigations
  • Completion of contractual obligations

To request deletion, contact us at privacy@wddng.co or delete your account through your profile settings.

5.4 Right to Object

You may object to the processing of your personal information for:

  • Marketing purposes (opt out of emails or ads)
  • Automated decision-making (e.g., AI vendor matching)

5.5 Right to Data Portability

You may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used format (e.g., CSV, JSON).

5.6 Right to Withdraw Consent

If you previously consented to data processing, you may withdraw consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

6. How We Protect Your Information

6.1 Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

  • Encryption: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using SSL/TLS
  • Password Protection: User passwords are hashed and encrypted
  • Secure Payment Processing: PayStack uses PCI-DSS compliant security for payment data
  • Access Controls: Only authorized personnel have access to personal information
  • Regular Security Audits: We conduct periodic security assessments to identify vulnerabilities

6.2 Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as:

  • Your account is active
  • Necessary to provide the Service
  • Required by law (e.g., tax records retained for 7 years)

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.

6.3 No Absolute Security

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data. You use the Service at your own risk.

7. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected information from a child, we will delete it immediately.

If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us at privacy@wddng.co.

8. International Data Transfers

Your personal information is stored and processed in South Africa. If you are accessing the Service from outside South Africa, your data may be transferred to and stored in South Africa, which may have different data protection laws than your country of residence.

By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to South Africa.

9. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., vendor websites, social media platforms). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

10.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies:

  • Required for the Service to function (e.g., login sessions)
  • Cannot be disabled

Analytics Cookies:

  • Track how you use the Service (e.g., Google Analytics)
  • Help us improve the user experience

Marketing Cookies:

  • Track your interactions with ads (e.g., Facebook Pixel)
  • Enable personalized advertising

10.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings:

  • Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies
  • Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
  • Firefox: Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data

Disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of the Service.

10.3 Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers support “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals. Our Service does not currently respond to DNT signals, but you can opt out of tracking through browser settings and ad preference tools.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

  • Changes in our data practices
  • New features or services
  • Legal or regulatory requirements

Notification of Changes:

  • We will post the updated Privacy Policy on the website with a new “Last Updated” date
  • For material changes, we will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Service

Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

The WDDNG Co

Information Officer: Tawanda Abraham Makunike

Email: privacy@wddng.co

Support: support@wddng.co

Website: www.wddng.co

Response Time: We will respond to privacy inquiries within 30 days.

13. Complaints and Disputes

If you believe we have violated your privacy rights or applicable data protection laws, you may:

1. Contact us directly at privacy@wddng.co to resolve the issue informally.

2. File a complaint with the South African Information Regulator:

We are committed to resolving privacy concerns promptly and in good faith.

14. Consent

By using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described.

If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use the Service.

Last Updated: March 15, 2026 | Version: 1.0