Emily Newman
Founder + Editor
Emily Newman, 25, launched Once Wed in March 2008 as the only free listing service for wedding dresses after buying and selling her own wedding dress online. With over 4 million pageviews a month, the site has grown into one of the top wedding resources on the internet today. Once Wed parades the world of unconventional weddings—artistically innovative or effortlessly beautiful. Featuring real weddings, bouts of inspiration, used wedding dresses and more, it celebrates love, beauty, art and the sweet day that weaves them together. Once Wed has received critical praise in many major media outlets including – Good Morning America, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NBC.com, and was recently honored as running one of America’s Best Home Based Businesses by MSN.com for 2010.
She is married to the most kind, forgiving, and selfless man she has ever known.
Joy Thigpen
Creative Director
Joy Thigpen, officially joined Once Wed in August of 2010 though she was a close ally long before. She spent seven years photographing weddings before transitioning into designing and styling them. She is motivated to make things beautiful and interesting and weddings provide a perfect outlet for her love of all things lovely. Joy now serves as the Creative Director for the site and is thrilled to get to be a part of OnceWed.
Joy is currently living in Cambridge, MA with her husband, Tyler and her two children, River, 5, and Oswin, 3.
Pay it forward:
Each year, more than 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade – UNICEF
Both Brett and I have been immensely blessed by so many people who have poured many hours of love, resources and wisdom into us without ever asking for anything in return. We wouldn’t be the people we are today without these individuals, and will always be humbled by their acts of service and kindness in our lives.
Because of this, it is important for us to pay this support forward to others. A portion of the revenue brought into the site goes to International Justice Mission which supports justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and violent oppression. IJM’s mission is not only rescuing people from these horrific conditions, but also giving them the tools and training they need to provide for themselves and their families. We think the world of this organization, and commend this group’s fight against sexual slavery and the abuse of children.
