This Philly website wants to beat The Knot and WeddingWire at their own game

Flutter Social founders Kaleigh Gallagher and Marcie Reilly just launched an online platform to do a different kind of match-making: the social network wants to pair couples and wedding vendors based on their styles and needs.

The founding duo, based out of West Chester, Pa., are not wedding planners but rather have a background in technology, working for the tech-transfer arm of Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic. Coupled with their experience organizing their respective wedding ceremonies and that of friends, in 2016 the two came together to work on the platform, which went live on Wednesday (Valentine’s Day, duh).

Here’s how it works: couples fill out a profile with information on what type of vendors they’re looking for. Based on their needs, the company will pair them with three or four ideal vendors based on budget, style and connections to businesses or people within their network.

It’s the differentiator, Reilly said, between Flutter Social and bigger, national sites like The Knot and WeddingWire. They’re hoping to help those putting together their dream wedding make sense of the massive vendor ecosystem.

“Theirs is a placement model where businesses pay to appear on certain pages,” Reilly said. “From the brides’ perspective it’s frustrating. Flutter Social is a dynamic network that understands their preferences, curates the recommendations of what they’re looking for and presents it in a direct way.”

Vendors can enter the database under a subscription model, and gain a platform where they can self-publish content about the services they offer. For couples, the match-making service is free.

“It’s about finding wedding professionals that meet unique needs and visions,” Gallagher said.

Currently the bulk of the vendors are Philly-based, but the company is gradually adding national vendors to its database.