Acceptable Use Policy

This policy applies to everyone who uses Shared Beginning — couples, their guests, and Trusted Partners — and forms part of the Terms of Service. Shared Beginning exists so that every couple can plan their wedding with dignity; this policy protects that.

1. Prohibited content

Do not upload, publish, or send through the Service content that:

• is illegal, or promotes or facilitates illegal activity;
• is hateful, discriminatory, or demeaning toward any person or group — including on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or marital status;
• harasses, threatens, bullies, or doxxes anyone;
• sexualises or endangers minors in any way (we report this to authorities);
• infringes someone else’s copyright, trademark, or privacy — only upload photos and content you have the right to use;
• contains malware, or is deceptive, fraudulent, or a scam (including fake vendor listings or fake events).

2. Prohibited conduct

• No spam. The email and SMS tools exist to message your own wedding guests, with their consent, about your wedding. Bulk unsolicited messaging, marketing to guest lists, or messaging people who have opted out (STOP) is forbidden and enforced by automatic suppression and sending caps.
• No misuse of other people’s data. Guest details and couple inquiries may be used only for their intended purpose — never harvested, sold, or reused for marketing.
• No scraping or bulk collection of content, listings, or personal data from the Service.
• No security abuse: no probing, scanning, or testing the Service, bypassing rate limits or bot protection, sharing account credentials, or accessing data that is not yours. (Found a vulnerability? Please report it responsibly to privacy@sharedbeginning.com.)
• No impersonation of any person, couple, vendor, or of Shared Beginning itself, and no misrepresenting an affiliation — including displaying the Trusted Partner badge without an active membership.
• No reselling or white-labelling the Service without our written agreement.

3. Consequences

We may remove content, unpublish sites or listings, suspend messaging privileges, or suspend or terminate accounts and memberships — with the process described in the Terms of Service and, for vendors, the Trusted Partner Agreement. For serious cases we may act immediately and, where appropriate, involve law enforcement. SMS credits and fees are not refunded when access is removed for a breach of this policy, except where the law requires otherwise.

4. Reporting

To report content or behaviour that breaks this policy, email privacy@sharedbeginning.com with a link and a short description. We review every report.

5. Changes and governing law

We may update this policy as new kinds of abuse emerge; material changes will be announced as described in the Terms of Service. This policy is governed by the laws of Alberta, Canada.