Weddingbee PRO
Well, I have to say that I never thought when I headed into the pastry field that I would be posing for photo shoots, but these kind of unexpected surprises are what makes going out on my own totally worth it! I was a little hesitant at first to pose by myself. I thought the shoot was just for the desserts, but when Ryel, from Ryel J Photography, said she wanted to shoot some of just me I said okay, thinking it would only be head shots.
To my surprise I was posing and all…blush blush! 
Once I relaxed a little and stopped thinking about how funny I probably looked, I had a great time and really loved how the photos turned out. Ryel is one talented lady and so much fun to work with. If you are getting married anytime soon I would definitely recommend contacting her! Well, enough talk…on to the pictures!
I am very excited to share with you our new business cards! We decided this year in order to cut down on waste, to use all of the scraps from the papers we are using for our new stock products. We also ended up using whatever inks happened to be on the press at the time, creating this unique collection of business cards. I love the idea that there are so many varieties to give out! I am especially loving the blind letterpress (no ink) and the chipboard!
This is actually a little sneak peek into what we are about to release at the end of next week in terms of colors and papers. I can’t wait to share all of that with you! But in the meantime enjoy this peak at our business cards.
I think there is a psychological effect of the slowing economy that makes people more tuned into their own creativity and resourcefulness. So it’s no surprise to me that my peers who I have spoken to in the creative industries are experiencing a rise in sales, or that local entrepreneurs are collaborating with each other and seizing opportunities to start businesses and hire employees.
Have you heard that William Arthur, the reputable stationer based right here in Maine and source for Emilie Inc. talents Christina, Jenny and Nicki, now has an online store?
This is huge in the stationery world, as William Arthur previously only worked through private stationery vendors and boutiques. But now, anyone can log on and order their save-the-dates, wedding invites or thank you cards with ease. I’m much more inclined to make an online purchase at my own leisure, and am excited to see William Arthur catering to like-minded consumers. Wishing them much success in this new extension!
P.S.- I’ll be sure to post about our wedding details just as soon we receive our photos for a proper show and tell. Thanks for all the lovely, happy congratulations!
Today, I wanted to answer a question received by a lovely Weddingbee PRO reader. She wrote:
As an aspiring wedding coordinator, I’d like to know what the best approach to take is when building those first relationships with vendors. Also, how did you know what to charge for your services when you were a “newbie?”
Thank you for your question! I am more than happy to give you my take on the issue. 
When I first started out as a wedding planner, I made the conscious decision not to join any industry organizations or associations. This was a personal choice that I still uphold to this day, but one many might disagree with. Although I opted not to join any of these organizations, I do hear from some industry peers that they used their memberships to jump-start their networking in the industry. When you start your business, you want to put your name out there as much as possible. This means making vital connections with other vendors, getting links and mentions on wedding blogs and generally creating a “buzz.” When you join an organization, you gain access into networking events, seminars and mixers that will allow you to meet a variety of vendors. Access leads to opportunities to build relationships. Relationships lead to buzz!
With all that said, I still decided to forego joining those organizations. My networking path was unique because I chose to build personal and purposeful relationships with individual vendors on my own. I started with the vendors I worked with on my first weddings. I made sure to go the extra mile in terms of communication and service to them. I also would follow-up with emails after the event, thanking them for their work. Often times there would be an instant “click” with the vendor while working on the event, and I knew that we’d be fast friends from that point on. 
My initial experience with Nate and Jac of The Image Is Found is the perfect example. I worked with them for the first time in the fall of 2006. We were an ideal vendor match in terms of style and target clientèle. We naturally wanted to work together as much as possible after that, so we began to get together for lunches, email back and forth and build our relationship. When we refer each other to our clients it comes naturally, because we already have such a strong foundation with each other. I know and love them and their work, and I think it goes both ways. It just works out!
Read more…
This year has been running full speed ahead, and I realized several months ago that I would not make it to 2010 without hiring an employee.
I knew I was overworked, but I wasn’t seeing any easy options for hiring help. I didn’t want to employ someone out of state because that is a huge time and money sink, but I was wary of casting my line out in the Omaha job market because I didn’t want to hire a stranger who I didn’t trust. I started this business in 2005, and I feel like I am finally receiving some press and developing a reputation among my industry peers. I didn’t want to waste my time training someone who isn’t as passionate or motivated as I am, or was only here waiting for something better to come along.
Then Hollie Nicole e-mailed me.
Let me tell you a little bit about her.
We love Aubrey and Blake. Some of you have already met them- they are our STELLAR associate photographers. We absolutely love their work, and we love their personalities. There is so much to say about these two but these photos will have to do for now. For my birthday, these two rascals stuck googly-eyes on all our plants, which was both eerie and hilarious…I’ll have to show pictures later.
You can see some of Aubrey’s portfolio here.
I’ve been meeting a lot of wedding vendors lately, and they often tell me that they want to blog but don’t know how or what to blog about, or are having trouble finding their “voice”. I’m working sick from the sofa today so this may not be the best post, but here are some of my tips on finding your voice and becoming a better business blogger!
1) Blog, blog, and then blog some more. If you’re understandably uncomfortable launching a public blog having never blogged before, start a private business blog or even a personal blog, and write in it regularly. This is a great way to practice blogging and hone your voice. Getting good at blogging is all about practice. I’ve maintained a regular personal blog for over 6 years and if I go back and read some of my initial posts, I cringe because they’re so bad (they’ve long since been privatized ). But I blogged every day, I read other blogs every day, I commented on blogs every day and eventually I became a lot better. I’m not the best writer in the world, but when it comes to blogging you don’t need to be!
Once you’ve been writing for awhile, ask a couple of trusted friends or family members, or better yet a fellow blogger, to give you honest feedback on your blog — what do they like or dislike, what would they like to see more or less of.
The more you blog, the more you blog because you’ll start to see the world through the eyes of a blogger. Anything can inspire you as a potential blog post, and you’ll find yourself constantly thinking to yourself, “That would make a great post!”
2) Read other popular blogs. What makes them popular? What are their readers responding to? For example, Weddingbee focuses on real brides planning their weddings, Style Me Pretty focuses on editorial features of real weddings, and Snippet and Ink focuses on Inspiration Boards. We’re all wedding blogs, but we all have a different focus, voice, and aesthetic.
When it comes to your blog, try to have a perspective that people are interested in hearing about. Try different things to see if they work. Oh and a nice design goes a very long way.
Today we’re interviewing the ridiculously talented Portland, Oregon based wedding dress designer Elizabeth Dye. Elizabeth is known for her feminine, period-inspired, modern designs. She also creates some of the most gorgeous boleros around. Here is a little glimpse into her world!
How did you start your business?
I have been a clothing designer since 2000, but bridal design really chose me - my first dresses were for friends desperate to find a non-poofy alternative to the traditional cookie-cutter gown. Since then, I’ve designed hundreds of one of a kind dresses - more every year. It just keeps growing. And I still love doing it!
Read more…
How would you prefer a potential client let you know they decided to go with someone else?
I spend 1-2 hours a day handling with emails, and a lot of that time is tracking who has responded to my emails and who hasn’t. If I haven’t heard back from a client, I always double check to be certain that my client received the email and it wasn’t sent to a junk box. A simple email that says, “I received your email and will get back to you” is fantastic. If you have met with me for a trial, I expect an email letting me know whether or not you ar going to book me. I want your honest feedback. Don’t worry about hurting my feelings. Honest feedback has helped me grow my business. It also saves me so much time and energy. Most weddings are on a Saturday, and we can’t hold a date without a deposit. So please, just be tactful and honest - I think every vendor will appreciate that.
What if I don’t like the way my makeup looks?
Tell the artist! The more specific the better. The most tactful way is to say something along the lines of “I like this, but can we change that.” I expect to fine tune a face no matter how great I think a client looks. I would be more upset if you didn’t tell me and left feeling unhappy. This is about you feeling gorgeous, not about my ego. 
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