Ask Christine

Wedding Blogs. Good Guys or Bad Guys?

November 10, 2011 By Christine 1 Comment

So what’s with all the hate lately?

It seems that photographers are stepping up on their blogs to trash wedding bloggers. Really?

First this from Hindsight Bride.

Then this from Jonas Peterson, The Mason Jar Manifesto.

Then Off-beat Bride stepped up to defend Mason Jars.

Heck I have even had my own say in the matter a few months back.

Here is the deal, gang

Photographers want to get published on the top blogs. Bloggers want to do what pleases their readers. Those aren’t always the same goal.

Heck it has even gotten to the point where brides will tell their planners, ” I want my wedding published on Style Me Pretty.”

Ya’ll are acting like Kim Kardashian. It’s supposed to be about the wedding, not the publicity.

but that isn’t my point…

You, photographers, your job is to give the client what they want. In most cases, that is pictures of people. Their friends and family.

Bloggers, your job is to give your readers what they want. In most cases that is detail. Who gives a rats ass about people they don’t know? All they want are ideas they can be inspired by and snag for their own wedding.

You are both right. You are both servicing your client.

So here is the deal. Photographers, if your goal is to get published, give the blog editors what they want:details. If that means hiring a second or third shooter to get those shots then that is what you have to do. You can’t expect the blog editor to throw their readers under the bus.

Read the editorial guidelines on the blogs you want on and follow them. When you interview your bride ask them questions about the details of their wedding. Is it going to be worth you paying another shooter to get them? Notice I said ‘you paying’ not the bride. It’s your goal to get published, not hers.

It is time for everyone to stop the madness and start working together.

Know what you want and what it is going to take to get it. don’t just whine about it.

For the record, I’m not a big fan of mason jars, but if that was what my readers wanted to see they would be all over my blog! Check out Wedding Dish? Do you really think I love candles all THAT much?

I big hat tip to loyal reader and friend June Hoffman for pointing this nonsense out to me.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Back to Basics, Rants & Raves Tagged With: blogging, bridal marketing

The Encore Invitation Debacle

October 24, 2011 By Christine 3 Comments

Have you been following the Encore Invitations bankruptcy story? Paul Panonne has been doing a great job on it on his website eWedNewz.com.

While Paul reports the news, my role is analysis and here is my take on this whole mess.

If you have been watching the trends, DIY is huge and invitations and the entire paper suite are at the top of the list. Additionally, more and more couples that are having them professionally done are opting for one of a kind, hand crafted invitations from artists like Michelle Mospens.

My feeling is that as word of the Encore failure and the deplorable way they handled it filters down to the consumer the net effect will be to drive more and more brides away from the large traditional invitation companies and into the waiting arms of the hand-craftsman. Whether those hands are their own or those of a professional artisan.

And why not?

Brides today are hell bent on as much personalization as possible. This is just going to increase an already hot trend.

Let’s take it a step further. If you add this mess to other things like Priscilla’s of Boston and countless other closings, you begin to see a picture being painted for today’s brides that leaves them fearful of ordering anything. They want it in their hand, or they want to find a small, reputable craftsman that cares about what they create that they can build a relationship of trust with.

If you are one of these small craftsman, as am I, now is your time to shine. Build trust, build relationships, show them that you aren’t some large corporate entity that sees business only in spreadsheets and ignores the human quotient.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Horror Stories, Trends Tagged With: Customer Service, industry news

Marketing to Grooms

June 3, 2011 By Christine 1 Comment

Now that we have established this new dynamic going on in the wedding industry, specifically grooms having more input, how do we use it?

First things first, you have to decide if your service or product is one that is likely to fall in their laps. Some things like gowns and flowers probably won’t. Face it, you show a groom a bouquet of all white carnations and another of white phaleanopsis orchids and most are going to see two white bouquets. Just about everything else is fair game.

Next, let’s take a look at where he is mentally on this whole thing. He is probably going to have an attitude of “Well heck ya I can do this and I’m going to look damn good doing it! i’ll knock this out of the park.” Underneath all that is doubt and fear at entering an arena in which he has never been. Add to that the knowledge that this is the first really big thing he has undertaken in his budding role as “husband” and the outcome will forever color the opinion of not just his wife but also her mother and sisters. Let’s not forget that he still wants to look manly to his bros. No pressure.

Men Shop Differently

Much of the marketing we do aimed at women can best be summed up as ‘wooing’. We strike her emotions and become her friend. She buys the team, he buys a commodity.

Your first goal will be to put him at ease. A little humor will work wonders here.

You will want to clearly state the benefits of your product or service. Even go so far as pictograms and charts of why you are different. Remember, the nuances that she would see must often be pointed out to the men. Also, men are visual.

You need very clear calls to action. Don’t just list your phone number or contact info. Put in a big button.

Give them clear steps to follow.

know your budget

know your guest count

choose your style (see options)

review our menu suggestions (click here for menu)

set a tasting

book your event

Here is the deal, women shop a bit like the students in a Montessori program learn, by seeking out and discovering on their own. Men want a clear orderly list of actionable steps to success. Your goal is to give it to them.

In the end, your couples are probably going to make the final decision together, but an increasing portion of the leg work is going to fall on him. You need to be ready.

Disclaimer: I am not talking about all men, nor am I talking about all couples or all women. I am in the most general terms trying to help you be ahead of a trend I see on the horizon. As with most trends, this is happening first in the more urban areas with the couples least bound by tradition.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Trends Tagged With: internet marketing, Marketing, Marketing to Grooms, Trends

My Take on The Royal Wedding

May 2, 2011 By Christine 2 Comments

I have been watching the flutter about the Royal Wedding and how it was going to heavily influence the American wedding. You know I am not going to sprinkle fairy dust or cloud the view.

So in short order, here are the trends that I think we will see popping up out of this wedding.

The gown. It was simple,elegant and modest. Look for lace sleeves and necklines. Seriously, how long have you heard people screaming for sleeves?
The bouquet. No not a replica because that was one damned expensive bouquet. Look for smallish bouquets in small white flowers with green accents. Look also at the structure of the bouquet; it’s not a hand tied bouquet. The construction on that bouquet was labor intensive and very traditional. More power to the florist that can come up with a reasonably priced rendition.
Timing. This may well be the biggest trend to come out of this. An afternoon reception with passed hors d’oeuvres, cake, champagne and punch. Period. It’s cost-effective and elegant. Brides have been struggling for a way to be more cost effective with out thinking they will look cheap. Here it is and it’s endorsed by a Royal Wedding.

It’s just how I see it. Please, add your thoughts below.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Blog, Inspiration Tagged With: Trends

Game Changers in the Wedding Market

April 8, 2011 By Christine 3 Comments

I talk to a lot of different wedding businesses over the course of a week. I also talk alot about change and our changing marketplace.

When I run across the former that really gets the later I want to jump up and down with joy. You have heard me talk about photographers that are switching focus, florists that are changing to showcase rental and planners that are putting thier talents into an Etsy store with all the things they make for weddings.

Here are two that are jumping into the wedding fray from other industries that might just be game changers.

My Flip Wedding:

My Flip Wedding is the brainchild of Storymix Media. These guys have been doing editing and fusion media for pro-photographers for a long time. Now they are jumping into the retail side.

Couples can rent Flip Video cameras and have their closest friends and family members video their wedding, shower, stag & hen nights or any other part of their celebration. Then they send the cameras back in the pre-paid envelope and let the Apple Certified pros create a highlight reel. It’s fun, it’s easy, it’s really inexpensive and couples are loving it.

I know that videographers are going into convulsions right now. Look, this doesn’t have to be about cutting you out, it is about adding a different POV. It is also an option for the 70% of couples that weren’t going to hire a pro anyway.

Here is a company that read the numbers, found a new solution using cutting edge tech and are poised to be the hot new trend.

Just an example of reading the market and giving them what they want in the way they want it.

Something Borrowed NY:

We have all watched the changes happening in the bridal gown market. Vera Wang saw it coming and hooked up with seemingly strange bedfellow, David’s Bridal.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Brittany Haas last night of Something Borrowed NY. Haas and her business partner met while in university studying fashion, both design and business. As they watched their older sisters and friends search for the perfect wedding gown and grapple with the cost, they listened and learned.

It seems that the newest generation of bride still longs for that high end designer fairy tale gown, but don’t attach the same sentimentality to it as generations past. Yes they want to wear it, but once the wedding is over, they could care less. After the wedding, these same brides tried, mostly in vane, to sell their very expensive gowns. Despite the now seeming abundance of resellers and consignment sites on the web, they had no takers.

As a response Haas is working the plan and building the foundation of what may well be a new trend. Rentals. It may not take off tomorrow or next week, but mark my words, as more and more Gen Y brides enter the marketplace this will become acceptable. They are already comfotable with concepts like Rent the Runway and Bag, Borrow or Steal. When it comes time to decide what to wear on the big day, well, Something Borrowed NY will look pretty good.

Yes, it is a fledgling business in a fledgling concept, but when it hit’s; look out world. Something Borrowed NY is an idea whose time may very well have come.

(I purposely did not include Something Borrowed website because is isn’t ready for prime time, but give them a follow on Facebook and watch these dynamic ladies leap forward?)

How are you changing the game? Or are you content to just stand there and get run over.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Rants & Raves, Trends, What Brides Say Tagged With: Customer Service, Trends

Know Your Market: Gen Y Brides

March 28, 2011 By Christine 3 Comments

Have you been paying attention?

Brides today think differently and it isn’t just about the economy. Oh, that’s part of it. I guess I should say it isn’t just about the money. It is about the experiences they have had, the way they think and the way they were raised.

We now live in a time that values self-service and self-reliance. Ask the internet any question short of brain surgery and you will find not just instructions but a video tutorial on how to do it. Your brides are well aware of this. They were also raised to believe that they could do anything they set their mind to. Forget the fact that they may have no talent whatsoever. No score soccer leagues where everyone gets a trophy ring a bell?

How about transparency? Everything you have ever done is on the web. Every complaint or ruffled feather in the last 15 years is still out there for someone to search.

Transparency and the internet color their take on pricing too. Yes you may be in a very expensive market, but hey, they look at the websites of vendors in small town middle America looking for ideas and don’t understand why you are more expensive. They talk to brides all over the world in forums and see that one bride got her bouquet for $$ and don’t see why they should pay you $$$. They surf the web for the lowest price and find it, then use that to convince themselves that you are just out to scalp them. If there are photographers on Craig’s List that will do packages for $250 doesn’t that mean that the other $2750 just go in the higher priced photographers pocket?

Make no mistake, I get it. I understand why what we do is expensive and I get why you charge what you do. Remember though, I’m on the inside, she isn’t. Her lens is much different from yours or mine.

Self-service and instant gratification is another part of what makes her different. If she wants something, she pulls it off the rack and takes it home. Instant. Long gone for most of today’s women is the hands on, well-trained sales rep. It is a concept that she has never know. The friendly face that you saw every time you entered you favorite boutique that knew your style and was right there to recommend new things and steer you clear of what didn’t work is a joy they have never known. In short, they have never known the service level that true wedding professionals provide on a daily basis and when they see it they are dis-trustful.

Here is a little story that illustrated my point.

I have a friend, a life long New Yorker, who recently went to a medium-sized city in Canada for a conference. I spoke with him while he was there and his take was “Everyone is so nice and friendly here that I keep looking over my shoulder for the knife to get plunged in my back.” He was so used to things being one way that when he was treated with kindness, respect and great service he just didn’t trust it. Your brides don’t trust it either.

Do I have a point to this rant?

Just this, it’s not you. Today’s brides are different. That is why things like Costco Bridal and Micheal’s DIY invitations, iPod Weddings and Flowers by the Box are getting traction.

Keep thinking re-invention. Know your market, reach them in the way they want to be reached.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Rants & Raves, What Brides Say Tagged With: bridal marketing, Wedding Business Success

Look Outside of The Industry for Ideas

February 11, 2011 By Christine 3 Comments

Are you stuck in a rut of only doing either what you have always been doing or just doing what is working for your competetors? What makes you think that the only ideas for the wedding industry are IN the wedding industry?

It’s time to start thinking out side the lines.

Here is just one idea.

I am working with a bridal salon that was struggleing with whether or not to stop taking walk-ins. Brides keep telling her that she is the only salon in town that will take walk-ins and that is what brought them in. Her staff was getting overwhelmed trying to wait on everyone at once. The brides would get antsy waiting and this was putting a lot of pressure on the sales consultants. All in all it wasn’t working and the owner was ready to abandon, rather than embrace one of her strongest selling points.

After a bit of conversation we came up with an idea.

Nobody likes to wait, but with a few accomadations, clear communication and the right reason, we all do it. Really? Yes really. Have you ever been to a hot restaurant on a Friday night with out a reservation?

The restaurant takes your name, gives you an idea of how long the wait is and points you to the bar. I suggested she do the same thing.

They set up a comfy little area with drinks and tiny snacks, stacked the coffee table with wedding books (not magazines, we don’t want them looking at other gowns) and pointed them in that direction.

If they are really busy, she now has a list of nice little restaurants in the area that she suggests and gets their number and offers to send them a text when their name comes up. The bonus with this is that our owner knows that brides get hungry and cranky during a long day of shopping, this fixes that.

It has taken a few Saturday’s to get the system running smoothly but her staff love the idea and the brides still get to just walk-in.

Where can you look to find answers to the issues you are having in your wedding business? What other industries have similar problem? There is your answer.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Inspiration, Personal Coaching Tagged With: Customer Service, Trends

Think Different

October 1, 2010 By Christine Leave a Comment

It is time to think different.

Over the last few months you have heard me repeat two things over and over.

In 2008 we hit the reset button.
It’s time to reinvent.

You know that the first statement is true, you have been reading the numbers and predictions. Weddings are down because couples just aren’t seeing the need or aren’t willing to spend the money to have a wedding.

As a result, if you are still here, it means that you have already taken steps to reinvent yourself. Good job.

My question is, how deep have you gone; how radically are you willing to think? The post I did about WordPress and Genesis is a manifestation of just how radically I am willing to think. What about you?

Here is the deal with radical thinking: You are going to be shot down by some of the people you thought were your biggest supporters. Ouch. But you know what, too bad.

It seems that I am not the only one that has been thinking this way.

Over on Ittybiz, Naomi had this to say

It takes a level of courage that borders on dementia to knowingly do something other people think is crazy. It is painful and terrifying and lonely as hell. But try to remember that your loudest detractors are the ones with the most invested in the status quo. The biggest complainers have an agenda and it’s probably not in line with yours.

If you are going to truly reinvent yourself for the new normal the first thing you have to remember is that this isn’t about following the crowd. It is about pulling your head out of the sand, looking around and coming to grips with exactly who YOU are and exactly how YOU want to run your business. In short, it is about being authenticly YOU. Any time you step out from the crowd there is about a 100% probability that you are going to piss some people off. How many, who knows and frankly who cares. The ones that stay with you when you are completely authentic and true to YOUR ideas and ideals are your real tribe.

I love this quote from Phoinix

It’s better to be a truly authentic individual who offends 99% of humanity but makes a deep and powerful connection to the remaining 1%. Because that remaining 1% will support you no matter what happens. Not only that, but you won’t be living your life buckled firmly into a two-dimensional marketing straitjacket.

That 1% will help you storm the gates of Hell with only a mouthful of spit to fight with. They will also buy your art (which is slightly easier on them). Realistically, you’re probably not going to offend 99% of humanity no matter how authentic you are. Hell, even I don’t piss off that many people and I’m a trained professional.

So answer me this: As we come to the point where because the world around us has changed and we have been given the opportunity to reinvent and rebuild our businesses, wouldn’t you rather have a business that truly reflects you?

Are you crazy enough to think you can change the world?

Filed Under: Ask Christine, What's Hot Tagged With: the new normal, Wedding Business Success

What Are You So Afraid Of?

September 3, 2010 By Christine 2 Comments

Or, Cowboy Up and Get Some Damn Self-confidence.

This is going to be one of my ‘beat you up a little bit first ” pep talks. Fair warning.

I was chatting with a new client yesterday and we got to talking about how many wedding vendors are so afraid of having their work displayed along side the work of their competitors. Why? don’t you think you are better than (or at least on a par with) them? Aren’t you proud of your work? If you really seriously think that your work won’t hold up to the other vendors in your market at your price point you shouldn’t be in business!

Seriously.

You do what you do (hopefully) because you believe that you have talent and skills, right? So why should you be afraid to show off your talent in the company of other talented, skilled practitioners?

This seems to be most prevalent among photographers but applies to most creatives. “Oh I don’t what them coping my style” Please, if they can copy it, then it isn’t a style its a formula.

“I don’t want them copying my poses.” Newsflash, they are going to do that anyway. That is why you have to be the innovator, constantly creating new and different to stay ahead of the pack. Rather than worrying about someone copying you, start delighting in having them wonder just what the heck you are going to do next. If they are so busy watching you they don’t have time left to develop their own style.

“Oh, I would rather they don’t explore my competitors.” Second newsflash. Trust me, your brides are online and have already seen them.

If you don’t think your work will stand up in a head to head viewing than you have a lot of work to do. You either have to bring your work up to the level needed or work on your self-confidence. I’m betting it’s the later.

Let’s talk about that for a moment. Would you for one minute consider displaying something that you didn’t think was your best work? Of course not; so don’t doubt yourself.

I was taught along time ago the when we look at others we see only their shiny side and we then compare it to our dark and wrinkled side. Stop that!

I know that to this day, when I look at a shot of one of my cakes, all I can see are the flaws. I focus on what I could have done better or maybe done differently. Yet when I look at a cake in a magazine or someones portfolio all I see is the cake and the skill needed to create it. I’ll bet that you are guilty of doing the same thing.

One of the first things to remember in marketing is to believe in the product. Doubly so since this is your product. As creatives, every time we display our work we are displaying a piece of ourselves and that’s scary. Be proud of who you are and what you create.

I’ll tell you a little secret, every time I hit publish on one of these articles it scares the bejezzes out of me. Not as much as it used to, mind you. Do you know why that is? Because of you and all the positive feedback I have received from my readers over the years.I have begun to see the shiny side. You need to do the same.

Filed Under: Ask Christine, Personal Coaching, Rants & Raves Tagged With: bridal marketing, Marketing, Think Like A Bride Articles, Wedding Business Success

Wedding Blogs. Good Guys or Bad Guys?

Here is the deal, gang

but that isn’t my point…

You are both right. You are both servicing your client.

The Encore Invitation Debacle

Marketing to Grooms

Men Shop Differently

My Take on The Royal Wedding

Game Changers in the Wedding Market

My Flip Wedding:

Something Borrowed NY:

Know Your Market: Gen Y Brides

Make no mistake, I get it. I understand why what we do is expensive and I get why you charge what you do. Remember though, I’m on the inside, she isn’t. Her lens is much different from yours or mine.

Do I have a point to this rant?

Look Outside of The Industry for Ideas

It’s time to start thinking out side the lines.

Think Different

In 2008 we hit the reset button.

It’s time to reinvent.

What Are You So Afraid Of?

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