The Wedding Business Magazine October 2019 by The Wedding Academy

Issue 16 - November 2019

Put t ing your heart int o words wit h

Katelyn Stanis The pow er of creat ing an opport unit y

M ar ilen Rose 1

This Issue

12 - # WEDFEATURE wit h Kat elyn St anis , Wedding Words 18 - # WEDPR wit h Meghan Ely 24 - # WEDFEATURE wit h Marilen Rose, My World Regist ry 30 - # WEDBIZCOACH wit h Michelle Lorett a 36 - Trend Influencer: Gurminder Banga, Banga Studios 40 - # WEDSALES wit h Meryl Snow 46 - # WEDCOPY wit h Jen Feroze 50 - Top Tips from t he Wedding Expert s 60 - # WEDBRAND wit h Ashley Malone 64 - # WEDEXPERT Wit h Kylie Carlson 70 - # WEDPIN wit h Rachel Waring 74 - # WEDPRO wit h Maddy Shine 76 - # WEDSOCIAL wit h Christ ie Osborne 80 - Creat ing t he "Pawfect " Niche wit h Veronica Silva 92 - # WEDMAIL wit h Crist ina Barragan

On the Cover We sit down with Katelyn Stanis of Wedding Words

96 - # WEDINSTA wit h Lauren Grove 102 - # WEDTRIBE wit h Kevin Dennis 106 - The Marriage Mindset wit h Krist en Rocco 110 - # WEDTECH wit h Sandy Hammer 114 - How to Relocat e Your Business wit h Meredit h Ryncarz 118 - # WEDWEB wit h Brenda Cadman 2

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M eet Our Contr ibutors 4

indust ry professionals brands develop scalable market ing st rat egies t hat bring in more inquiries and leads. Christ ie is a nat ional educator wit h recent speaking engagement s at NACE Experience, WIPA, and t he ABC Conference.

Ely is a sought- aft er speaker, adjunct professor in t he field of public relat ions, and a self- professed royal wedding ent husiast .

Jen Feroze

Creat ive Director and Owner of Ashley & Malone ? a bout ique branding and design agency specializing in t he wedding indust ry. Our mission is to give our client s t he confidence to succeed in t heir market place.

Jen Feroze runs Jackdaw Editorial - a copywrit ing service for t he wedding indust ry. She works wit h passionat e wedding business owners to help t hem t ell t heir story, and give t heir brand t he voice it deserves.

Phot o credit : Spost o Phot ography

Ashley M alone

M er yl Snow Cr istina Bar ragan I'm Crist ina Barragan, Owner and Chief Creat ive Officer at Posh Peony, we are a bout ique style studio t hat provides full service design and educat ional workshops at a local and int ernat ional level. I also t each aspiring floral designers and promot e community over at Fleursociety.

Chr istie Osbor ne Christ ie Osborne is t he owner of Mount ainside Media, a company t hat helps event >

Meryl Snow is t he co- founder of Feast ivit ies Event s and t he creator of The Triangle Met hod. Meryl t ravels t hroughout Nort h America t raining client s to help businesses get on t heir own pat h to success.

M eghan Ely Meghan Ely is t he owner of wedding PR and wedding market ing firm OFD Consult ing.

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Continued... 6

Rachel War ing Rachel of Rachel Emma Studio is a wedding designer and paper art ist , as well as a Pint erest expert and one half of The Business Proposal - a podcast for wedding businesses. She helps couples design ext raordinary weddings, and creat ives build ext raordinary lives.

M ichelle L oretta Michelle Lorett a is a business consult ant and financial st rat egist for wedding and event professionals. As founder of Sage Wedding Pros she blends her past as an account ant for Deloitt e, a sales and market ing manager for DDLA, a merchandiser for Coach, and a st at ionery ent repreneur to st rengt hen wedding businesses worldwide.

Kevin Dennis Kevin Dennis is t he editor of WeddingIQ and t he owner of Fant asy Sound Event Services, a full- service event company based in Livermore, California. Dennis is t he past president for Silicon Valley NACE, and current int ernat ional president for WIPA.

Sandy Hammer

Brenda Cadman

Sandy Hammer is t he co- founder and CMO of AllSeat ed, a collaborat ive network for planning event s t hat offers tools including floorplans, 3D view, Guest List , RSVP, Seat ing, Timelines, Mobile Check- In and more.

Brenda Cadman is a websit e educator, and t he owner of Bon Accord Creat ive, a websit e educat ion and development company. She has a keen int erest on empowering wedding professionals to build t heir websit e confidence and to learn how to creat e a bett er websit e. 7

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From the Editor 8

The bright pops of yellow & orange combined with the modern fine art styling really stood out

KYLIE CARLSON

for me. Very elegant!

As we hurt le towards Xmas at an alarming rat e it ?s t he t ime of year, for many of us, when we st art looking at our business and what we want out of it for t he following year. For t he Wedding Academy 2019 has been a year of change but at t he cent re of it all has been one t hing we?ve always focused on, and t hat ?s our niche. If I had to narrow it down to just one t hing out of everyt hing you could do to make your wedding business more profit able, I would say finding your niche.

The Feature Shoot

I?m sure you?ve heard t hat old saying, ?t he riches are in t he niches?, and it ?s so t rue. The more you niche down on what you do t he easier it is to connect wit h your ideal bridal client .

DANANG STYLED SHOOT

Suddenly everyt hing you do can be t ailored complet ely and utt erly to speak to t hat one person. It ?s as t hough you?re having a very personal conversat ion wit h t hem. This is what helps you st and out from t he wedding crowd and get not iced in t he right way.

When you do t his all of a sudden, you?re hitt ing on an incredibly t arget ed and emot ionally connect ed audience who complet ed and utt erly love what you do and want to be part of your t ribe.

Finding your niche and st aying t rue to it for me is t he secret ingredient every business needs to have as part of t heir market ing recipe. So t he quest ion is have you niched right down in your wedding business or are you st ill too generic? If you don?t know t he answer to t hat quest ion t hen I know t he art icles and int erviews in t his issue will help you to get super clear. 8

Kylie x

Planner: Hat mem Phot ography: Nat han Cha x KT Marry Flowers & Rent als: La Rose wedding & event Jewels: Dmari Jewelry Wedding gown: CAT TUONG Bridal Suit s: A DONG Silk Makeup Art ist : TRIEU DUONG Cake: Ivy cake Ringbox: FĂŹlles box Ribbons: Brie 8 9

"No niche is too small if it's yours" Another great pearl of wisdom from Seth Godin

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#WedFeature

I believe in progress over perfect . I didn?t13 begin by creat ing a business proposal or conduct ing market research. I just st art ed on a small scale and wit h minimal invest ment .

By Monica Broz Photography

I launched a basic websit e while on vacat ion visit ing family to t est my idea: will people pay me to writ e t heir vows and wedding toast s? I didn?t spend t ime or money creat ing a fancy logo or working wit h a professional websit e designer. I used Squarespace to easily launch my websit e wit hin a few days and wit hout needing to hire any out side resources.

WITH KATELYN STANIS, WEDDING WORDS

My first client was a bride referred to me by a wedding photographer friend of mine. Aft er we worked toget her, she provided a really posit ive review. That was t he greenlight moment for me to keep moving forward.

Katelyn Stanis is the founder of Wedding Words, a professional writing service that offers collaboration with engaged couples to write completely custom wedding vows. Her work has been featured on Forbes, Brides, The New York Times, and more.

"Prioritize projects that will havethe greatest impact first. Sometimes you need to hold off on exciting and fun projects until they become a higher priority for your business."

Where did you st art wit h your init ial research when you first began building t his niche in t he wedding market ? Aft er helping my dad to ghostwrit e t he eulogy for his dad?s funeral, I had t his hunch t hat ot her people could use help putt ing t heir heart into words during momentous event s. I lit erally did one Google search: ghostwrit er for eulogy. I discovered a few art icles featuring companies t hat offer speech writ ing services for niche audiences like funerals, birt hday part ies, and weddings. Since funerals require such a quick turnaround t ime and I?ve always adored hearing people?s love stories, focusing on wedding vows and toast s seemed like t he best fit for my business idea.

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14 Over t he past two years, I?ve cont inued to run and grow my business in t he same way: launch, t est , it erat e.

What are t he pros and cons t o having a unique niche, especially one wit hout many compet it ors as maybe some ot her wedding professionals have (i.e. phot ographers, planners, et c.)? There are definit ely pros and cons but in t he end, I t hink being one of a few in t his niche is a really wonderful posit ion to be in. The con? Most couples planning t heir wedding do not even know t hat vow writ ing is a service t hey can consider. We?re not list ed on any t radit ional wedding planning checklist s and wedding planners likely aren?t referring t heir client s to vow writ ing vendors. I?ll t ake t hat con t hough if it means being able to offer a unique service wit h litt le compet it ion. Because of t he minimal compet it ion, I?ve had success wit h ranking organically on Google for many of my keywords which drives a large number of my inquiries. Plus, being a business t hat many have never heard of means t hat what I do is already somewhat newswort hy. This has helped a lot wit h PR effort s. Going back t o your st art as a wedding gown consult ant , what advice would you give t o ot her event professionals t hat are looking t o make a t ransit ion, but are afraid of t he risks? Ask yourself t hese two quest ions: 1. Why am I uniquely qualified to do t his? 2. What ?s my plan to make it happen? My first business venture failed in a way t hat left me wit h a negat ive bank account balance for t he first t ime in my adult life. I had att empt ed to launch a women?s clot hing websit e wit h vint age inspired dresses.

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16 is because I couldn?t answer t he first One of t he main reasons t hat business failed quest ion: I was not uniquely qualified to run a clot hing business. I loved fashion and empowering women. Unfortunat ely, in t he world of clot hing e- commerce? t his wasn?t unique enough to make it a success.

17 s and kept in cont act wit h t he host s, I became a guest on several wedding podcast expanding my professional network.

I also t est ed different market ing st rat egies. I t ried Facebook and Inst agram ads for t hree mont hs and I didn?t see a single sale from t hem. Now, I t est as much as I can before I invest too much t ime and money on any new market ing channels. SEO and forming real relat ionships wit h ot her wedding indust ry professionals have provided t he great est return for my business, so t hat is where I focus my effort s.

Wit h my vow and toast writ ing business, I am uniquely qualified. Wit h a degree in Journalism, I know how to writ e, but more import ant ly, I know how to int erview. My friends refer to me as t he ?Oprah? of our group. It doesn?t matt er if I?m sitt ing down wit h my best friend or someone I met only five minut es ago? I will discover what makes t hem t ick, what drives t heir decisions, and what t heir deepest desires are. This is t he kind of person you want writ ing a speech or vows for you. They need to be more t han just a good writ er? t hey need to be in your head.

If you could go back, what would you t ell yourself when you were first making t he move t o go out on your own and run your own business?

Then t here?s t he second quest ion: what ?s my plan to make it happen?

There?s no such t hing as inst ant grat ificat ion. Be pat ient and just keep putt ing one foot in front of t he ot her. It ?s all leading you and your business to where you need to go. Put in t he work? one day and one project at a t ime.

I managed Wedding Words for just over a year and a half before I t ransit ioned t he business into my full- t ime gig. I needed to see t raffic to my websit e grow and I needed to prove t hat my business concept could equal more t han rainy day money.

Priorit ize project s t hat will have t he great est impact first . Somet imes you need to hold off on excit ing and fun project s unt il t hey become a higher priority for your business.

As my business st art ing ramping up, I found t hat I wasn?t able to devot e eight hours a day to my office job and st ill have t ime to grow Wedding Words. That ?s when I realized: if I don?t quit my job? I can?t grow my business.

How has your niche evolved? In t he two years t hat I?ve been working wit hin t he vow and toast writ ing niche, I?ve slowly seen some ot her players come onto t he scene. In general, t he indust ry is st ill very small and not overly compet it ive? yet .

I spent a weekend doing budget exercises and financial project ions to feel confident t hat t his decision would be a risk, but a calculat ed one t hat I felt comfort able t aking.

I predict t hat wit hin t he next five to t en years, t he wedding vow and toast writ ing space will be much bigger. There will be more people offering t his service and it will be more common for people to use a vow or toast writ er. I t hink of it like online dat ing. It was once t aboo but now it ?s t he meet- cut e story for many of my couples.

How did you begin building up your client base as a wedding vow writ er? What did you learn in doing so? I?m an ext remely mot ivat ed and resourceful person. I?ll squeeze what wat er I can out of a dry sponge and t hat ?s how I st art ed to build my client base. I took t hat one t est imonial from my first client and used it in my responses to new inquiries.

The evolut ion of Wedding Words means int roducing a new product . Wedding Words will cont inue as a digit al and service- based business, but I?m working on launching a physical product and I?m very excit ed about it .

I sought out smaller, female- focused blogs t hat would need cont ent and offered to writ e guest post s for free in exchange for a link back to my sit e.

Interview by Meghan Ely

Soon, t hose small blogs turned into opportunit ies wit h bigger sit es like The Everygirl, Bridal Musings, and Wedding Chicks. 16

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#WedPR

Publicizing your Wedding Niche BY MEGHAN ELY, OFD CONSULTING

There?s a lot of buzz about finding your niche, but t hat ?s only t he first st ep. Once you know where you belong, you need to have a good underst anding of t he market in order to carve out a space for your business. Wit h t he right st rat egies in place, building your niche presence effect ively posit ions you as an expert in your field and put s you in front of t he right client s. Here are some st rat egies t hat will help any wedding pro elevat e t heir niche st atus. GET COMFORTABLE WITH EMAILS ?I honest ly t hought t hat when I creat ed my first websit e, t he masses would flock,? shares Veronica Silva of Pawfect For You, which specializes in wedding day pet care. ?Boy, was I wrong! It was a slow process. In an effort to get t he word out , I sent individualized emails to planners and venues to let t hem know I had begun t his company and was offering t his services for t heir client s t hat had pet s.? 18

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PROVIDE KILLER SERVICE

21 market ing st rat egies will vary on your No two niches are t he same, so your PR and ideal client ?s habit s and preferences. Who do t hey t rust t he most? What magazines or blogs are t hey reading? What has t he most influence on t heir decisions? It st art s wit h t apping into your market and finding t he pulse of your prospect s, so you can t ailor your effort s in t he right direct ion.

?The most effect ive st rat egy is to do excellent work wit hin your niche and be kind and easy to work wit h t hroughout t he process,? says Ashley Greer of At elier Ashley Flowers, a company t hat provides French- inspired florals. ?If you can make life easier for t he people who have hired you, chances are t hey will hire you again. If t hey hire you again, t hey will also t ell ot her people who will t hen want to work wit h you.? Heat her Rouffe of At las Event Rent al, a full- service event rent al provider, couldn?t agree more: ?Providing st ellar customer service as we grow has led to cont inuous happy client s, who spread t he word and come back for t heir rent al needs.? LEARN SEO TACTICS ?Over 60 percent of our websit e t raffic comes from a Google search for our t arget ed keywords,? explains Shannon Tarrant of WeddingVenueMap.com, a sit e t hat connect s engaged couples wit h venues. ?We focused on our keyword SEO to rank for t he most searched t erms.? Kristy Rice of Moment al Designs, a company t hat creat es bespoke hand- paint ed st at ionery agrees: ?I st art ed out in 2003 when social media wasn?t really a t hing yet . Teaching myself t he ins and out s of SEO at t he t ime cat apult ed my business.? BECOME AN EXPERT WITH PR ?When we first ent ered t he indust ry, we were more focused on gett ing t he word out by word- of- mout h and referrals,? explains Olet a Collins of Flourishing Art , which provides custom turnkey design services. ?Now t hat we have been est ablished a while, we are now focusing more on PR to posit ion ourselves as a visionary and expert in t he indust ry.? Sandy Hammer of AllSeat ed, a company t hat provides collaborat ive event t echnology, adds: ?It ?s been import ant to learn how our niche works ? is it social media, email market ing, in- person, word- of- mout h, or combined? Knowing t his has helped us to pin down our best pract ices, underst anding t hat we must be present in all areas to effect ively reach our market .? 20

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For Wedding Pros

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#WedFeature

25who may not be seeing t he success What advice would you give t o someone t hey want wit hin t heir niche?

Make sure you highlight WHAT or HOW you are DIFFERENT (in a much bett er way) and a st ep above all else t hat populat es your niche. If your niche is overpopulat ed it will t ake const ant ly educat ing your audience on t he value you add. Also, don't t ry too hard to convince your audience t hey need you, but focus in finding t he audience t hat already is seeking exact ly what you offer and reach t hem.

WITH MARILEN ROSE, MY WORLD REGISTRY

What was missing from t he world of regist ries t hat you t hought needed t o be filled? Making it more personal, more human, and focusing on gift s t hat will be remembered forever rat her t han yet anot her toast er or silverware set . What do you know now t hat you wish you would?ve known when you first began your business and creat ing your niche? The power of creat ing an opportunity to meet wit h t he experience providers by offering small or larger scale event s where people can meet in person and ask all of t heir quest ions, and learn about t he long- last ing benefit s of experiences as gift s inst ead of mat erial it ems.

Marilen Rose is the founder of My World Registry, a gift registry that goes beyond the limits of the average registry for couples, with an emphasis on real experiences that couples can share together. How do you set yourself and your services apart from ot hers wit hin t he regist ry niche in t he indust ry?

"Make sure you highlight WHATor HOWyou are DIFFERENT(in a much better way) and a step above all else that populates your niche. If your niche is overpopulated it will take constantly educating your audience on the value you add."

We go beyond being just a cash regist ry and inst ead we inspire and make it possible for regist rant s to describe an experience t hey want to "fund" (get gift ed) wit h t he cash gift s from t heir loved ones. We encourage once in a lifet ime experiences t hat are life- changing, as we believe t hese are t he t rue gift s t hat last forever. How long did it t ake you t o see real, consist ent result s aft er you first est ablished your niche? We launched less t han a year ago so we're st ill studying and learning from our audience response, so it 's to early to use t he consist ency word. We're on a great pat h to it t hough!

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26 How have you fine- t uned your offerings and services t o fit your ideal client ?

It is a work in progress for sure and it is const ant , but I t hink learning to discern mutually beneficial collaborat ions from t hose t hat aren't is one great tool for fine- tuning. Also, we're are making it possible for our audience to st art buying cert ain experiences for t heir own privat e groups and celebrat ions rat her t han having t hese experiences only t ake place as an event wit h a set dat e, which would be open to anyone not just a part icular group of people.

Interview by Meghan Ely

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#WedEdu Every mont h we share t he lat est workshops, conferences & educat ional event s we hear about from across t he globe.

Be Sage Conference Get deeper business knowledge. February 3- 6, 2020, Aust in, Texas

The Special Event Show Co- host ed wit h educat ors Cat ersource, March 9t h- 12t h, 2020, Ls Vegas

Engage!20 Dubai Taking place March 2nd- 5t h, 2020, Armani Hot el Dubai at t he Burj Khalifa

LW BC Xmas Par ty W EDx Retreat

Celebrat e & net work wit h fellow Wedding Pros on December 9t h 2019, London

For busy wedding business owners 9t h- 11t h March, 2020, Norfolk, UK 28

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How Finding Your Niche Translates to M ore Ear nings

#WedBizCoach 30

BY MICHELLE LORETTA, SAGE WEDDING PROS

When you niche a business, you are filling a need wit h a specific t alent t hat only you have (or t hat only you do well). You fulfill a specific segment of t he market t hat isn?t sat isfied by general service providers. You are essent ially saying: ?I specialize in t his because no one else does it as well as I do, and t hese people over here want it and need it .? Niching yourself is about being different from t he st atus quo. It ?s about being rare. And, t he nature of economics dict at es t hat t he rarer a product or service is, t he more valuable it is. Value t ranslat es to st ronger pricing, which t ranslat es to more earnings. Niche - - > Rarity - - > Value - - > Higher Pricing - - > Earnings HOW TO FIND YOUR NICHE Because a niche by nature is built on t he premise of rarity, you want to be looking for t hose product s or services t hat no one else is offering. And, you want to be t hinking of needs and want s t hat aren?t being met by ot her wedding businesses.

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Here are a few cool niche businesses I?ve 32 seen recent ly: -

33 HOW DOES THIS TRANSLATE TO INCOME?

A baby carrier t hat is for XL+ sized parent s A wedding planner t hat only does Iranian weddings in t he Unit ed St at es A lanyard for kids to wear t heir stuffed animals Socks t hat don?t have seams for people wit h sensit ivit ies

The wedding indust ry can be a sea of sameness. If you want to st and out from a saturat ed market , it ?s t ime to niche your business. By niching, t he right people will not ice you. And, while you might miss out on a majority of t he market , you?ll be gett ing a segment of t he populat ion t hat NEEDS what you have. And, chances are, t hey?re willing to pay a premium for it .

A few quest ions to ask yourself are: -

What do I do bett er t han most? What opportunit ies is my market (my compet itors) leaving behind? What are t he needs not being sat isfied by my market?

WHEN A NICHE IS TOO RARE Niches are not oft en too rare to int roduce to a market . Most ly t hat ?s just used an excuse by businesses afraid to ent er a new market , or change t heir business model to sat isfy an underserved market . Look at how many decades of years where XL+ women were unable to shop for fashionable clot hing! That ?s just short- sight edness. Don?t be scared to do somet hing different . There is GOLD in what is rare. That being said, you do need to be real. If you want to specialize in Greek weddings, but you live in a small town of 600 people wit h no families of Greek descent , you?re going to have a hard t ime gett ing t hat business off t he ground. You?d have to move towns, or begin a program to move Greek families into your neck o?t he woods. However, t his is unusual. MOST businesses have an opportunity to niche. And, niches are usually not t hat rare to not have a market at all. Do some research. Try to find out what t he need is. Even if it ?s a small segment of t he populat ion, chances are t hat t here are people who need what you have to offer and are not finding it anywhere else. It ?s bett er to be t he ONLY service provider for 2% of t he market t han to compet e wit h t housands of ot her businesses for 98% of t he market .

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BOBINO Wouldn't it be great if every wire in your home or office never got t angled again? I recent ly discovered Bobino and never looked back. I no longer have issues wit h t he wires on my earphones gett ing t angled or my USB cables gett ing twist ed. Wit h Bonino I simply wrap t hem around and no more wire dramas. It 's fab!

Our Favour ite Things

PICO PROJECTOR Pico projectors are brilliant as a back up plan if anyt hing goes wrong wit h your venue projector. It 's perfect if you need to show comput er, t ablet or smart phone files on t he go and is really port able. Remember t hough, it won't be as clear as a full size projector but you're paying for accessibility.

IPAD STYLUS Taking not es on a sheet of paper is so passĂŠ. Your iPad is a great tool to t ake not es and share t hem wit h t he rest of your t eam. Choosing t he right app and stylus is almost comparable to choosing t he right espresso machine so choose wisely. I've done a bit of research and it looks like Maglus is one of t he best choices out t here.

In each issue we share wit h you some of t he t ools we can't do wit hout , t hings we've found when researching and some gems we've been t old about by ot hers. They make our lives easier and

MAGBAK

save us huge amount s of t ime wit hin our working life. In some

MagBak is a magnet ic iPad holder t hat can st ick to any met allic surface or alt ernat ively to t he met allic rings t hat come wit h it . Perfect for using in t he car when you need to use your phone as a Sat Nav and want to put your phone somewhere you can see it .

cases t hey are just great Apps t hat we love t o play wit h. Enjoy! This mont h we are sharing some of our must have t ech accessories.

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Trend Influencer

37 from ot her wedding professionals How do you consciously set yourself apart t hat specifically specialize in t hese weddings?

Service att itude! Serving ot hers it t he deepest form of human connect ion and we int ent ionally focus on how to service ot hers and t ell stories t hroughout all of t he touch point s in our business. Most import ant ly as a t eam we serve each ot her first .

MAKING A NAME IN SOUTH ASIAN WEDDINGS

The import ance of family is a vit al considerat ion in Sout h Asian weddings. How does t his impact your planning process wit h couples? In t he last 3- 5 years t here has been a massive shift in who t he decision makers are for t hese lavish affairs. The couple as t he decision makers has been a key reason for t he shift and growt h in t he indust ry and also t he opportunity for creat ive vendors to service t hese lovely couples. Even t hough t he decision makers have shift ed from t he parent s to t he couple, in many cases t he parent s are st ill paying for t he bill because t hey?ve been saving up for t his moment and want to cont ribut e to t heir child's future, just like t heir parent s did for t hem. Just to provide some cont ext families are spending up to ? of t heir wealt h on t heir children?s weddings! This may creat e a challenging dynamic where at t imes you might be dealing wit h t he couple but t hey are st rongly being influenced by t heir parent s. Your role as a vendor is being able to address bot h of t heir concerns. When you can manage t his effect ively, it can be a key success factor in your business.

With Gurminder Banga

Gurminder Banga is the brains behind Banga Studios, a team of photographers and visual storytellers from all walks of life that are renowned for their work with South Asian weddings. You work wit h a broad spect rum of weddings globally, but you are also very well regarded for your work wit h Sout h Asian weddings. How did you decide t hat you want ed t o make a niche for yourself wit h t his market ?

When growing a t eam, how do you ensure t hat everyone has t he same vision and long- t erm goals for t he business t hat you do? Our vision is to help evolve t he world t hrough human connect ion. When we are looking to grow t he t eam we are act ively seeking candidat es who are excit ed about t his vision and want to collaborat e wit h a t eam t hat is committ ed to t hat vision. If people are looking to just collect a pay cheque and be recognized for t heir work, chances are t hey are not t he right fit for us. There is not hing wrong wit h t hat but we are looking for people who get it and are sold to t he vision. Alignment to our beliefs, core values and a growt h mindset is what allows us to ensure t hat our t eam is in it for t he long run.

I simply love Sout h Asian weddings! I find t hem to be t he most excit ing, engaging and culturally diverse event s in t he wedding space. Sout h Asian weddings are known to be very long (spanning over a few days) but t hey are filled wit h so much laught er, family and spirituality t hat it is an honor to be apart of t hem. Banga Studios was founded in 1989 by my fat her and at t he t ime he primarily focused on Sout h Asian market . 10 years ago when management was passed over to us, we decided t hat we want ed to cont inue servicing t he Sout h Asian market while simult aneously creat ing a more diverse client base.

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39 h Asian Training Guide. Can you share Next year, you?ll be re- launching your Sout a bit more about t his project and why you see a need in t he indust ry for it ?

38 "Serving others it the deepes t form of human connection and we intentionally focus on how to service others and tell stories throughout all of the touch points in our business."

We?ve designed t his course to help our student s speed up t he process, learn from our mist akes and walk away wit h all of our secret s to grow t heir business and capit alize on a growing mult i billion dollar indust ry. Our goal is for student s to be able to speak confident ly and service Sout h Asian couples wit h t he highest level of service. We are also looking to change t he story people have about Sout h Asian weddings because it ?s more t han just henna, it ?s more t han just a lot of people dancing and it ?s of course more t han just colour! Interview by Meghan Ely

Banga St udios is commit t ed t o st oryt elling t hrough t heir work. At t he same t ime, your celebrat ions- from dest inat ion and Sout h Asian t o int erfait h, oft en t ake place over mult iple days. Can you expand on your process for honoring t hat commit ment while also navigat ing so many moving part s? The Sangeet or Garba event t ends to be one night before t he wedding ceremony and is lit erally a pre- party before t he party. Think of t his as a welcome party for all of t he guest s and a way of gett ing bot h sides of t he families familiar wit h each ot her before t he big day. The event s can be and t end to be very lavish, host ed at beaut iful venues and include a subst ant ially large guest list anywhere between 200 - upwards of 700 guest s. The Sangeet means music and t hat is exact ly what t his night is about music, food, performances and a union of not only t he couple but t he bonding of bot h families under t he same roof. During t hese event s you can expect to see full out choreographed performances from t he families, open bar, speeches and a lot of dancing. If you could visualize a dance scene from a Bollywood movie, t his is exact ly what it looks like. Photo by Banga Studios

Similar to t he Sangeet event , every event t hat t ake place during t hese mult i day affairs provide an opportunity for event professionals to share t he couples story, bring toget her bot h families and of course int egrat e different cultures. Even wit h all of t he moving part s t he event s t hemselves provide you wit h t he framework of what t he feeling and experience of t he day will provide.

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#WedSales

3 Ways to Find Your Niche as a B2B Consultant BY MERYL SNOW, SNOWSTORM SOLUTIONS

When you become a mast er of your craft , you might consider adding a consult ing component to your career. As a coach or consult ant , you get t he opportunity to give back to t he wedding community and help ot hers achieve success in t he ways you have. It ?s an ext remely rewarding endeavor and one t hat builds your network from a place of educat ion and t hought leadership. A consult ant is responsible for providing object ive and unbiased advice in regards to st rat egy, management , operat ions, sales, and market ing, as well as t he st ructure of a business. The goals of consult ant s are twofold: 1. Ident ify t he issues afflict ing t he business; 2. Provide or propose solut ions to t hese issues. If t his is somet hing you?ve considered, you need to st art by finding your niche. Just like wedding pros must ident ify t heir ideal couple, consult ant s must also dig down to discover t he type of client t hey want to work wit h. 40

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42 explore your t arget niche as a Here are t hree t hings to keep in mind as you consult ant .

43 If t ravel is not an issue and you?d prefer consult ing via phone call or FaceTime, you may be comfort able working wit h client s from around t he world.

TYPE OF CONSULTING

Underst anding your feelings and inclinat ions around t hese t hree factors can help you to t ruly hone in on where you belong on t he B2B side of t he wedding indust ry. There will always be wedding pros who need help wit h t his or t hat , but in order to be successful and sust ainable, you need to have a firm grasp on who you can help and what you can help t hem wit h.

You?ll first want to consider what type of consult ing you?d like to offer. Think about where you have excelled in your current business and how you can relay t hat knowledge to ot hers. One way is to ask yourself: ?If I could do it all over again, what would I change?? You could be a market ing whiz, a bookkeeping expert , or a sales pro ? each of t hose skills are valuable.

Once you do know your niche, you will be more prepared to t arget your sales and market ing approach to draw in t he right client s and ident ify t heir needs before t hey even have to t ell you. It ?s a similar approach to niching on t he B2C side of weddings; t he more specific you can get wit h your expert ise, t he closer your client base will align wit h your values and preferences.

Avoid spreading yourself too t hin, t hough; ?specializing? in too many aspect s can devalue your approach. St ick to one or two t hings in which you know you?re an expert and refer t he rest to ot her consult ant s. For example, if you aren?t well-versed in SEO, don?t add t hat to your consult ing packages. Inst ead, find a t rust ed professional who does know t heir way around longt ail keywords and send your client s over for SEO help. LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE Some people want to help indust ry newbies discover t heir brand, whereas ot hers prefer to work wit h experienced client s who are looking to scale bigt ime. Consider who you would like to help. If you had a mentor help you get your business off t he ground, working wit h st artups may be a good niche for you. On t he ot her hand, consult ing for well- est ablished businesses has t he pot ent ial of connect ing you to some high- profile professionals. Ask yourself: Who would you like to associat e wit h most and what do you want to get out of your consult ing career? GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION There is merit in consult ing on a local level, just as t here is on a nat ional (or int ernat ional) level. Take some t ime to t hink hard about how you want your client relat ionships to develop. Do you want to be able to get coffee wit h your consult ing client s weekly and att end networking event s wit h t hem? If so, you likely want to hone in on your regional market . 42

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Academy TV 44

How to make money in your Wedding Business

"Are you ready to learn how to make money in your wedding business? Are you making money in your wedding business or is it an expensive hobby? This video is full of wedding businesstips and wedding business ideas."

44 45

The Power of Your Niche: Quality,

Not Quantity BY JEN FEROZE, JACKDAW EDITORIAL

#WedCopy 46

When you st art a business, t he likelihood is t hat you?re dreaming of creat ing a product or service t hat people will flock to in t heir droves. You want to make waves in your corner of t he indust ry, to be to ?go to?supplier, recommended to people across t he globe. You crave being inundat ed wit h enquiries, never having to experience a dry spell or to go looking for client s. It ?s a beaut iful dream, but it ?s also a dangerous one. While it ?s undeniably a rush to feel like you?re in demand, it can quickly suck t he joy out of your business ent erprise if you?re in demand from t he wrong people. Let ?s boil t his down to a numbers game. Be really realist ic wit h yourself: how many client s do you honest ly have capacity for in a year? Even if you?re working wit h a t eam in your wedding business, t he number you?re able to work wit h is a t iny percent age of t he engaged populat ion out t here. It ?s t ime to refocus t hat dream of yours, and st rive for a handful of quality enquiries, rat her t han a wishy washy inbox litt ered wit h t ime wast ers and weddings you don?t actually want to be working on. 46

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This is t he space to build connect ions wit49 h you as a human, not just as a service provider. Yes, couples want to know t hey?re in safe hands, but your About page should go deeper t han t hat . Concern about sounding ?professional enough?is somet hing I regularly hear from my client s, but in my opinion t hat should be pretty low on your list of priorit ies here. Inst ead, t hink about sounding real.

48 FIGHT YOUR PEOPLE PLEASING INSTINCTS

First and foremost , we?re t alking about a shift in your mindset . Imagine t hat you?re gett ing 75% fewer enquiries, but t hat each couple who crosses your pat h is planning a glitt ering gem of a wedding t hat makes you leap about for joy at t he t hought of playing a part in. That ?s t he dream, right? The key to gett ing t here is to get very comfort able in turning people off.

3: Make every word count : Your web copy is t he best chance you?ve got to showcase who you are and what you can do. Every phrase t hat makes it onto your sit e needs to earn it s place. Read your copy out loud. Does it t ake you a while to get to t he meat of your messaging? Cut out t he waffle and dist il it down. Don?t force your client s to pan for gold when t hey?re reading your websit e, lay out t he nugget s for t hem to marvel at !

As t he owner of a business cent red on t he happiness of ot hers, t his will not come naturally to you. But fight ing your people pleasing inst inct s when it comes to your websit e copy will serve you so well. Trying to be all t hings to all people leads to blandness and clichĂŠ. You deserve more t han t hat . Plus, it ?s a two way st reet . Those weddings t hat you?re fizzing wit h excit ement about? The client s t hey belong to will feel just t he same at t he prospect of working wit h you, because t hey will have felt a genuine spark of connect ion wit h you when reading your websit e. By owning your niche like t his, you?re also cat apult ing yourself furt her along t he touch- point process. Those people t hat do connect wit h you and t hat feel inspired to pop you a DM or an email are much more likely to follow t hrough and book you. GETTING THE LASER FOCUS ON YOUR COPY So how do you get t here? Here are my top t ips to gett ing courageous wit h your copy and honing your niche and owning it for your small- but- mighty ideal audience. 1: Banish ?should syndrome?: Take a good hard look at your exist ing websit e copy. Are t here any phrases t hat are in t here because it feels like people expect to see t hem t here? I?m going to t ake a wild guess and say t hat you spend t ime encouraging your couples to break wit h t radit ion and celebrat e in a way t hat ?s aut hent ic to t hem. Well, it ?s t ime to t ake your own advice. Be rut hless, and get rid of anyt hing t hat ?s t here ?because it ?s t he done t hing?. 2: Who are you really?: Writ ing your About Me page is hard ? no two ways about it . But if you approach it as if it ?s a CV, you?re making life so much harder for yourself.

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W hat are some signs51that a niche may be too nar row or too broad?

Louise Beukes, Founder of B.LOVED & t he B.LOVED Hive says... If you're not gett ing enquiries t hen it 's very likely t hat your ideal client s are

Top Tips From The Exper ts

gett ing lost in a confused market ing message and gett ing confused about what it is t hat you offer. Trying to be everyt hing to everyone is a mist ake I oft en see in st art- up businesses, t he challenge is not being scared to niche down and really focus on your ideal client from t he beginning. On t he flip side, it may be t hat t here just isn't a market for what you're offering! If growt h is slow or st agnat ed t hen t his is usually a clear sign t hat t here is not enough demand for what you have to offer. Brit t ny Drye, Founder + Edit or- in- Chief of Love Inc. Magazine says... There's a saying t hat if you're t alking to everyone, you're t alking to no one. If you're finding it a challenge to find your "voice" because you're t rying to please everybody, you need to niche down. If you've found yourself unable to grow, t hat 's a st rong sign t hat your niche is too narrow. Even indust ry leaders need to be challenged and need space to grow t heir brand. It 's great to be at t he top, but t hen ask yourself what is t here left to do once you get t here? Michelle Loret t a, Owner of Sage Wedding Pros says... Wit h a niche it is import ant to be t arget ed to a very specific audience wit h a very specific offering - but t hat audience needs to exist . A niche is too narrow if you don't have any pot ent ial client s in your market for what you're offering.

50 51

W hat factors did you consider when initially 53 deciding on a niche for your business? Did you have to adjust at any point - if so, why?

52 For example, if you want to specialize in East-Asian Weddings for your wedding

planning business in Hait i, you may be a litt le hard- pressed to find client s. On t he flipside, a lot of people don't niche because t hey t hink it will limit t hem. The reality is t hat when you're offering somet hing special and different - even if it 's to t hat limit ed t arget market (as long as it exist s) - your business has t he pot ent ial to do very well. Michelle Anderson, Direct or of Complet e t he Look says...

Meryl Snow, President of SnowSt orm Solut ions says...

If your niche is too narrow or too broad you may see signs of t his in t he following

Prior to opening t he business, we did our research factoring in which market of

areas: -

t he special event indust ry was lacking. At t hat t ime weddings were

Your websit e - do you have lot s of t raffic however no

"cookie- cutt er" We knew it was t ime to change t he evolut ion of weddings. In

subscribers/customers? This may be due to your sit e having a large range

order to make t his evolut ion, we opt ed to set t rends inst ead not follow t rends.

of topics being discussed and a tot ally new customer may not be able to

Brit t ny Drye, Founder + Edit or- in- Chief of Love Inc. Magazine says...

underst and exact ly what your service or product is. -

How do you define your niche - depending on how many words you use to

I took a deep look at t he indust ry and saw a void. My niche is equality- mindedÂŽ

describe your niche may det ermine if it 's too narrow or too broad. For

weddings. When I realized t hat most wedding media was t arget ing het ero

example if you describe your niche as 'flowers' t his may be too broad

couples - - or it was st rict ly LGBTQ+ focused - - I saw an opportunity to be t ruly

whereas if you say 'designer flowers for t he high- end bride' t his may be to

inclusive and seamlessly, and equally, blend t he two.

narrow and limit your capacity for growt h. -

Michelle Anderson, Direct or of Complet e t he Look says...

Web Traffic - you may find t hat your niche is not defined enough or too I considered t he following:

defined if t he search engines are st ruggling to cat ergorise your business in web searches and your business is not being priorit ised to pot ent ial

Who my ideal client was

client s. This may be due to your sit e/social media presence having to

What was my passion,

many topics for t he search engine to define what your niche really is.

What are my core compet encies

Where did I need to expand my knowledge

Researched my compet itors and discovered what t hey offered

What were my goals - how, what and when could I achieve t hem

What percent age of t he market was being provided for in t he Wedding

Kat e Cullen, Owner of Kat e Cullen says... I st rongly believe t hat every business goes t hrough changes- some big, some small. The biggest changes I've made in recent years to align my personal values more st rongly wit h my brand values - focusing more on being ecologically

Indust ry and where was it falling down

friendly and offering kinder, 'greener' alt ernat ives.

I conduct ed market research on my ideal client s 52 53

Aft er init ially launching my business,55 I would conduct a bi- annual review of what

was happening, where I was having success and where t here was room for improvement . At about year 5 I realised t hat my business was changing, as was my client ele and t his prompt ed me to have to adjust my offerings, services and customer focus. I discovered t hat I was no longer offering a service t hat met my client 's needs and t hat result ed in a drop in incoming business. This is why I needed to ret hink and redefine my niche market .. Kat e Cullen, Owner of Kat e Cullen says... I st rongly believe t hat every business goes t hrough changes- some big, some small. The biggest changes I've made in recent years to align my personal values more st rongly wit h my brand values - focusing more on being ecologically friendly and offering kinder, 'greener' alt ernat ives. Louise Beukes, Founder of B.LOVED & t he B.LOVED Hive says... When I first founded B.LOVED blog I want ed to bring t he cont emporary, light & airy aest het ic I had seen on int ernat ional blogs to t he UK at a t ime when t he focus was heavily on t he vint age t rend. Over t ime, t his has developed furt her to focus on creat ive weddings t hat focus on det ails and florals t hat our readers love to ensure t hat our cont ent appeals direct ly to our audience and provides endless ideas and inspirat ion.

54 55

Kat e Cullen, Owner of Kat e Cullen says...

How can you deter mine if your niche has long-ter m sustainability?

57 Looking at overall market s can be a good way to look into t he future - t he global

ecological crises especially means t hat people are looking for ever- more sust ainable ways to live, as well as it becoming a hugely import ant factor for many when t hey come to plan t heir wedding too. Research, research, research - use all means at your disposal to get feedback on your proposed niche - poll in Facebook Groups, set up surveys, ask friends in t he

Louise Beukes, Founder of B.LOVED & t he B.LOVED Hive says...

indust ry. There's no such t hing as too much research at t his st age. If your niche is t rend- focussed or relies heavily on factors you cannot cont rol Michelle Loret t a, Owner of Sage Wedding Pros says...

(anot her business, social media plat form, venue for example) t hen any changes will affect t he sust ainability of your business. Part of business is being able to change

Niches t hat st and t he t est of t ime are usually a demographic mat ch more t han a

and adapt to t he market , so as long as you are aware of pot ent ial impact early on

t rend mat ch.

you can plan and prepare for long- t erm success from t he beginning.

The wedding planner t hat focuses on Persian Weddings in t he Los Angeles area?

Michelle Anderson, Direct or of Complet e t he Look says...

Unless t hat populat ion goes away, t his has long- t erm sust ainability.

In order to det ermine if your niche has long - t erm sust ainability, I recommend t hat

The wedding planner t hat focuses on barn weddings in t he count ryside? While

you invest t ime in doing t he following:

barn weddings will likely never go away, t he shift will likely evolve into somet hing

else. (Ballrooms will make a comeback if t hey haven't already.) This is a niche t hat

Research, underst and and segment your niche market . Then wit h t his

is more difficult on which to build your business model.

informat ion, you will discover what areas of your niche are not being serviced successfully by your compet itors which will enable you to t arget your customers successfully for sales and profit ability. -

We work in a heavily saturated market - how can you make sure that your niche stands out?

Design a service or product for your customers based on what t hey really want and creat e value t hat draws t heir att ent ion.

Creat e a map of all of t he key element s you will need in order to deliver and support your designed service or product . (Branding, pricing, customer service level,)

Use and underst and your st rengt hs, knowledge base and passion. Then creat ively ut ilise t hese core element s to project and add value to your t arget

market .

Brit t ny Drye, Founder + Edit or- in- Chief of Love Inc. Magazine says...

Then build your business model around t hese key component s to project

It comes down to your personality and your originality. St aying t rue to yourself,

your chosen niche into t he market .

and your brand, is key, as well as having a st rong underst anding of who your

Once you have est ablished t he above 56 framework you will be able to posture if your

audience is. Tap into what makes THEM st and out in t his heavily saturat ed 56 57

niche will provide you wit h long- t erm sust ainability.

market (hint : it should somehow coincide wit h your brand!). 57

Meryl Snow, President of SnowSt orm Solut ions says... One of t he great est ways to art iculat e your compet encies, experience, skills, knowledge, and your overall wort h in today's compet it ive event s indust ry is to creat e and nurture t he brand t hat helps you st and out in t he crowd. Everyt hing you do cont ribut es to your branding endeavor, eit her posit ively or negat ively. Even t he litt le t hings count ? dressing, behavior, body language, emails, down to behavior on social media. If you want to be successful, creat ing and managing your brand isn't just an opt ion, it 's a necessity. Kat e Cullen, Owner of Kat e Cullen says... Your brand voice is especially vit al when it comes to st anding out - be you, make it personal. Enlist t he help of copywrit ers if you st ruggle to get your websit e copy and social media 'voice' right and aligned wit h what your brand st ands for. Make sure you st ay 'on brand' wit h your imagery too, invest in a brand and/or styled shoot to give you a good bank of images to st art you off in t he right way - images of t he sort of weddings you want to do. Like att ract s like - pot ent ial client s will be much more likely to invest if you are exposing t hem to exact ly what t hey are looking for. Try to t ake away all t he guesswork - have good 'about ' pages and FAQ blog post s too t hat pert ain to your niche. Give t hem reasons to book you over more generic businesses. Persevere - it can t ake t ime to build a brand t hat people recognise and t rust don't be demoralised if t hings t art slowly - use t his t ime to learn as much as possible and arm yourself wit h t he tools you need in business.

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#WedBrand

W hy Being a Luxur y Vendor isn't the Only Way? BY ASHLEY MALONE, ASHLEY & MALONE

In my seven years working wit h wedding indust ry pros, it has always been int erest ing to see t he progression of how owners envision what t he next level of t heir business will be. Most want to see t hemselves ent er t he luxury market but haven't t horoughly explored t he alt ernat ives. While t hings might seem more exclusive, covet ed and rosy at t he top 1% of t he market , I t hink t here is somet hing to be said about t he brands t hat appeal to mid- range client s. There is no dissolut ion of professionalism if you decide you enjoy working wit h good, premium level client s. Because t here is a difference between Luxury and Premium experiences. Each segment of t he market has t heir quirks wit h larger budget s comes higher expect at ions, more pressure, increased services, ext ra t eam members...and t he list goes on. That might work for some, but it 's not t he only way to be seen as a successful wedding professional ? if t hat 's one of your goals. 60

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63is, t ruly t hink about who you want to So when you are exploring who your niche serve and how t hat works into t he lifestyle you want to live. A helpful exercise to help in your focus is to writ e down all t he client s you have had over t he last season. Writ e down what worked well, what could have improved and what didn't go well. Then go t hrough and put a st ar beside t he client s t hat you would work wit h again. What about t hese people are unique, what similarit ies do t hey have and at t heir core, what are t heir common personality t rait s. Once you have narrowed down t hose det ails, you can st art to align who your niche market is ? based on demographics, personality, budget s, style et c. It 's cert ainly not foolproof but does allow you to ident ify t hrough past experience and can help you pivot your goals to align wit h who you enjoy working wit h. And hey, if t hey happen to be luxury client s and t hat 's what you've always want ed - go for it !

Because we all know t hat when we connect wit h our client s, are proud of t he work we creat e, being a business owner is t hat much more rewarding.

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#WedExper t

65 It will turn your blog, websit e and social media copy from average to amazing.

It ?s t he one t hing t hat will fill up your wedding diary and help you to turn a profit in your business. SO WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR IDEAL WEDDING CLIENT?

FINDING YOUR IDEAL WEDDING CLIENT

Well in market ing t erms it ?s t he wedding couple who?s exact requirement s are met t hrough your product or service, aka your offer. Not only t hat , it ?s t he couple t hat you really want to work wit h. The ones you t arget wit h all your market ing copy and messaging. They value your opinion, love your work or your product s and see you as t he expert you are.

By Kylie Carlson

But before you even do t hat you need to really know and underst and what it is you do best and what makes you uniquely you. What is it you have t hat will ent ice a part icular t ype of wedding couple t o work wit h you?

St art ing a new wedding business is excit ing, but it ?s also scary. It ?s a brand new adventure t hat t akes you into t he unknown. It brings up many quest ions and we hear most of t hem at t he Wedding Academy from pricing your services to doing client consult at ions. But t he quest ion we hear t he most is ?How can I find client s for my wedding business?? Now whilst t his is a great quest ion it s not an easy one to answer in just one sent ence because it depends on so many t hings. To ask t hat quest ion is a bit like putt ing t he cart before t he horse because before you can even t hink about gett ing wedding client s you need to know who your ideal wedding client actually is. WHO IS YOUR IDEAL WEDDING CLIENT? And I don?t mean just a vague not ion of who t hey are. I mean knowing t hem really well, int imat ely even, so you know everyt hing from t he rest aurant s t hey like to eat at to t he language t hey use in t heir t ext messages. 64

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Once you know t his piece of market ing gold it ?s like finding t he holy grail, t he magic sauce t hat makes every recipe t ast e fant ast ic. 64

"We all have that issue of shiny new idea syndrome and it ?sso easy to get distracted with all the things available to us. So we want to make it easy for people. Make it a no brainer to choose you, your products or your services." 64

66 You can?t just say, ?I?m a wedding planner.? You have to be specific, t arget ed and above all else niche right down so you can st art to att ract t hose couples t hat will get you, fall in love wit h you and want to work wit h you.

FIND YOUR NICHE You can?t leave any margin for error. And don?t panic. Niching down is good. Yes it will mean t hat fewer people will be att ract ed to what you offer but t hat is actually a good t hing, not a bad t hing. You don?t want to wast e your t ime wit h people t hat were never your client s in t he first place. It ?s exhaust ing. You st art to doubt yourself because nobody is buying what you?re selling and your confidence t akes a beat ing. Have you ever heard t hat saying, ?Talk to everyone and you?ll sell to no one?? That saying hit s t he nail on t he head because you really can?t sell to everyone. Everyone is not your client . That said, why not t ry t his on for size. ?I?m a London wedding planner who works wit h cont emporary couples looking to disrupt t he wedding st atus quo and do t hings t heir way.? Right off t he bat I?ve told t hem I?m based in London which means t hose not gett ing married in London aren?t going to wast e t heir t ime. I?ve also let t hem know my style is cont emporary and I like to work wit h couples t hat are prepared to t ake a risk. This really rules out t he more t radit ional couples and should att ract more of t he rule breakers. DO YOUR RESEARCH You have to do your research and see what your compet itors are doing as well. You can?t leave it to chance and t his is an import ant part of t he puzzle. I don?t mean t hat you want to copy t hem, definit ely not , but you want to know what you?re up against and how you can do it different ly. 66

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Plus, it will help you ident ify if t here are any gaps in your local area and t he indust ry and ident ify where you could be a t railblazer.

By niching down and having a clearly defined and t arget ed message t hat can be applied to all part s of your business makes your ideal client feel like you?re actually inside t heir head.

Being t he same as everyone else out t here isn?t going to get you not iced. You don?t want to be t he same as every ot her wedding planner or stylist out t here.

You get t hem. Every. Single. Piece of t hem.

And compet ing on price is out of bounds. It devalues you and it devalues t he indust ry. If you do t his all you?ll get is t he price shoppers and money hagglers who won?t appreciat e your level of expert ise and will push you to discount at every turn.

That ?s where t he market ing magic happens. And I?ve seen it happen wit h many of our student s here at t he Wedding Academy and it ?s such a wonderful t hing to see when all t he pieces of t he puzzle come toget her.

My business coach t aught me a saying t hat haunt s me to t his day, ?The riches are in t he niches?.

Have you ever read somet hing where as you?re reading you lit erally want to fist pump because t he writ er has complet ely understood t he problem you current ly have?

Honest ly t his couldn?t be t ruer. The more you niche down t he clearer your message will be and by default you?ll appeal to t hose people t hat are t ruly your client s.

It ?s an amazing feeling and it is t his feeling you want your ideal client to have when t hey find you.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR?

For us at t he Wedding Academy we?ve been t hrough t his process a few t imes because our ideal client has changed as our business has changed and grown, and t hat is absolut ely fine.

I find t hat it helps to t hink about it in t erms of what you want to be known for. Most successful ent repreneurs are known for somet hing and have t hemes t hat dict at e t heir business decisions, t heir copy, any videos t hey do et c.

What you st art wit h now won?t necessarily be what you have in two years t ime.

They refer back to t hese t hemes on a daily basis and if what t hey?re about to do doesn?t fit in wit h one of t hose t hemes t hen t hey dit ch it .

As you find your feet and really est ablish who you are in t he indust ry you?ll refine even furt her including who you are, what you represent and how t hat t ranslat es it self to your client .

Why? Because it ?s about having a a clearly defined message t hat isn?t dilut ed in any way. At t he Academy our t hemes are: -

Act ion over informat ion How to make money in your wedding business Get out of your own way

NICHE DOWN AS FAR AS YOU CAN We all have t hat issue of shiny new idea syndrome and it ?s so easy to get dist ract ed wit h all t he t hings available to us. So we want to make it easy for people. Make it a no brainer to choose you, your product s or your services. 68

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Finding Your People on Pinterest BY RACHEL WARING, RACHEL EMMA STUDIO

Working out where you fit in on t he int ernet can be a challenge can?t it? We?ve all been in t hat t ricky ?Who is my business for? WHO AM I?? exist ent ial crisis, and t his is somet hing t hat comes up all t he t ime when you st art working on your Pint erest st rat egy. Being in t he wedding world, you probably already know t hat Pint erest is a huge opportunity to find your dream client s. But as for harnessing it so t hat it actually brings in your people, and convinces t hem to spend t heir hard earned money wit h you? That can seem like a tot al myst ery. Luckily I?m here like your friendly neighbourhood Pint erest PI, so we can st art solving t hat myst ery toget her. Like most business adventures, finding your niche on Pint erest st art s wit h gett ing to know your ideal customer. And I don?t mean having a general idea of t heir age, gender ident ity and job t it le, I mean really gett ing to know t hem - almost as well as you know yourself. If you t hink t his is st art ing to feel a bit creepy (it is October aft er all), t hen you?re tot ally just ified - because gett ing to know your ideal client s t akes some serious deep dive st alking.

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My favourit e t ip I?ve used personally and t73 aught to ot her wedding businesses, is to creat e a secret board t hat represent s your ideal customer. Pick one person (fict it ious or even someone you know) to st art wit h, and go on a pinning spree to fill t hem out complet ely as a charact er. What books do t hey read? What films do t hey wat ch? Who do t hey admire? You don?t have to st ick wit h weddings for t his exercise; in fact , I recommend you look furt her afield, because t hat ?s where you?ll be able to get a fully rounded picture of t his person. Then t he secret board is yours to keep and refer back to whenever you need reminding of who you?re pit ching yourself to.

So how does t his exercise relat e to t he rest of your Pint erest st rat egy? Well it basically forms t he basis of t he rest of your board decisions. Think of your profile like it ?s your ideal customer?s favourit e magazine, and your boards are t he topics you cover as t hat magazine?s editor in chief. Once you make t his mindset shift , it becomes so much easier to build a profile t hat ?s less about collect ing recipes and out fit s, or a place to aimlessly spam people wit h product s, and more of a space where you can add real value to your ideal customer?s life. Your product s and services can t hen be sprinkled t hrough your boards in an aut hent ic way, which helps your customers visualise how your brand fit s wit h t heir vision for t heir wedding and lifestyle. So what are you wait ing for? Whip out your t rench coat and magnifying glass and be a secret Pint erest det ect ive. You?ll kick st art your Pint erest presence in t he right way, and you?re sure to find new ways to reach and serve t he people you really want to work wit h along t he way.

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75 ideal client you may be nervous about Who is your niche? When it comes to your going ?too?niche, nervous t hat t hey may not exist , or indeed you may be basing your ideal client on a real client you had, and be worried t hat more of t hem don?t exist . There is no finit e number of people gett ing married. More people become adult s every day, more people get engaged every day. What do your favourit e client s have in common? Where do t hey live? What kind of look do t hey love?

CONNECT WITH CONFIDENCE: HOW TO GET FULLY BOOKED BY YOUR NICHE

You need t o be 100% clear about who your niche is, what you do and where you do it everywhere. There?s always room for t he creat ive poet ry. What you need to do is actually st at e your job ?Boho luxe London wedding planner?or ?Alt ernat ive New York wedding planner?. Wherever you are in t he world, you need to say what you do and where you do it everywhere. Think of it t his way, if t here were no images on your websit e, would I st ill underst and what you do?

With Madeleine Jones

Confident ly use what you already know t o creat e cont ent . You need a blog to share your ent husiasm for t hese int erest s, like att ract s like. How do you get cont ent ideas? Think about your niche. What quest ions do t hey have? What will t hey find valuable to learn? Answer one quest ion per blog post and re- purpose images from your port folio. Don?t get caught up in worrying t hat you?re repeat ing images.

I?m Maddy Shine and I help my clients get over the fear of SEO + get more bookings by being more visible on Google. To check out my services my website . You can come and chat to me on Instagram @maddy.shine or in my lively Facebook community ?So Exciting Obviously: SEO for Creative Women?. You?ll like it there. There?s GIFs.

Consist ency. Every t ime t hat you expect enquiries to come to your inbox, you need to show up for your business. Does t his mean t hat you become a robot and never stop working? Cert ainly not . But you do need to remind people you exist whet her it ?s new blogs, re- sharing old blogs, submitt ing your work and, of course, social media. You need to get used to repeat ing t he same informat ion but in new and innovat ive ways. Do you t hink Katy Perry get s up on st age, sings her new single just once and t hen leaves saying ?That ?s it , you missed it ?. No. Stop panicking t hat you are repeat ing yourself and enjoy sharing your brand wit h your niche.

Hello! I?m Maddy Shine, and I help wonderful wedding pros like you get found online. Some may call it SEO or search engine opt imisat ion, I call it ?so excit ing obviously? because what ?s more excit ing t han gett ing paid to do what you love? Now, I know what you?re t hinking: SEO is somet hing you may have heard of, somet hing t hat you may have been told you ?need?to know, or t hat you ?should?be doing. But SEO also get s a bad wrap as somet hing t erribly dull, and who ever remembers anyt hing t hey t hought was boring to begin wit h? No one, because it never st ays in, right? You want to creat e! So, if you?re nodding, t hen what I?m about to share is for you, my top t ips to confident ly get fully booked by your niche.

So what do you t hink? Go ahead and t ry my t ips out and t hen come and t ell me which t ip you found most useful!

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You and Your ICA ? Finding Your Niche and M aking Your M ark

BY CHRISTIE OSBORNE, MOUNTAINSIDE MEDIA

So, you?re an eager business owner ready to t ake on t he world. It seems like common sense to want to appeal to as many people as possible. While it may seem count erintuit ive, t rying to reach everyone is t he surest way to fail in your market ing effort s. When you t ry to please any possible client , you?re more likely to underwhelm everyone. Pot ent ial client s want to know what makes you and your business special. What set s you apart from your compet it ion? Who?s going to fully appreciat e what you?re offering? Fortunat ely, t here?s a fun and powerful tool you can use to creat e original, personal, relat able, and, most import ant ly, effect ive market ing: Your Ideal Client Avat ar (ICA). Building and using an Ideal Client Avat ar focuses your business plan, aest het ic, out reach, market ing and advert ising. Your ICA is more t han just an imaginary client ; it ?s t he client you do your best work for, who light s you up and who is deeply happy wit h your work. If you don?t already have an ICA, here are t he core element s you need to creat e one. 76

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DEMOGRAPHICS:

You?ll also be able to generat e unique cont79ent t hat t arget s your ICA?s specific goals, desires, and concerns. They want informat ion t hat you are precisely posit ioned to provide.

Get a deep underst anding of your ideal client 's age, household income, gender, locat ion, and relat ionship st atus. Knowing your ICA is 28, lives locally and reads Vogue might seem specific, but it means you can t arget engaged fans of Vogue wit h social ads leading back to your websit e.

Every florist provides flowers, but your ICA is wondering if she can st ill have daisies in wint er for her parent ?s 35t h anniversary celebrat ion. Every baker makes cakes, but your ICA is wondering if anyone makes t hem glut en- free or vegan.

While everyone is t arget ing Style Me Pretty, you?re one of t he few t arget ing fashion magazines, so t here may be a lot more ad inventory available. You also know not to wast e resources on ads t hat will be seen primarily by ret irees or t eens.

If you have t he answers to t hese quest ions, you?ve caught your client ?s eye already by being t here wit h informat ion before t hey even have to ask.

PSYCHOGRAPHICS:

While common sense might suggest t hrowing as wide a net as possible, your ICA ensures t hat net actually cat ches client s who are t ruly int erest ed in you and your service.

This looks at how your ideal client s behave in t he world, t heir int erest s and t heir lifestyle preferences. This includes guilty pleasures and t he values and ant i-values t hat dict at e how a person behaves toward ot her people. It gives you a sense of t heir relat ionships. Import ant ly, values and ant i-values are where you and your ICA are most likely to align. You want to work wit h people you like and relat e to. It ?s t hat aut hent ic connect ion t hat helps you draw t he right prospect s. EMPATHY MAPPING: Your ICA becomes except ionally useful when you can empat hize wit h her or his situat ion. Take some t ime to really underst and t heir biggest hopes, dreams, challenges and fears for t heir wedding. How can you know all t hat? Imagine how you?d feel in his or her shoes. Your ICA should share a lot of your own hopes, dreams, and fears. It shouldn?t be a huge st ret ch to relat e to your pot ent ial customers. You can see how t his informat ion creat es a dist inct image and personality ? one t hat isn?t just everyone, but a specific someone. You?ll know where your client s spend t heir t ime online and around town, ready to det ermine t he most successful st rat egies.

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81one of t heir couples want ed to have be of assist ance, at least in t he event t hat t heir pet incorporat ed into t he wedding day. In May 2017, I heard back from a planner. She asked about a dog pick up in Manhatt an, brought to a wedding in Tarrytown, and t hen brought back to Manhatt an. This was right up my alley! Long story short , one of t he execut ive producers of Brides.com was a bridesmaid at t hat wedding, and st art ed t alking to me about t he service. She t hen said she want ed to send a producer out to follow me at my next event . The video was post ed on Facebook and Inst agram in July 2017, and it really t ransformed t he business from a hobby to an actual company. I t hen had to figure out my ideal client , build a business plan, and figure out what types of market ing st rat egies would work and what wouldn't . I had to hire. I needed legal and account ing help. I needed websit e help. I had a long, very long to- do list ! Whit e it was overwhelming to say t he least , I made a decision to enjoy every second of it and learn as much as possible. I grew, not only on a personal level, but as a business owner as well. And I'm st ill learning! It never ends, but I'm proud, beyond proud, of t he company I've built and t he customers I get to work wit h (especially t he ones wit h four legs haha!).

Creating the "Pawfect" Niche for Pet L overs WITH VERONICA SILVA, PAWFECT FOR YOU

Veronica Silva is the owner of Pawfect for You, a special event pet care company that provides on-site support for couples and clients that desire to bring their pet to their Big Day. In this feature, Veronica expands on her journey to this unique niche service and how her offerings have evolved.

Why do you t hink it 's import ant for couples t o be able t o incorporat e t heir pet s int o t heir big day? Because pet s are family! Couples should be able to celebrat e life's most memorable occasions wit h t heir pet s, just as t hey would wit h t he rest of t heir family. Our pet s are by our side for everyt hing! They comfort us when we're down and and t hey make us laugh when we need a good chuckle. They should be part of t he big day, even if it s just for a few pictures. Alt hough it 's way more fun when t hey're part of t he ceremony too!

What drew you t o creat ing t his niche for yourself ? What was t hat process like? In 2014, I adopt ed my first pet : JakeBear. He is a bi- eyed German Shepherd / Corgi mix, who, quickly became t he love of my life. I t hen discovered just how hard it is to find specialized pet care t hat goes beyond normal dog walking or pet sitt ing. As I saw my friends and family get married, I wat ched family aft er family board t heir pet for a weekend, because t hey didn't want to impose on someone to t ake care of t he pet at t he venue or worse off, have to leave t he cockt ail hour to t ake t he pet back home. For t he couples t hat were able to find a friend to help out , it ems were forgott en like a wat er bowl and quest ions arose at t he wedding like what are we going to do wit h t he dog aft er t hey walk down t he aisle. I found it frust rat ing to see, so in May 2016 I finally "pulled t he t rigger" and st art ed my websit e. I init ially t hought when I st art ed t he websit e, couples would flock to me. Flawed st art- up t hinking haha! Aft er about a year in business, I began to email wedding planners. Not a spam email, but one t hat t hey would know I had80looked over t heir websit e and t hat I could

"The biggest hurdle for me was that initial "ok, I'm going to do this" and getting past all the self-doubtsI had. Since then, it's been an incredible and amazing journey." 80 81

83 you began Pawfect for You? How have you evolved your offerings since

Essent ially, t he idea behind t he service is t he same, however, t ime and experience has t aught me quit e a bit . At first , I used to walk around weddings wit h writt en not es I gat hered from t alking wit h t he couple. However, aft er a few weddings I discovered how incomplet e t hose not es were. I carried a purse wit h some doggie essent ials, and found out t he hard way how incredibly difficult it is to find poop bags buried in shoulder bag. I also found t hat couples never t hought about t hings like t he leash and t he collar. Too oft en, I was handed an old, frayed leash t hat looked ridiculous in pictures. Now I hold a formal final coordinat ion call wit h t he couple and I get det ailed. From pick up and t ransport at ion inst ruct ions to ceremony coordinat ion, I ask and document everyt hing in one t imeline so t hat t he sitt er doesn't have any hiccups. I ask quest ions t hat most couples don't t hink of, like "would you like to recess wit h your pet?" or "do you want your pet to be a part of t he ketubah signing?" And of course I ask about t he leash now. I even have a canned email t hat I send out wit h an Amazon leash recommendat ion. I also not ify t he ot her vendors t hat a sitt er will be on sit e, so t hey can rely on our company for all t hings pet relat ed. I also like to let t hem know t hat we are committ ed to being a t eam player on t he day of t he event , ensuring t hat t he couple has t he best day possible. Can you walk us t hrough what t he t ypical wedding/event looks like for you? I'd say more t han half of our weddings involve a pick up, t ime for pictures, inclusion in t he ceremony, and a drop off. We do offer overnight services and full day service where some couples elect to have t heir pet part of t heir cockt ail hour or recept ion. However, most couples fit into our 3 or 5 hour package. Oft en t imes, we pick up t he pet from a home, hot el, or a boarding facility. We t hen drive to t he venue for about an hour of photos wit h t he couple, t he bridal party, and somet imes t he family. The pet t hen is incorporat ed into t he ceremony in some way. Somet imes couples like to have t heir pet walk down wit h a bridal party member, a family member or even a close friend. The pet will eit her st ay at t he front wit h t he bridal party or off to t he side wit h a sitt er. And t hen, we have t he recession. 82

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84 couple opt to recess wit h t heir pet This year in part icular, I've seen almost every which makes for a super cut e picture, but requires some pre- planning and coordinat ion on our part . Aft er t he ceremony, we head out to bring t he pet back home (or wherever t he pick up locat ion was).

What has t he feedback from client s, couples, and fellow wedding pros been like aft er providing t his service? It 's been amazing! Even more so t han I ever t hought . The online reviews are great , but to be honest I love gett ing handwritt en t hank you not es in t he mail, and I never expect ed to receive any. I didn't even know couples did t hat anymore! I can't even begin to describe how heart warming it is to know t hat I've helped to make someone's wedding day t hat much more memorable. The feedback from wedding pros is wonderful too. Oft en I hear "where was t his service when I got married?" While it 's sad to hear t hat t hey didn't have t he opportunity to have t heir pet present for t heir special day, it does help to reaffirm t hat I made t he right choice to st art t his business. And of course, it 's great to hear t hat t hey not only love t he idea of t he service, but t hat we have delivered well above t heir expect at ions. What advice would you give t o someone looking t o branch out in a unique niche like t his one in t he indust ry? Just do it ! And yes, I tot ally copied t hat from Nike ha! The biggest hurdle for me was t hat init ial "ok, I'm going to do t his" and gett ing past all t he self- doubt s I had. Since t hen, it 's been an incredible and amazing journey. I've not only learned so much about business, but about myself in t he process as well. And I'm st ill learning, which is a great feeling. Interview by Meghan Ely

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The

Showcase

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We love to share

inspiring work created by Wedding Academy students

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The Styled Shoot Team The shoot is a m odern t ake on a Asian- Brit ish f usion w edding, w it h a f ocus on keeping f low ers and decor very ref ined and w it h a cont em porary t w ist . Wit h t his shoot , I w ant t o provide inspirat ion t o couples w ho are current ly planning t heir w eddings on reinvent ing t he t radit ional Asian w edding and m ixing t he Brit ish and Asian t radit ions t o achieve a t im eless, elegant celebrat ion. The fabulous supplier t eam : -

St yling, Concept and Planner - Ivory Event s and Weddings Phot ographer - Sandeep Rat t an Phot ography Videographer - Ravneet Dhanjal Venue - Hilt on Hal l , Wolverham pt on Florist - Essent ial ly Fl oral Cake - Sw eet Indul gence Cakes UK Hair and Makeup - Ravit a Pannu Art ist e DĂŠcor - The Raaj Event s Models - J ag Dhal iw al and Al isha Bahia Out f it St ylist - IG St yl ing St at ionary - Liz and Faye Wedding Dress - J une Peony Cout ure Lengha - Sensat ional Threads Tuxedo - Duncan J am es Crockery - Wedgw ood Props - Am biance Art s Furnit ure & Crockery - Event Hire UK Jew ellery - Anees Mal ik J ew el l ery Rings ? J e T?aim e J ew el l ery Quart er Sherw ani - Sherw ani King 90

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5 Ways to Niche Down to Set Your Business Apar t and Book M ore Dream Clients BY CRISTINA BARRAGAN, POSH PEONY

Focusing on a small market is a huge beneficial st rat egy to att ract your ideal client and scale your business. When you hone in on what your business offers and who it serves, you will be cryst al clear in your market ing effort s and your ideal client will line up to do business wit h you! You?ve probably heard t he quot e by Meredit h Hill, ?If you speak to everyone, you speak to no one?. This is especially t rue for small creat ive businesses who t end to broaden t heir services in order to appeal to every pot ent ial client t hat comes t heir way. It makes sense. The bigger t he market , t he more sales you will get . WRONG. You will att ract many prospect s, but how many of t hose will actually book your services and make you profit? The t rut h is, if you t ry to make everyone happy, you will not resonat e wit h anyone or set yourself apart from everyone else in your market . When I first st art ed my business, I was market ing to everyone. Couples who needed and want ed flowers for t heir wedding. Couples wit h limit ed and large budget s. 92 Couples who want ed luxury and simple designs. I was willing to t ake on EVERYTHING and EVERYONE t hat came my way in fear of losing out on business. 92

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It wasn?t unt il I realized t hat I was gett ing burned out , losing joy in my work, and not 94had to change. My business was not making any money, t hat I knew somet hing sust ainable and I was slowly heading in a downward spiral bot h physically and emot ionally. It was a lot to t ake on t hose first 5 years of my business and t hings didn?t t ake a turn unt il I got int ent ional about my brand and st reamlining my process.

t heir guest s for many years to come AND on one of t he most import ant days of 95 t heir lives. I can design a gorgeous bridal bouquet t hat will emphasize t he simplicity of t he bridal gown. I can produce a breat ht aking ceremony design t hat my couple will enjoy reliving t hrough t heir wedding photos. I can creat e elegant cent erpieces lush wit h flowers t hat will draw eyes off t he ugly carpet and minimize t he att ent ion on all t he less appealing det ails of t he out dat ed venue. These are just examples of what my services can solve and t he experience we provide at t he same t ime.

There are 5 ways you can easily niche down in your creat ive business so you can st art st anding out to your market and make your business t ransact ion a ?no brainer? to your ideal client so t hat you st art booking quality and not quant ity.

Researching your compet it ion is t he next t ask at hand to make sure you are st anding out and not just charging t he same (or less) amount of money. Ask yourself; How do your services differ? What is included in your client experience? What does your process look like? How does your quality mat ch up? Is your style/aest het ic personalized? If your ideal client is shopping for a wedding florist and t hey find you among five ot hers, what will set you apart? It is import ant t hat your brand and work is consist ent along t he way so t hat you can provide an experience t hat will be compared on everyt hing else besides t he price t ag.

First and foremost , you need to get very clear on your market in order to niche down. Creat e a list of t hings you enjoy and find passion in t he most in your business. If you are a floral designer, ask yourself; What type of designs do you enjoy creat ing t he most? What aest het ic do you love producing in your work? For me, I knew I enjoyed luxury design t hat included lush florals and more t radit ional designs. My market ing effort s were geared toward att ract ing client s t hat appreciat e flowers and want ed an abundance at t heir wedding so t hat t heir budget met my minimum. I did not seek event s below my pricing minimum, I had no int erest in weddings t hat were vint age, barnyard rust ic, or anyt hing t hat looked budget friendly. Yes, I had to say NO to many prospect s. However, saying NO allowed me to say YES to event s t hat met my t arget market or ot her opportunit ies t hat were simply wort h my t ime and effort .

Last ly, an import ant t hing to consider is your pricing. Ask yourself; How much do you charge to get t he full experience? How much is your ideal client willing to invest to get t hat experience? How much will you profit in t he end? If you are not able to provide an elevat ed client experience, cover your cost s, AND make money in t he end, you are not pricing enough. As a luxury florist , t here is no way to produce an event for $3,000 and st ill be profit able aft er delivering all t he bells and whist les. Your pricing must reflect t he level of service you want to provide in your niche market .

Next , hone in on your ideal client avat ar. Ask yourself; What does your ideal client look like? What do t hey value t he most? How much do t hey want to invest? For me, my ideal client is someone between t he ages of 25- 40, are working professionals, value flowers, and t rust my work. When you ident ify t he different pieces t hat are essent ial to market ing direct ly to your ideal client , att ract ing t hem becomes easy because you are zeroed in on speaking t heir language and producing visuals t hat will capt ivat e t hem.

When you niche down your business, you no longer need to compet e in price because you st and out in your specialty. Your ideal client is going to seek out t he expert in order to yield t he best result s. Your market ing effort s are going to be more successful as well in t erms of branding and SEO st rat egy because you will be att ract ing wit h t arget keywords in your copy and visuals t hat paint a picture of what t he t ransformat ion looks like when working wit h you. Most import ant ly, when your ideal client feels understood and cared for, t hey will oft en promot e your business services and product s to t heir friends and family. This will generat e referral- based business t hat in my opinion, is t he best form of lead generat ion because t he selling is already done for you. All you have to worry about is delivering an elevat ed client experience and t he quality you are known for.

Aft er you ident ify your ideal client , figure out your t heir pain- point s. Ask yourself; What challenges do t hey face? What problem are t hey t rying to solve? What keeps t hem up at night? These quest ions will allow you to creat e solut ions and align your services to fit t heir needs in quest ion. As a floral designer, I solve t he problem of providing beaut iful flowers t hat will creat e a last ing impression on my client s and 94

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M aximise Your Insta Presence WITH LAUREN GROVE, EVERY LAST DETAIL

Lauren Grove is the founder and editor of Every Last Detail, a renowned wedding planning resource for couples that features real weddings, inspiration, tips & advice, vendor search, and more. With a following of over 90,000 on Instagram, Lauren is no stranger to how the wedding industry has been impacted by thisplatform. In this issue, she shares her best tips for maximizing your presence on Instagram. Since it s launch in 2010, Inst agram has been such a much- loved resource for engaged couples. Why do you t hink t hat is? Couples are const ant ly searching for ?inspirat ion? for t heir wedding. And t hanks to t he visual nature of today?s engaged couples, most ly Millennials over t he last 10 years, t hey draw t heir inspirat ion from ot her weddings (or oft ent imes in our world, editorial shoot s). Wit h t hat considered, Inst agram?s focus on images is what appeals to engaged couples. Over t he years, Inst agram has evolved into highly curat ed images, and for wedding professionals, t hat has t ranslat ed into a port folio of images represent ing t heir work. As such, couples who are turning to Inst agram to find t heir inspirat ion (including what ot her weddings at t heir venues looked like) end up also finding wedding vendors while searching. It has become an excellent tool and source of inspirat ion for engaged couples all over t he world! 96

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99 images, no one is going to not ice. As long as t here is a bit of space between t he Plus, somet imes you just have t hat really epic work t hat you are super proud of, right?!

98 Wit h Inst agram St ories cont inuing t o increase in popularit y, how should a wedding pro int egrat e it int o t heir own social media st rat egies?

Just as engaged couples are looking at a wedding pro's Inst agram feed of images as an indicat ion of t heir port folio, t hey are also looking at Inst agram Stories. In fact , wit h t he changes in Inst agram?s algorit hms, doing Stories more frequent ly t han post ing actual post s is highly recommended. Int ent ionality is t he key wit h Inst agram Stories. Everyone has t he underst anding t hat an Inst agram Story is a bit more casual, but my advice to wedding professionals is to st ill keep it somewhat curat ed. Sure, show behind t he scenes videos and images, but make sure t hat you?re doing it wit h int ent ion. The ?inst a? part of Inst agram is long gone, so don?t feel like you HAVE to post somet hing on your Stories right as it ?s happening. Capturing in t he moment and t hen sharing t he next day is complet ely fine. Also, keep in mind t hat while you may be seeing a lot of your fellow wedding vendors wat ching your stories, your t arget client is who you need to be direct ing your cont ent at . Just as you showcase your work on your Inst agram feed, do t he same (perhaps more) in your Inst agram Stories. Using Story Highlight s is an excellent tool as well- you can do highlight s of wedding at specific venues, individual weddings, and even FAQs or advice. And remember- when you?re doing a Story, always approach it as if you were writ ing a 5 paragraph essay back in element ary schoolInt ro, Body, and Conclusion. No one likes to be left hanging!

Also, don?t be afraid to creat e! Put toget her an editorial shoot- it can be as big or small as your want . It can even be a day where you just get toget her wit h your "friendors" and shoot small, up close images of t hings (place sett ings, candles, flowers, et c) t hat will pert ain to what you do in t he indust ry. My ot her suggest ion would be to look for royalty- free stock images t hat you can use t hat achieve t hat same type of ?up close? focus. I love t he up and comping company Pops of Pretty for t his, because t hey have a focus on t he wedding indust ry. And finally- I do NOT recommend sharing images t hat were creat ed by a vendor t eam t hat you yourself did not work wit h. It ?s great to be inspired, but since couples are using Inst agram as an indicator of your port folio, showing someone else?s work on Inst agram could be equat ed to having someone else?s work on your websit e. Again- don?t be afraid to do your own creat ing if you need more cont ent for Inst agram! What would you say are t he best ways t o cat ch t he at t ent ion of wedding edit ors? Anyt hing you'd suggest t hey avoid doing?

One of t he biggest challenges we hear from wedding pros is t hat t hey feel like t hey running out of great cont ent t o share on Inst agram. How can one combat t his?

Cat ching t he att ent ion of wedding editors on Inst agram is going to be tough. We get hundreds of not ificat ions and comment s every day, and even t hen, some editors may have a member of t heir t eam handling t heir Inst agram. The best way to get t he att ent ion of editors is to int eract wit h t hem. Comment on t heir post s, reply to t heir Stories, message t hem, or use a hasht ag t hat THEY have direct ed you to use. Wit h hasht ags, oft ent imes if editors have a hasht ag t hat t hey will pull from, it will be ment ioned in t heir Profile.

My first suggest ion in t erms of cont ent , in order to have a bett er idea of what to post and when, is to creat e what I like to call a ?patt ern?. It ?s basically a schedule for yourself of what types of post s you will do, and in what order. For example, mine is very simple- I have a patt ern t hat goes: people, det ails, people, det ails, wit h every 6t h image being a graphic of t ext . So, giving yourself a schedule or patt ern will help you in knowing how you can plan.

As for t hings to avoid doing, t here are definit ely a few. Do NOT randomly t ag an editor if t hey did not t ell you to, or if t hey had not hing to do wit h t he image. Also, please don?t use a hasht ag t hat you were not inst ruct ed to use (I always find it funny when people t ry to use t he hasht ag I have for my members). Messaging an editor wit h an image or wedding to share/submit is also somet hing you should avoid99 again, unless you were direct ed to do so by98 t he editor.

In t erms of running out of cont ent to share, just because you shared one image from a one wedding a year ago doesn?t mean t hat you can?t share a different image from t hat wedding- or heck, even t he same image t hat you post ed already! 98

100 You cont inue t o be very engaged on @everylast det ailblog - what is your t op t ip for wedding pros hoping t o connect more wit h t heir own audience?

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Aut hent ic int eract ion is t he key. Yes, it t akes t ime, and yes, it can get overwhelming, but not hing is ever going to replace a human being a human. This means don?t just post and leave Inst agram. Inst ead, post and t hen go Like and Comment on ot her people?s post s. When someone comment s on your own post , comment back. Even if someone Likes your post , go like t heir own, maybe even comment . Just be a nice person, and t he connect ions will come! Oh, and also, imagery is SO import ant . Couples are drawn in to post s t hrough t he images, and rarely actually read t he capt ions. Your images are going to be your "first impression" so to speak, so make sure t hey are high quality and what couples want to see! Anyt hing else you'd like t o add? Yes- don?t forget hasht ags! Hasht ags are an excellent way to get in front of engaged couples. They are primarily searching by locat ion, so keep t hat in mind. They?re also searching by t he Locat ion search, which means t hat you should be adding locat ions to your post s on Inst agram. And go wit h hasht ags t hat make sense for your photo, what you do, and t he market s you serve. You know t he saying, ?What is popular isn?t always right ?? It ?s t he same for Inst agram- t he popular hasht ags aren?t going to get you in front of engaged couples. It ?s what ever will make sense for what t hey are searching for t hat will get you in front of t hem! Couples are using Inst agram t he same as t hey use Google search, so always keep t hat in mind! Also, I?m going to be host ing an Inst agram for Wedding Pros Virtual Summit on November 19t h and 20t h, where myself and several ot her expert s and wedding pros will be sharing t he best ways to use Inst agram to get in front of engaged couples and get bookings! You can go to www.inst agramforweddingpros.com for det ails. Interview by Meghan Ely

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Taking the Next Step: Post-Conference Follow up Strategies BY KEVIN DENNIS, WEDDINGIQ

Att ending a conference can oft en feel like a whirlwind of business cards, coffee dat es, and meet- and- greet s. Add t hat to a wealt h of knowledge from speaker sessions and you may find yourself heading home wit h more t han you can process in t he moment . However, failing to follow up wit h your new connect ions is one of t he biggest mist akes you can make aft er a conference. Aft er all, networking opportunit ies are a big part of t he value you get from att ending an indust ry event . Wit h some careful planning and a committ ed effort , you can turn your post- conference follow- up into a process t hat is as simple as it is effect ive. If you?re planning to att end t he upcoming Wedding MBA or any of t he ot her great conferences we have in t he indust ry, use t hese st rat egies to st reamline your workflow as you cat ch up aft er t he event . DO YOUR HOMEWORK One of t he best post- conference st rat egies actually comes into play before you even pack your bags. When choosing t he102 best event for you, make sure you?re 103

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Likewise, t ap into your network to see who else is att ending and see if t here are any connect ions you can make t hrough t he people you already know. Plan out your it inerary based on t he people you hope to meet and be diligent about following t hrough once you?re onsit e. SEND ENGAGING EMAILS Timeliness is a virtue, and it is also a key to making t he most impact wit h ot her wedding pros. Send out your follow- up emails wit hin a couple days of returning, since t he conference experience is st ill fresh on everyone?s minds. Ot herwise, you risk gett ing lost in t he noise of everyone gett ing back to business as usual. Connect quickly and share some insight into how you met at t he conference or somet hing else you have in common. Pro t ip: When you?re collect ing business cards at t he conference, t ake a moment to jot down how you met or any int erest ing fact t hat will help to jog your memory when you get home. CONNECT FURTHER Once your bat ch of emails is sent , t ake some t ime to follow ot hers on social media. The sooner you do t his aft er t he conference, t he more likely you?ll get a follow back ? which keeps you top of mind for ot hers. The idea is to build a mutual relat ionship so you can reach out in t he future wit hout coming across as a st ranger. If you see someone is t raveling to your area, ask t hem to grab coffee wit h you. If you?re t he one t raveling somewhere new, send a message to cont act s in t hat area to see if t hey have any recommendat ions for your t ime t here. There?s a chance t hey?ll want to meet up and show you t heir city! When you?re invest ing your t ime and resources into a conference, you surely want to get t he most out of it as possible. By using your t ime wisely and building st rong connect ions wit h ot hers, you can reap t he benefit s of a single conference for years to come. 104

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107so why couldn?t I bring t his to t he a storyt eller, an int erviewer by profession masses, I t hought . I couldn?t shake my idea and aft er a while of plott ing how t his idea could become a business, on August 10, 2015, it did and Love Not ery took flight !

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The M ar r iage M indset

Were t here any init ial challenges t hat you faced? If so, please explain how you overcame t hem. I founded a business in a complet ely unt apped niche and t hat creat ed a big challenge from t he get- go. I had to not only build brand awareness for Love Not ery, but int rigue for a new niche in t he wedding indust ry of love storyt elling and writ ing. That was no easy t ask, but t hrough media int erviews and market ing I educat ed engaged couples on t he value of document ing t heir personal love story and litt le by litt le, my first client s t rickled in. Since t hen, I?ve been able to expand my services to help engaged couples writ e t heir own wedding vows t hrough my downloadable guide and workbook, ?How to Writ e Wedding Vows That Wow,?and learn how to creat e a solid foundat ion for marriage as newlyweds in my course, ?The Marriage Mindset .?

WITH KRISTEN ROCCO, LOVE NOTERY

Kristen Rocco is the founder of Love Notery, acting as a 'personal journalist' for couples looking for assistance with writing customized wedding vows. She's also the creator of The Marriage Mindset, a course that offers real strategies on navigating the ebbs and flows of marriage once the wedding is over. Her work has been featured in places such as The Huffington Post, Southern Bride, Refinery29 and more.

How do you design your services in a way t hat allow for ot hers t o writ e beaut iful, cust om vows? Writ ing custom wedding vows is somet hing t hat more and more engaged couples are choosing to do, which is awesome because it adds so much meaning and personalizat ion to t he wedding ceremony.

When did you decide t hat you want ed t o creat e t his part icular niche for yourself in t he wedding indust ry? It all st art ed wit h one glance at my wedding photo hanging on t he wall. It was a quick look, but for some reason, it caused me to stop and t hink. I wondered if I?d remember all t he defining moment s t hat led us to want to spend t he rest of our lives toget her, essent ially our love story. From t hen on, I kept being bot hered by why love stories, at least real- life ones, only exist in our minds.

Of course, couples don?t writ e t heir own wedding vows every day so figuring out how to craft t he perfect words to say on one of t he most special days of t heir lives can feel overwhelming. I want ed to t ake out t he int imidat ion factor and remove t he writ er?s block for as many couples as I could so t hat ?s how I got t he idea for creat ing my ?How to Writ e Wedding Vows That Wow? downloadable guide and workbook.

Not too long lat er, I remembered t hat t he New York Times had a Vows column. It captures a couple?s love story from t he moment t hey met to t he proposal, but it ?s also not easy to be featured. I realized t hat I could writ e t hese love stories for any engaged couple t hat want ed to have t heir memories document ed. I was a writ er,

But I didn?t just want it to be a ?do t his, not t hat ? guide. Couples can find t hat informat ion all over t he Int ernet . What ?s unique about ?How to Writ e Wedding Vows That Wow? is my focus on coaching couples to use t heir personal love story

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108a free- writ ing exercise of love story to creat e t heir wedding vows. I?ve included reflect ions t hat get t he couple t hinking of t he defining moment s of t heir relat ionship and what t hey love most about t heir part ner. I t hen show t hem how to incorporat e t hose memories and sent iment s into t heir vows. I?m t heir personal writ ing coach and break down t he st ructure of wedding vows into sect ions to make it as simple as possible. I also provide examples t he ent ire way so t hey are guided from st art to finish. ?How to Writ e Personal Wedding Vows That Wow? is an edit able PDF which was int ent ional to give couples t he space aft er every ?lesson? to writ e and edit as much as t hey need to. Upon complet ion, t hey have personal wedding vows t hat reflect t heir personality and share wit h t heir part ner exact ly why he or she is ?t he one.?

109t hat would allow for fut ure expansion? How did you set Love Not ery up in a way

My approach to future expansion has been on digit izing as much of my business as possible. I t ake advant age of t echnologies t hat open up t he world to my business. For example, I use Skype to connect wit h love story client s as far as Hong Kong and Aust ralia. My vows writ ing guide and marriage course are available to anyone, anywhere t hrough a simple download via an Int ernet connect ion. It ?s wonderful t hat now, as business owners, we can drast ically expand our reach to pot ent ial client s t hrough t hese digit al t echnologies. What do you wish you had done different ly when you first st art ed? That ?s a tough quest ion! I have t he mindset t hat I have to make mist akes in order to learn and grow. I?ve pivot ed many t imes and I?ll cont inue to pivot to bett er serve my client s. It ?s really about hearing from your client s what t heir needs are and t hen moving more in t hat direct ion. That ?s what has guided me to creat e bett er services and product s.

Can you t ell us more about t he Marriage Mindset Course? What was t he original t hought process behind t he creat ion of t his? The original t hought process for The Marriage Mindset st art ed wit h a desire to see all couples, especially t he ones I was working wit h on t heir love stories, be successful in t heir marriages. Knowing t hat t here are all kinds of obst acles t hroughout a marriage and t he fact t hat our brains are wired for love and war, I began wondering why t here wasn?t more out t here to give engaged couples t he knowledge about what it t akes to creat e a loving, last ing marriage.

Interview by Meghan Ely

Most professionals pract ice t heir craft . For example, at hlet es pract ice t heir sport day in and day out to compet e to win. Student s study to get good grades wit h t he goal of gett ing into t he college of t heir choice. Professionals att end conferences to learn more about t heir line of work so t hey can advance in t heir careers. However, when it comes to marriage, you have a wedding, and t hen you?re just expect ed to know how to be married. The Marriage Mindset changes t hat . It t eaches engaged and newlywed couples research- backed skills to st rengt hen t heir marriage every day. It also facilit at es conversat ion between t he couple to discuss t heir visions and desires for t heir lives toget her. It t eaches t hem how t hey can reach t heir marriage pot ent ial as a unified t eam in life, love and money. The goal of The Marriage Mindset is to give couples skills to work on t heir marriage so t hey can realize a happy and healt hy marriage for years to come. 108

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#WedTech

How VR Will Open Doors for Collaboration WORDS BY SANDY HAMMER, ALL SEATED

Virtual reality was once t he wave of t he future, but t his groundbreaking t echnology has cement ed it s place in t he event indust ry and cont inues to make t he planning process easier and more effect ive. As a whole, t echnology has made collaborat ion simple and efficient wit h apps and programs for inst ant communicat ion and real- t ime updat es. VR is one of t he newer addit ions to t his t rend, t aking t eamwork to a new level wit h enhanced collaborat ive features. Let ?s explore a few ways virtual reality can bring your event t eam toget her while saving precious t ime and resources along t he way. ONSITE INSPECTIONS In days past , wedding professionals oft en had to t ake several hours out of a day to visit a venue and do a full walkt hrough to get a bett er feel for t he space. Wit h virtual reality, sit e inspect ions can now be done from t he comfort of your home, office, or 110

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113 t hat VR provides for floorplans allows even on t he go. The enhanced visualizat ion every member of t he event t eam to immerse t hemselves in t he space and familiarize t hemselves wit h t he layout . The collaborat ive aspect allows for vendors to discuss and make. Adjust ment s to t he floorplan during t he planning process which increases communicat ion while ensuring seamless set up on t he day of t he event .

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STAFF TRAINING In many cases, only a select few members of a company can att end t he walkt hrough at t he venue. This would put much responsibility on t hose t eam members to convey t he plan to everyone else. Wit h realist ic dimensions and enhanced visualizat ion, virtual reality makes t he floorplan accessible to every person who will be onsit e on t he event day. This access effect ively prepares t he whole t eam and helps to prevent mist akes. The flexibility and enhanced visualizat ion also ensures t hat every st aff member can tour t he venue on t heir schedule, eliminat ing t he need to t ake t ime out of t heir busy workday. Employees can simply ent er t he event sit e at any t ime from any locat ion to underst and t he placement of rent als, exit s, and so much more. They can also run t hrough safety and security protocols to ensure t hat t hey are prepared for anyt hing when t he event day arrives. VR ACCESSIBILITY Virtual reality is more accessible t han ever, whet her you have a laptop, desktop, t ablet , or VR headset . If you want to go t he full mile, VR headset s are readily available at many big- box stores at an affordable rat e. They are easy to use and provide quick setup, so you can have it ready to do t he same day you buy it . As event professionals, we are all const ant ly bombarded wit h t asks and project s. If you find yourself wishing for more hours in t he day, you are not alone. That ?s why t he immersive experience of virtual reality is t ransforming t he indust ry landscape at a rapid rat e. Bett er collaborat ion and less t ime commit ment allow each member of t he event t eam to perform t heir jobs wit h increased product ivity and effect iveness.

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Originally I creat ed The Rest art Specialist for milit ary spouses. I knew t heir frust rat ion and fear regarding moving a business but I realized soon how many doctors wives, pastors spouses, or even families who are going t hrough corporat e relocat ion also need help and in t hat regard we broadened our market focus.

How to Relocate Your Business

To fix t his issue, I took a course on copy and writ ing for my market . It has helped immensely to creat e guidelines on who we serve, what we t alk about , and where.

WITH MEREDITH RYNCARZ, THE RESTART SPECIALIST

What does t he process look like for helping ot hers wit h t heir own niche? Ult imat ely we st art wit h a S.W.O.T. analysis and underst anding what t heir personality is like. By knowing who t hey are at t heir core we can bett er craft a plan for t hem to hit t he rest art button on t heir business. Each plan at it s core wit h have cont ent creat ion and market ing but from t here it morphs into a custom plan for each one on one client . How have you t rained yourself t o t hink crit ically about what can benefit t hem and make t heir business sust ainable in t he long- run wit hout necessarily having expert ise in t heir field?

Meredith Ryncarz is the owner of Meredith Ryncarz Photography, and she's also The Restart Specialist - an educator that teaches other wedding industry professionals how to "restart" in a new market and move their business. She gives business owners the tools to cultivate and grow within new markets, doing so without fear. Apart from experiencing t he 'rest art ' process in your own life, what st eps did you t ake t o really carve out your niche?

I have to credit my husband, Jason in t his. When I first st art ed into photography, I came from an art professor background. I didn?t have a head for business and I just want ed to creat e pretty t hings. That att itude really only last s unt il t he burn out kicks in.

Init ially when I st art ed t he process of carving out my niche, I simply wrot e about it , t alked about it face to face wit h people, and offered to help ot hers going t hrough t he same issues of relocat ion in my own market . Init ially it took longer t han I expect ed. Coaching on business relocat ion hadn?t really been a t hing when I st art ed . . . it was new, so applying to be a guest blogger and podcast int erviews definit ely helped.

Jason is a Lean Six Sigma, Arbinger Trainer, and Spect rum Coach. He has t aught me to t hink more crit ically and to have a bett er business mindset . 80% of my t ime is spent now not t aking pretty pictures but running a business and because of t hat we are more profit able. This shift for me has t aught me to look at t he core of each business we coach and at t he core t hey are all t he same. They have cost of goods, syst ems, processes, and market ing. If t hat isn?t solid t hen t he business will st ruggle.

Was t here anyt hing wit hin your niche t hat you had t o t weak, or anyt hing t hat you found simply didn't work? If so - how did you fix t hose t hings?

In addit ion to t hat , I am an avid reader. I t ry to read at least 6 business books a year. I encourage everyone to st ep out side of t heir indust ry if t hey want to see t he biggest growt h. If not hing else, att end an Arbinger t raining. . . it will rock your world! 114 115

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What advice would you give t o ot hers for st art ing from scrat ch on finding t heir niche? Det ermine first who you want to serve and how. Then charge appropriat ely for it . Never undervalue your service as it has far reaching implicat ions. Second, pay for educat ion. Free is great but will only get you so far and t he growt h of your business will be slower. Last ly, get legally legit . Wait ing to have t hat insurance, license, or cont ract s unt il you need it will only cause you pain. What t ips would you give t o t hose t hat are t rying t o 'rest art ' aft er relocat ing? Research your market . Underst and what your ideal client s are looking for and adjust to t hat . Your pricing as a creat ive business owner in New York City will look drast ically different from what you may charge in Chatt anooga or San Antonio. Don?t wait unt il you get t here to st art market ing. Wit h cheap flight s and t he int ernet you can st art to creat e a name for yourself in t hat new market now. Be prepared to HUSTLE! Market ing looks very different for an est ablished business versus a newly relocat ed one. It also can cost more in bot h t ime and money so make room for t hat . Last ly, don?t compare your old city wit h t he new. It ?s easy to because everyt hing in t he old place was probably going well but your new city and it ?s awesome resident s will not appreciat e it . Interview by Meghan Ely

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How to Choose Your Website Platfor m BY BRENDA CADMAN, BON ACCORD CREATIVE

This mont h's t heme for Wedding Business Magazine is all about how to find your niche, but while you're making t hat det erminat ion, you may also be t rying to figure out what plat form to build your websit e on. Choosing a plat form for your websit e can feel very overwhelming for a lot of small business owners, so in t his art icle, I?m out lining for you some of t he key quest ions you need to ask yourself in order to det ermine what ?s right for you. I?m a big proponent of building your business websit e on WordPress, simply because of t he flexibility it provides to make your websit e look exact ly how you want and do exact ly what you want . However, depending on where you are in your business at t he moment , WordPress may not necessarily be t he right fit just yet . WHAT ARE YOUR WEBSITE EXPECTATIONS? Your expect at ions for your websit e in t erms of how it looks and act s are crucial.

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What are your design expect at ions?

120 If you underst and t he design/ funct ionality/SEO limit at ions of using a websit e builder solut ion like Squarespace or Wix (or what ever); if you don?t want or need more t han t hose tools provide; and if you?re happy wit h how t he final product looks and works and it gives you t he business you desire from your websit e? t hen a sit e builder may be all you need.

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Do you require a very custom design t hat looks a specific way? Or are you happy as long as it 's clean and aest het ically pleasing. If you have unique design and customizat ion requirement s, a t emplat e- based opt ion probably isn't going to sat isfy you.

WHAT ARE YOUR WEBSITE GOALS?

Do you want to implement more advanced SEO t echniques on your websit e?

In order to really know what is right , what will sat isfy your needs, your expect at ions and your own t echnical capabilit ies, you really need to look at your short- t erm and long- t erm goals.

If so, you may lean more heavily towards WordPress because when your websit e is self- host ed rat her t han host ed by a websit e builder plat form, you'll have more access to t he files t hat allow you to perform t echnical SEO st rat egies.

If you?re just st art ing out , maybe a sit e builder has all t he funct ionality you need ? and expect !

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL Your business?s unique short t erm and long t erm goals, your skills and capabilit ies, and your current budget and free t ime will impact t he right plat form for you, so before you make a final decision on which plat form to move ahead wit h, make sure you spend some t ime gett ing clear on your needs, want s and expect at ions for your websit e.

Do you underst and, and are you comfort able wit h t he limit at ions t hat go wit h it? For example, maybe it ?s simply not import ant to you to creat e a specific design you?ve envisioned or to have advanced SEO capabilit ies. Then a sit e builder may be all t hat you need at t his st age of your business. But if you?re a bit deeper into your business, maybe it ?s t ime to put in some solid invest ment and have a more robust sit e over which you have more cont rol. QUESTIONS TO ASK TO CHOOSE THE PLATFORM FOR YOU What is your t echnical comfort level? If you will be responsible for building and maint aining your own websit e but t he idea of working in t he WordPress admin st rikes fear into your very heart , t hat is somet hing to t ake into considerat ion when choosing your plat form. How much budget are you willing to invest in your websit e? If you have an ext remely limit ed budget at t his st age of your business, t hen t hat is likely going to cont ribut e to t he approach you use for building your websit e. How much t ime do you have to work on your websit e? The amount of t ime you are prepared to invest in learning how to build and/or 120plat form pat h. maint ain your websit e will impact t he best

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#WedEvent

123 The Wed- Con Exhibit s opened midday, connect ing 200 vendors wit h att endees. The aft ernoon was jam packed wit h Wed Talks and breakout sessions t hroughout t he convent ion cent er. Fan favorit e Alan Berg capt ivat ed audiences wit h 2019 Price List s From Real Wedding Pros while Alan Kat z equally ent ert ained and educat ed wit h t he t imely topic, Up in Smoke: When Marijuana Is Legal In Your Town.

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Wednesday was a robust mix of specialty seminars, Wed Talks and breakout sessions. Wedding Business Magazine cont ributor Meryl Snow dished at Two Plat es Full: Sales Techniques To Fill Up Your Bank Account , while long t ime Academy friend David Tut era inspired wit h Dream Bigger: The Art Of Wedding Design.

WEDDING MBA 2019 RECAP BY MEGHAN ELY

And while The Knot and WeddingWire?s WeddingPro brand had been rolled out early t his year, Wedding MBA served as it ?s ?coming out ? party to t he indust ry, st art ing wit h t heir mini educat ion sessions on sit e in t heir boot h and ending wit h t heir ?The Knot + WeddingWire are gett ing hit ched? evening celebrat ion at t he Havana Club at Tropicana.

Wedding MBA 2019 has come and gone and proven yet again to be a whirlwind of educat ion, networking and inspirat ion. Thousands of wedding professionals globally arrived in Las Vegas wit h t he goal of forging indust ry part nerships and t aking t heir own businesses to t he next level in 2020.

As t he event came to a close, t he 2020 conference dat es were announced for November 17- 19, 2020. Att endees were clamouring to purchase t icket s for next year- a sign of a successful run in 2019.

The conference kicked off Monday wit h a series of sessions focused on a number of specialt ies, including venues, planners, florist s, cakes and cat erers. While t he seminars aimed at att ract ing wedding professionals wit hin t hese cat egories, att endees were free to move from room to room based on t heir int erest s. Highlight s included Terrica Skagg?s present at ion on reaching couples who want to hire planners, Vanessa Joy?s Advanced Light ing Workshop and CeCe Todd?s t alk on large scale floral inst allat ions. Tuesday called for an early st art , wit h Wedding Business Magazine columnist Christ ie Osborne on t he main st age wit h True Det ect ive: Clues to Find More Wedding Couples. The Knot WW?s Timot hy Chi t hen took to t he st age, sharing t ech insight s while capping off his t alk wit h an int roduct ion of t he 2019 WeddingPro educators. 122

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The Publishers Everyone in t he Wedding Academ y fam ily has st art ed out w here you are right now, at t he beginning. We underst and t he very real f ear of failure and not having t he conf idence t o get st art ed. But all t hat changes w hen you have t he know ledge. Wit h know ledge com es conf idence and w it h conf idence com es self- belief. Put all t hat t oget her and you have som et hing very pow erf ul. We give you all t he t ools you need t o succeed and banish t he overw helm . We?re here t o support you, cheer you on and cat ch you if you fall.

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