Wedding Business Magazine March 2016 Issue

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'! ? Audrey Hepburn

International Bl ogger &styl ist tal ksdesign Louise Beukes of B.LOVED has enjoyed immense success & in this interview we get a glimpse into her life & what inspires her.

aninterview withpantone Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the

Pantone

Color

Institute, talks design.

Mar 2016

I n This I ssue 6

From t he Editor A welcome note and introduction to this month's magazine theme. By Kylie Carlson

10

WED Social Using social media after submitting real wedding or styled shoots to bloggers & editors By Rhiannon Downie-Hurst

14

WED Edu The latest workshops, conferences & educational events for the wedding industry. By Kylie Carlson

22

WED Biz An Interview with Executive Director, of leading colour authority Pantone, Leatrice Eiseman. By Kylie Carlson

34

In Their Shoes 100Candles walk us through their process of using Styled Shoots from a business perspective and how it's worked into the overall marketing campaign. By Meghan Ely

40

WED Biz Bootcamp Should I put prices on my website? By Emma Etheridge

Christ ine Ligt hart Christine Ligthart is the Director of Education for the International Academy of Wedding & Event Planning and is the Founder of The I-Do Crew.

Website: www.idocrew.com.au

Heidi Thompson Heidi Thompson is the chief marketing geek & founder of Evolve Your Wedding Business and she is on a mission is to help you book more weddings without all of the struggle and stress.

Website: www.evolveyourweddingbusiness.com

Meghan El y OFD Consulting owner Meghan Ely has over a decade of experience in the wedding industry. She is also a prominent national speaker on a broad range of wedding marketing and wedding PRtopics.

Website: www.ofdconsulting.com

Kat hy Dal pra Kathy takes the overwhelm out of SEO, sales and website conversion so wedding businesses can turn more curious visitors into high paying clients.

Website: www.brideappeal.com

Fromtheeditor It is hard to believe that Easter has come and gone and we are now on the second issue of the Wedding Business Magazine. We've had an overwhelming response to the first issue and are excited to develop the publication further throughout the year.

For this issue our theme throughout the magazine is styled shoots. They are as popular as ever and still one of the favoured methods for producing images that wedding professionals can use within their portfolio to show off their creativity to their potential clients.

At the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning we have produced a number of our own styled shoots, primarily to gain images we can use on our website to highlight the types of things that we teach our students at the Academy.

The images featured throughout this issue have been taken from the latest shoot we produced in readiness for the launch of our new Arabian campus, www.arabianweddingacademy.com, due to launch the 2nd week of April.

Quote of the

M onth

UsingSocial M edia A fter SubmittingStyled Shoots to B loggers & Editors.

#WEDsocial

B y Rhiannon D ownie-H urst 3: Always remember to hashtag key words where possible, even on Facebook.

Hashtags are what brides use when searching for various inspirational imagery or articles on social media, including Facebook, Instagram and twitter.

4: Be transparent and don?t try and pass off the styled shoot as a ?real wedding?, styled shoots are obvious and if you are caught out, it really isn?t a good look. You and the blogger/editor in question, should clearly state that the shoot is ?styled? for the purposes of inspiration.

5: If you are overwhelmed enough with being a busy wedding vendor, then delegate? . hire a reputable and trusted freelancer to manage your social media actions or utilise one of the many amazing social media management tools readily available to small businesses.

Lastly, here are some bullet point tips when posting on social media in general: -

Shorten links to save space; you can use sites like www.bitly.com to do this.

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Keep your status updates to less than 140 characters. This leaves room for someone to add comments when retweeting your message on twitter for example;

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As obvious as it sounds, especially to wedding pro?s, adding images from your shoots or a video if you have one, helps to increase reader engagement;

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Share content from other users, not just your own. So, when you are blogged or featured online, make sure you share the link :)

Happy sharing!

Words by Rhiannon Downie-Hurst

B y Rhiannon D ownie-H urst

This issue of the Wedding Business Magazine is all about Styled Shoots and how they can help you to promote your brand. For many the planning and production of a shoot is a little daunting so at the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning we've put together a short course, Styled Shoots Made Simple, and the video on the next page is taken from part of that course.

TheD iploma in VenueCoordination Would you like to get a job as a coordinator wit hin a venue? Are you a venue who would like to give t heir staff a formal qualificat ion?

The Diploma in Venue Coordination is a brand new course and the only one of its type that specialises in the training of coordinators within an event venue.

A Venue Coordinator?s role is challenging yet fun and rewarding and now you can give yourself the competitive advantage when it comes to gaining one of these highly sort after roles. If you have your own venue and want to learn more about how to market and sell your venue and deliver exceptional experiences to your clients, this course is ideal for you too.

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Grow the confidence of the venue coordinator

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Personal development for the venue coordinator

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Recognised qualification for the enue coordinator

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Fully trained staff for the venue

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Retention of staff for the venue

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Potential increase in sales for the venue

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Good marketing for the venue

L earn

Educate I nspire Connect Graduate

TheD iploma in VenueCoordination

Graduate

#WEDEdu thestyl ecoworkshops Date:

August 7th, 2016

Locat ion: Sydney Website: www.thestyleco.com.au

bridal bugweddingindustry workshop Date:

April 22nd -23rd, 2016

Locat ion: Eagan, Minnesota Website: www.bridalbugworkshop.com

maker mentors Date:

April 21st - 22nd, 2016

Locat ion: Online & Everywhere Website: www.makermentors.org

our favouritethings In each issue we share with you some of the tools we can't do without, things we've found when researching and some gems we've been told about by others. They make our lives easier and save us huge amounts of time within our working life. In some cases they are just great Apps that we love to play with. Enjoy!

TheP antoneColor I nstitute

#WEDBIZ

TheP antoneColor I nstitute

We look at new films coming up. So, what colours are being used? Is there a new effect being used? We look at upcoming cars, because when you talk about technology, you have to look at the finishes on cars because they are light-years ahead in the technology they use to create those colours. Pantone also looks at the art world. Even Social media is driving many trends today, including colour.

The Colour of t he Year for 2016 is not one but t wo colours, Rose Quart z and Serenit y.

What can you tell us about t hese colours and why t hey were selected for Colour of t he Year?

The colours that we select to be the Color of the Year reflect what is taking place in the global zeitgeist at a particular moment in time. Providing contrast to the current restless and hectic lives people are living right now, the harmonious shades of the Pantone Color of the Year 2016 evoke feelings of calmness, well-being and understanding. This kind of ?balance? can be achieved when two things level off. When we decided on Color of the Year we wanted to emphasize on this equilibrium. The duality can be strengthened and communicated through two colours.

The language of colour is vast and includes t hings such as swatches, colour books and computer files. Why is it so important to have colour standards and how are t hey used wit hin different indust ries?

Well, colour is the single most important design element in reflecting mood and style. It is the pivotal element, which enables companies to establish a brand identity that can become larger than life. As 80 percent of human experience is filtered through our eyes, visual cues are essential to successfully getting a message across. Nothing does that better than the thoughtful use of colour. When you go shopping most decision-making involving colour is intuitive and emotional, only 5 percent is rational, so the appropriateness and first impression of colour is critical. So, if you have a brand or product, colour gives you the power to quickly differentiate from your competition and quickly stand out. It is a signifier that can help a company create a singular colour identity, whether in the fashion, home or packaging industry.

"We look to nature and natural phenomena first in naming colours."

In your seminar, Fut ure Color/Design Trends by Leat rice Eiseman, you addressed t he major challenges in today?s market place in sat isfying consumers? more demanding perceived needs and desires in bot h st yling and colour. Can you explain for our readers how t hese needs would t ranslate to a bridal client for example?

There is nothing like an in-depth conversation with the client. I use a colour word association quiz in several of my books, including ?Colors for Your Every Mood? and another quiz about personal colouring in ?More Alive With Color?. If you have the client respond to a quiz you can then start a conversation about what the colour means to them. That becomes a stepping stone to greater understanding of the client and they appreciate your focus and interest. It?s a ?win-win?.

You also ment ioned t hat colour is t he first t hing a consumer considers when making a purchase, t hen shape, t hen words. Wit h t his in mind can you tell us a lit t le bit about psychological messages and t he meaning of colour, and how t hey are applied wit hin design in general?

This really is a broad field to talk about? Most of our response to colour is learned through our cultural background ? however, there is evidence that points to a collective memory or prehensile retention that creates more than a psychological effect. For example, how can we not respond to red? Our eye is inevitably drawn to it as it represents symbolically fire and bloodshed-warning signals that humans have always responded to. That is stored in the memory bank, and passed on from generation to generation, so that today red creates a physiological effect of increased adrenalin flow, a quickening of heart rate and pulse.

Styled Shoots M adeSimple Styled shoots are used extensively in UK and international wedding industries. They are a great way for like-minded professionals to collaborate, push boundaries, experiment and simply get creative.

Styled shoots are often done collaboratively, meaning everyone dedicates their time, craft and talent, free of charge, in order to get new images for marketing and promotional purposes, to diversify their portfolio and for press coverage.

Clear Concept Before you choose your team, make sure you have a clear concept and an end goal in sight.

You?re more likely to be successful getting a great team on board who share common business and creative goals, if you have a clear concept.

Ask yourself these five things: What? Where? Why? How? Who? -

What?s the purpose of the shoot?

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Where do you want the shoot to take place, indoor, outdoor, UK, in Paris, on a lake?

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Why are you doing the shoot?

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How are you going to execute the shoot ? do you have the skill and capacity to coordinate it or do you need to bring on board a planner, stylist or publisher?

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Who is it for? Is it for marketing, or new images to diversify your portfolio and to attract new clients from a different demographic? OR is it solely for publication and editorial purposes?

Choosing Your Team Behind every successful styled shoot is a fantastic and reliable team. It is so important to choose the right team when planning a styled shoot and to think about brand alignment. Always ask, is this association with my brand currently the right fit? Take the time to do your research, be particular and ask colleagues for recommendations and take advantage of wedding Facebook groups.

It is absolutely fundamental to get on board the right photographer, there is nothing more disappointing as an editor than getting a gorgeous submission which is let down by poorly lit or poor quality photography. If you want your work published, now is not the time to experiment with a photographer who is not skilled with editorial shoots.

Styled Shoots M adeSimple

Get published Most suppliers collaborate with the intention of having their work published on a wedding blog, or wedding magazine.

Getting published is very subjective, bloggers, editors and publishers all have different criteria that at times changes. So make sure you research the publications in advance to ensure your work is in alignment with their overall style, aesthetic and readership.

Consider: Are you sharing something that is fresh and exciting or something that has been done many times? Have you submitted a rustic DIYshoot, to a luxury modern publication? It is not likely to get accepted if there is a mismatch in style.

Submit to one publication at a time, most have exclusivity clauses. Be persistent.

Editors are time poor, make it easy for them, submit a preview of low resolution viewing images via a dropbox link or similar, make sure you have a brief write up about the concept behind the shoot and clear linked credits to all collaborators. Et voila!

Guest A rticle Nova is founder and editor of multi-award-winning wedding blog; Nu Bride, dedicated to adding a splash of diversity into the UK mainstream wedding industry. Nova is also an established wedding expert, freelance writer for national wedding publications and Life

www.nubride.com

intheir shoes I gal Sapir An up close and personal interview with Igal Sapir, the founder or 100 Candles. He talks us through their process of using styled shoots from a business perspective and how they are worked into the overall marketing process to really make their brand stand out from their competitors.

"Styled shoots are really a great opportunity for wedding professionals to flex their creative muscle."

Your company specializes in candles and light ing and in t his compet it ive market , what makes 100 Candles stand out?

It?s not lost on us that there are other companies that sell candles and lighting, so our commitment to exceptional customer service allows us to differentiate from our competition. We are not just in the business of candles after all- we?re in the business of celebrations. Oftentimes, our customers make a purchase that?s tied into one of the happiest days of their clients?lives- be it a wedding, shower or birthday celebration. We keep this in mind as we oversee each and every order.

What at t racted you to st yled shoot s in t he first place?

Styled shoots are really a great opportunity for wedding professionals to flex their creative muscle so for us, we loved the idea of seeing how our candles played a role in the overall design.

How do you know which opport unit ies are t he best fit for you?

We take pride in the quality of our products and want to partner with those who feel the very same about what they do. The ideal scenario is working with an experienced team who has a solid plan of action. Press as a result, of course, is a bonus.

Well t hings somet imes happen and vendors are st ill not credited despite your best effort s. How would you handle t hat?

First, it?s important to remember that things happen so it?s best to go in with a positive attitude. Reach out to the shoot?s contact promptly and simply make him or her aware of the situation. If you?re working with great people, they?ll do what they can to find a solution.

I imagine you make it a priorit y to stay on top of t he t rends. What does 2016 look like in terms of light ing and design t rends?

We anticipate that the Pantone colours of the year will be influential, so Rose Quartz and Serenity will certainly be hot commodities. Pastels will continue to have a steady presence, as will rich earthy tones (think forest green, burgundy, and shades of brown). Some of the top 2016 designs we're seeing aren't exactly brand new concepts? elegant candlelight, battery operated candles and fairy lights --but when a look is that stunning, can it really go out of style?

What are your top 5 t ips for part icipat ing in st yled shoot s?

Remain open-minded to partnerships Be easy to work with- it will be appreciated by the other team members Once you?ve agreed to collaborate, trust the designer and let him or her run with it Make sure to say ?yes? to those that are best aligned with your goals Don?t be afraid to say ?no?when a collaboration simply isn?t the best fit.

Words by Meghan Ely

www.100candl es.com

A reY our P rices on Y our W ebsite?

The big question? not ?Will you marry me??but ?Should I put prices on my website??. Now, there is no right or wrong answer here and everything is always open to debate, but, I do believe you should put your prices on your website.

Before we get into the reasons of why, let?s spend a few moments thinking about pricing and why it is such a block for so many wedding professionals. It is because of fear. It is because you worry that if you are too expensive brides will not pay for you and if you are too cheap you will be running around like a crazy thing and never earn enough to give you the life you want.

Fear is the block. You have to become friends with fear and say, right to its face ?I can do this. I am worth what I am charging. I know that brides will pay for me because I am talented at what I do?

Until you have the conversation with fear, you will never truly feel comfortable with pricing.

Now we have got that out of the way, let ?s get pract ical!

Brides are not as concerned about pricing as you t hink If you asked a bride what her #1 priority was for her wedding, she wouldn?t say cost she would say ?That everything goes smoothly!?. Of course cost is a consideration however value and trust is the key thing here.

We are suspicious as buyers, we look at the value we are going to get from the money we spend.

We want to know what we will get, we want to know what it is going to look like, how it is going to make us feel. We want to know what to expect and we want to know that we are buying it from a trusted source. We want to really understand the value before we buy. This is true for any purchase we make, but add in the emotion of planning a wedding, the stress and all the other bits and pieces brides have to deal with and suddenly, you can see why they are extra nervous as buyers.

A reY our P rices on Y our W ebsite?

B y Emma Etheridge

Louise can you int roduce yourself to our readers by telling us what you do and what your background is?

After graduating with a degree in Interior Design, I worked in London for a decade designing offices for some pretty big household brands. While I enjoyed my job, I eventually became disenchanted working in the corporate world and in 2010 I discovered blogs - my eyes were opened to a new world of possibilities!

I launched B.LOVED in 2011 alongside my full-time role, and took the leap into self-employment in 2014. With a background in art and design, my passion lies in finding the most beautiful and stylish content for our readers ? whether that?s gorgeous photography, trendy brands or creative inspiration. I?ve recently welcomed our new Assistant Editor, Claire to the crazy world of B.LOVED, and we?re lucky to have a team of writers and contributors supporting us. I love working with such a diverse team of talented and stylish ladies! While we all have running our own businesses in common, we are also very different ? we?re mums, business partners, fashionistas, wives, home makers, employees? the list goes on! That gives different team members the ability to see things from a different perspective, and help us to appeal to a wider audience of stylish ladies.

Like most of my business decisions, once I had the idea I acted on it straight away (overthinking and dwelling are the biggest drains of creativity!!). Very quickly I stopped becoming concerned with what everyone else was doing, worrying if I was keeping up or whether my ideas were fresh and new and instead started focussing on myself. What was it that inspired me? And more importantly, what was it that I wanted to create for my readers? I found inspiration everywhere, not on my computer screen, but in conversations, shops, hotels, parks, on the tube ? everywhere! And guess what? I learnt not to be afraid to do things differently. Our readership shot up. My shoots got published in bigger and better publications. And my business grew!

2 years on and I?ve slowly started introducing online inspiration back into my daily routine; with a strict policy! No more than 50 blogs in my RSS reader, and I have a one-in-one-out rule to prevent returning to that information overload! I subscribe to a handful of business newsletters, and get my style fix on my favourite lifestyle blogs once or twice a week!

Louise your blog is one of t he most widely read blogs in t he world but , excit ingly you have just joined forces wit h a group of ot her wedding bloggers. Can you tell us some more about Aisle Societ y?

When more than 30 of your favourite bloggers get together to create a new business, you know it?s just going to be awesome! The Aisle Society bloggers are all successful and talented boss ladies in their own right, and I?ve looked to so many of them for inspiration, advice and support over the years. So when the opportunity for us to come together to create something new and exciting for brides and the wedding industry came up, it was one of those projects I just couldn?t say no to! While the details are being kept firmly under wraps ahead of our (imminent!) launch, I can say one thing. This is a game changer! Keep your eyes on www.aislesociety.com to be the first to find out what we?re up to!

As a St ylist you work on St yled Shoot s yourself. How has your st yle evolved since your first shoot and do you have some t ips for our readers on how t hey can cont inue to develop t heir own unique st yle?

I always cringe when I think back to the first styled shoot I created! I really had no idea what I was doing, and now I realise it?s not really surprising it didn?t get featured! But, it was the beginning of a very steep learning curve that will never really end! I learn something new on every single shoot (whether it?s a trick for pinning a wedding dress or how to make a facial-wipe drape perfectly!). My style has developed dramatically ? when I first started I was trying too hard to follow industry trends whereas now I take inspiration from the world of fashion, interiors, colours and places to create shoots which are ahead of the curve. My work is known for being modern and romantic; I tend to use lots of florals and foliage, favour soft pastel shades and love the art of layering!

My biggest tip for developing your style is practice, practice, practice!! Style EVERYTHING, from the items on your desk to your dinner plate! I keep a clear space on my desk to practice small vignettes and these often end up on my Instagram feed. By all means look to other stylists for ideas (my favourite source of styling inspiration can be found in magazines and flat lays as I love the editorial feel) but your biggest source of inspiration should be yourself! What?s your personal style? Is it classic, muted and chic or boho, wild and colourful? Think of 3-5 words that define your style and keep these in mind when styling; whether it?s a single shot or an entire shoot!

8. Louise where do you t urn for creat ive inspirat ion for t he St yled Shoot s you work on and can you share just a lit t le of your own process for developing a concept for a Shoot?

I know it?s a clichĂŠ, but I really do find inspiration all around me! Sometimes it comes from a new product I?ve seen or a designer I?d like to work with, a venue which has caught my eye or a new technique one of my industry colleagues would like to try out. Once I?ve got the initial idea, I find it useful to use someone else as a sounding board; a friend, colleague or even my mum as sometimes saying things out loud can help cement good ideas! This process also helps me to pick words which define the style I am going for ? I try and find 5-6, which then become the basis of my image search.

It?s only at this stage that I even touch Pinterest, using it purely as a resource for finding images that communicate my idea ? not to find the idea in the first place! I?ll search for general mood images first, and then pin down the specific features ? dress, hair & makeup, accessories, flowers, dĂŠcor, cake, stationery etc. until I have built a full look book of ideas which can be shared with my suppliers to communicate the look visually.

As someone who has changed t he direct ion of t heir business and rebranded (B.LOVED Weddings to B.LOVED Blog incorporat ing Lit t le B, Lifest yle and Weddings) do you have any advice for how to do t his successfully, t hat you can share wit h any of our readers who may be ready to evolve t heir own businesses?

I?ve rebranded twice in the past five years! The first time was a name change, as in my newbie eagerness to become a blogger I overlooked an existing blog with a similar name.

Ooops. That was a big lesson in researching properly (and luckily the other blogger and I are now great friends!).

The second time around, when I Iaunched Little B and Lifestyle, it was part of a bigger decision to make B.LOVED my full-time job and become a ?proper? money-making business. The whole process took around 18 months, so be prepared for the long-game!

My initial idea was to create a more interactive user-experience and an updated look, which quickly became more complex as I researched technology trends and spoke to my readers and industry colleagues about their experiences and needs. Through this consultation I was able to determine the ideas that would work, for example creating ?My B.LOVED?, where readers can save their favourite content, and what wouldn?t, like getting rid of the sidebar ads which both me and my readers loathed!

If you?re wondering whether you should do something similar, I?d urge you to think about ?why?first. If it?s just because you?re bored of your existing brand then that?s not really a good enough reason! If you?re finding your readers are no longer interested and engaging with your brand, sales are low or you?re not attracting the right kind of client, then those are great reasons to address your business direction and branding! Once you?ve identified the reason for change, work out what it is that your client actually wants. The best way to do this is research other suppliers and brands your dream client connects with and I?d also recommend picking up a copy of Fiona Humberstone?s ?How to Style Your Brand?? it?s a brilliant read and really helps you understand branding and your business better.

Once you?ve done that I?d recommend working with a good graphic designer and web developer on the branding side and, if budget allows, a PRagency to help get your name in the right places when you relaunch!

TheStyled Shoot Checklist

#wedpr

B y M eghan Ely

Manage your team. Vendors who participate in styled photo shoots share your desire to foster new and time-honored relationships, and are usually participating without compensation. Be organized and communicate your needs and expectations from the start.

Also, be committed to marketing the photos to media outlets so participants see a return on their investment.

Stephanie Yonce, of Stephanie Yonce Photography hasn?t participated in many inspiration shoots since her early career, but when she does, she is very particular. ?If you commit to being a part of the team,? says Yonce, ?then you have to truly commit! It?s a lot of work for everyone to put together a styled shoot and it is definitely a team effort, so it can be really tough when one or two vendors put it on the backburner.?

Have a well-researched plan. Comb through currently published work to identify patterns, trends, areas where something is missing that couples need, and what seems to be in demand by desirable publishers. Know that some of your colleagues have many opportunities to participate and have to narrow down which shoots to join based on alignment of goals and potential exposure.

Araceli Vizcano of Azazie.com, an online boutique specializing in made to measure gowns, acknowledges that a process is necessary for identifying shoots with potential. ?As we receive requests for shoots, we like to qualify the opportunity by discussing the overall goals for the session, the team who will be involved, the publicity plan and whether we?ll receive the professional images after the shoot so we can utilize them for our own marketing purposes. The shoots do require both time and resources, so we prefer to collaborate with opportunities that promise a strong return on investment.?

Commit to follow up. Should the media pick up your images, don?t forget to share it within your circles. Graciously acknowledge your team?s efforts and send much public love to your colleagues. Look for opportunities to link to each other?s websites, blogs, and social media accounts.

Always keep in mind that press exposure is just one benefit of styled photo shoots.

Investing your time, product, and effort with a team of your finest colleagues builds your portfolio, increases your credibility, and allows you a unique opportunity to exercise your creativity with the professional images to prove it!

Words by Meghan Ely

#wedSEo

B oost Y our Rank W ith Real W eddingSubmissions SEO can be intimidating for creative types, which is why I love real wedding submissions as a simple way to get started with your own SEO. After all, you?re already planning weddings, so it doesn?t take any extra effort for you to find the content for real wedding submissions.

How Real Wedding Submissions Help Your Rankings Many SEO experts estimate that Google has over 200 ranking factors. But much like the 80/20 rule, there are a few of these factors that seem to carry the most weight.

High qualit y, hard-to-get backlinks are one of t hem.

A backlink is simply when another website links to your website. Google views these links kind of like a vote for your website.

And when that link comes from a high authority, picky site like Style Me Pretty, it is even more powerful.

In time, as your website amasses these ?votes?, it begins to affect your rankings in search engines.

This is why real wedding submissions can be so powerful.

If your real wedding gets published by a reputable wedding blog that manually reviews every submission, it?s a quality link worth obtaining and will help you move closer to your ranking goals.

B oost Y our Rank W ith Real W eddingSubmissions

Q& A

HowdoI ensureI get theimagesI need ontheday of theshoot?

Planning & Communication. The day of the shoot is not the time to start thinking about what images you need to get out of the shoot. This must happen ahead of time. If you are working with a group of vendors, who will all be benefiting from doing a shoot, you should all discuss what types of shots you want from the shoot. If you are doing a branded shoot you should consider this question yourself and if relevant talk to your website designer to find out what types of images they believe you need for your site.

This information needs to be communicated to the photographer and I find that having a 'shot list' which will work as a checklist on the day, makes this process so much easier.

Can you tell us what it was t hat led to you being a photographer and what is it about weddings specifically t hat you enjoy?

My wonderful husband inspired me to become a professional photographer. Wayne is a very talented wildlife photographer and author and he encouraged me to take up photography as a serious hobby. Following our wedding in 2009 I was inspired to become a wedding photographer and after doing a course in 2010 and second shooting for other wedding photographers, I became a full time wedding photographer in 2011. What I love most about weddings is that no two weddings are ever the same and every couple?s story is unique.

Wedding photography has led me to meet some very interesting people, shoot in exotic locations all over the world and it gives me the freedom to shoot things the way I see it. Yes it is hard work, but it is also very rewarding.

How would you describe your own st yle of photography?

My style is light, vibrant, very editorial, timeless and romantic. I pride myself on my portfolio being very consistent thanks to the way I use light to tell stories.

Anneli t his mont h's edit ion of t he Wedding Business Magazine is focussing on St yled Shoot s. You were t he photographer behind a st yled shoot for our UK campus a couple of years ago. Can you share wit h us your t hought s on what element s must be present in a st yled shoot to make it work?

Every successful styled shoot should have a well thought out concept, with all the individual elements of the shoot working together to create a ?golden thread?. If you look at the images from the shoot in mood-board format, they should all complement each other editorially, i.e. a certain colour scheme (i.e. pantone colours of the year) or a trend (i.e. geometrics & metallic).With the advent of Pinterest it has become easier to create mood boards for shoots to make sure all the suppliers involved are on the same page in terms of the look and feel for a shoot and very often, this will determine the success of the shoot in terms of being featured in press / online.

What about Planners and Weddings. Do you have some t ips for how Wedding Planners can work effect ively wit h a photographer so t hat t he best outcome is achieved for t he couple?

I make sure I have the full schedule and the full supplier list before the actual wedding day.

The planner can help by making sure the photographer has the full list (which will make crediting all suppliers in a feature / on the photographer?s blog afterwards, a lot easier).

Timings are important, weddings tend to run over, so being proactive when it comes to making the most of the photography is a big help. For example; making sure you have a full suite of the wedding stationery ready to be shot on the morning of the wedding when the photographer has time / letting the photographer know when certain detail elements are ready to be shot, before the guests enter. The closer the photographer and the planner work together, the better the images.

How do you balance t he business of weddings wit h t he creat ivit y of your craft?

I make it a priority to have fun! Whether it?s travelling with my husband (slotting in a couple of extra days when shooting destination weddings so we can explore together), or spending time with interesting people outside of the wedding industry, exercising or being inspired by beautiful music & films. I try to balance my life to make sure I?ll always love what I do and I seek inspiration wherever I go.

You use social media, like Instagram very effect ively. Do you have any t ips for wedding professionals just start ing out , for finding t heir voice and communicat ing t heir brand message, on social media?

Social media can be a great help to establish your brand but you have to stay true to who you are. Don?t pretend to be something you?re not / someone you?re not. Have an authentic voice on social media (and your blog and in life really!) and stick with it. It can take time to build followers but if people like what they see, and you give you them something interesting to respond to, they will stick around.

From a personal branding point of view, make sure you balance the personal and professional posts ? i.e. 80% business and 20% personal. If you find yourself wanting to post more personal posts, set up a separate personal Instagram account (or use your personal Facebook profile). For example, I have a business account (where I post a few personal posts but mostly my work) and then I have a separate fitness account, where I post all my personal health, fitness & lifestyle posts.

#wedpromo

B y H eidi Thompson

#weddigital D igital M arketingin W eddingW orld My first job was in 1986, just thought I would start with the ugly truth. I have been in business a very long time, and have embraced change and transition. My first mobile phone? I was 27!

Now every 2 year old can navigate a tablet. My children do not know a world where the internet didn't exist, where every picture they take is a snapshot of time immediately uploaded to their Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Snapchat! Times have changed, and how businesses now market is a whole new world.

My background is finance, PR, marketing, retail and publishing. I am a jack of all trades, master of just one, deliverance.

I spend a lot of time helping businesses tailor their marketing campaigns so they are seen by the right audience, and importantly get a real return on their spend. It would be blase to say our audience are couples getting married, the corner shop who sell from their doorstep have a completely different demographic to the big corporates.

Whenever I meet a new client, my first question is who is your audience? The answer is always the same, people getting married. When I ask how many couples are marrying in their county, they never know. How can something so basic be missing from their campaign marketing? If you are shrugging or rolling your eyes please be kind to an old stalwart of business, all will become clear.

With mobiles users spending almost 3 hours a day on their phones/tablets and only reading printed material for 20 minutes, are we grabbing the attention of our couples? 88% are online looking for their essential suppliers - see where I am going with this?

D igital M arketingin W eddingW orld

TheP ublishers The International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning is the leading training company for the wedding industry with campuses worldwide. The Group of campuses has an international Advisory Board made up of wedding and event experts from around the globe.

We offer courses in wedding planning, wedding design, event management and event design.

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