The Wedding Report just released the 2011 numbers in it’s recent report on US wedding trends. Outlook: not so sunny, according to more than 10,000 brides that were polled this year.

Spending is down nearly 3.5 percent from 2010. That means less money in your pocket.

So what are brides spending their money on? Not entertainment, which was down an average of 7 percent. Flowers and decorations also took a hit. It seems that brides are more interested in the actual day, the planning, and the execution.

Brides are holding onto their money, and their credit cards. This means that we as wedding vendors are going to have to get creative and show brides our value and uniqueness at the first meeting.

But in order to do that, you have to understand where brides are spending the big bucks and where they’re cutting back.

Want to know more? Learn all the details and see how these changes will effect your business in the Wedding Report’s Ceremony & Reception Study 2011 Report.

(There is a fee to download the full report, but it’s well worth the money for US vendors to find out what’s really happening right in your neck of the woods...down to your zip code!)

Photo Credit

Like it? Share it!

The new year has arrived and I’m starting my annual things to get done list. I’ve never been big on New Years resolutions, maybe because I’ve been guilty of blowing so many off in the past.

So a while back I re-branded: now it’s my New Years Master List! Resolutions I apparently have no problem ignoring, but a MASTER LIST...Hell, that’s serious enough to keep my attention!

The list this year has a combination of personal and business goals, as usual, but this time around I’m putting a little bit more intention into areas of conservation. No, I’m not talking about being a good sport and recycling my empty tuna cans, I’m talking about saving some money.

Who doesn’t like to save? Every buck you save is a buck earned (well. not always, but that’s a different topic.)

I believe EVERYONE has an expense in their life that could be dumped with out any real hardship. Finding these funds to free up isn’t very hard; it just takes a little focus. I have no doubt that there is somewhere you are pissing some cash away. Time to plug the leak!

Here are a couple of moves that will net us some easy savings this year...

Since it’s only Steph and I signed up for health insurance and we’re pretty darn healthy, I had our annual deductable raised to $1200.00.

Savings = $200.00 per month

I called our insurance agent who handles our home, car and business insurance and did a few minor tweaks in our policies.

Savings = $ 50 per month

I’ve never really used my phone for much more than calling, since I work from home and use the internet on my computer. I went back to a “dumb” flip phone. This one I’m not completely sure of yet, but its pretty easy to upgrade if I just can’t live with out it!

Savings = $40 per month

That's $290.00 per month or $3480.00 per year saved.

Wow! Not bad and I didn’t even break a sweat. It’s like I just found a vacation or money to put away for a rainy day. My mom would be so proud.

Where can you save?

You and I both know you can. There are opportunities all around you.

Do you really need all those premium channels? How often do you eat out? P.S. It’s probably not doing your health any good anyway. Take a look at where you bank. They might be nickle and diming you to death with fees costing you hundreds or even thousands. We changed banks a few years back and saved a ton.

All it takes is opening your eyes and taking a little action. Not only could you open up some funds for something that will have a real impact on your life, but you will be creating a new habit that will result in a fortune over a life time.

So, what are you willing to cut this year? I would love to hear some of your ideas. Please leave a comment below and help your fellow wedding vendors bottom line.

Photo Credit

Like it? Share it!

When I was planning my wedding a few years back, the most important referrals I stumbled across were those of other brides. I didn’t care about brochures or reviews I saw online or in print. The most glowing editorials meant much less than what I was really looking for: what real brides had to say.

One of the first things I did when meeting with a vendor at their office was to look around the room and see if any thank you notes were displayed. I always felt more at ease when I saw some, because it meant that another bride valued this vendor’s services enough to take the time to write a little note of appreciation.

I realize that this logic might be flawed. There are lots of vendors out there who might not think to share these little love notes. But you should! What your happiest brides have to say is just as important as your best sales pitch.

So, how do you make brides happy enough to sit down and write that thank you or post a shimmering review online (and let’s face it, it’s the bride who is going to be writing it)? Well, you’re going to have to dive into the dark and scary mind of a bride.

What do brides want?

Believe it or not, this is an easy one. Just about every bride you come in contact with wants to feel like the most important woman in the world. Some may be more shy about it than others. In fact, some might straight up insist it isn’t true.

But let’s get serious. If these ladies did not want to feel like Queen of the World for a day, they would have hopped on over to Town Hall and called it a day—no matter what grandma had to say. Instead, most of the women you deal with have invited a couple hundred of their closest friends and family members to watch them walk down an aisle in a dress that cost enough to feed a few third world villages.

These ladies want attention!

How do you give a bride what she wants?

• You need to make sure each of your brides feel like they’re the only client you have. Don’t talk about other couples who have weddings coming up (hello, she doesn’t want to think you might be distracted!). Instead, only bring up past couples when a story about them illuminates why your bride should knock one of her concerns right off her list.


• Check up on her. Don’t get all stalker-like and contact her weekly, but don’t fall off the face of the earth either. A bride wants to feel like her wedding is at the top of your priority list. Shoot her emails periodically to check in on details and make sure she doesn’t have any questions or concerns.


• Make sure any uneasiness is dealt with in advance. If there is something she seems unsure of or if there are details that need to be ironed out, make sure they're dealt with before the actual wedding day. If you are the vendor that somehow stresses her out on Her Day, she will not only remember it, but she will tell everyone she knows for the rest of her life (trust me. My sister’s wedding featured the Great Flower Debacle, which has resulted in her launching into irate rants on the size of sunflowers just about every time her wedding is brought up).


• Give her a small gift. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. If you’re a DJ, it could be a CD of some of the songs that really got her crowd moving. If you’re a photographer, you could slip her an engagement shot and a sweet note before her ceremony. The gift itself is way less important than the idea that you thought to give her one. Something like this will stick with her long after the confetti is cleaned off the tabletops and the ink has dried on their marriage license. She will think of you fondly because of it and she’ll spread her warm thoughts on you and your business to all of her friends.

It might sound a little too easy, but if you make your bride feel like the most important person in the universe, she will become your biggest fan. Which means she will sing your praises as she relentlessly retells the story of her wedding day over and over and over again to all her friends (and your potential future clients).

Jennifer Garry is a writer (with a sparkly new blog!) who lives in Westchester, NY with her husband and two daughters. When she's not up to her ears in kiddie crafts and spit up, she's plotting her next move (children's book? event planning? jewelry empire?). Her obsessions include tea, chocolate, sarcasm and her daughters' giggles—any of which can be used to coax her from whatever project she's currently engrossed in.

Photo Credit

Like it? Share it!

Since the New Year, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on my goals for our business and re-evaluating what I want my life to look like.

It’s got me inspired and rarin’ for action.  Except for one thing…

OVERWHELM.  

When I look at that well-intentioned list of things I’d like to accomplish, and everything I need to do to get there, it feels as daunting as climbing Mount Everest...or maybe a whole mountain chain full of Mount Everests.  Holy smokes!  How will I ever get there?

A Little Advice From Sam

A story for those Tolkien fans out there…

If you recall in The Lord of the Rings movie, The Return of the King, Frodo and Sam set out with the ring to destroy it in the fires of Mordor.  It’s one long, perilous journey for two defenseless hobbits.  

They’re weak, tired, hungry (what?  no second breakfast?!?) and scared out of their minds.  Finally, they arrive at Mordor.  

Frodo looks out at the thousands of orcs swarming the place, fiery steaming death traps everywhere, and no way in.  “There are so many of them.  We'll never get through unseen. It's him, the Eye,” he sighs in despair.

Sam puts a gentle hand on his friend’s shoulder.  “Let’s just make it down the hill, for starters.”

Just Make It Over the Next Hill

Whatever your goals are for your wedding business this year, when you think about all the things you have to do, all the stuff you have to learn, all the technical hurdles you have to jump to get there, it’s a LONG overwhelming journey that can make you want to throw in the towel before you even begin.

So how do you get over the dreaded Overwhelm and get moving instead?

Take Sam’s advice and stop looking at all the things that need to be done, and focus on simply getting to the bottom of the hill.

One hill at a time, one task at a time, one day at a time.  Just focus on the very NEXT action you need to take, and don’t worry about climbing the rest of those hills until you get to them.

Proven Recipe For Fast Action

If like me and you’ve got a list of Things To Do that seems insurmountable, pick your #1 goal and figure out the very next thing you need to do to move toward.  Just focus on that next hill.  Here’s how...

1. Pick your #1 Goal.
2. Determine the very next small, achievable action you need to take to get there.  We’re talking SMALL, like making a phone call, sending an email or locating a resource.  Something you can do TODAY.
3. Take that action.
4. Identify the very next small, achievable action and take it.
5. Repeat Steps 2-4 until you reach your destination.

Growing to the next level is scary, overwhelming and it takes some work.  Someone explained to me that it’s like you’re climbing this set of stairs stretching into the distance.  You don’t know how many steps...you can’t even see them...let alone what’s required at each one.

But you know the NEXT step right in front of you.  And once you’re there, you can see the next, and the next...

You’ll get there, one step at a time.

How do you keep yourself motivated when you’re discouraged and overwhelmed?

Like it? Share it!