Guest post by Gwen Lewis I realize the premise of this article seems counterintuitive. After all, isn’t the whole DIY aesthetic a move away from professional help? In some cases, certainly. However, handmade weddings have much to teach wedding professionals. First and foremost, DIY weddings eschew unrealistic ideas about perfection. They have a relaxed, handmade spirit that feels genuine and

“People don’t buy what you do- they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek. Most wedding businesses focus their marketing only on what they offer and how they do things by listing client benefits and years of experience.  But what is it that really makes you get out of bed in the morning to work?  What drives you to

When couples refuse to answer the phone or return your emails…(even when they reach out to you first!)…how are you supposed to BOOK them? The answer isn’t to keep doing the same thing you’ve been doing. The nature of communication is changing, and if you want to get a response from today’s brides and grooms, you’re going to have to

Whether you are new to the wedding industry and need to get your name out there or a seasoned pro who wants to stay in the spotlight, using paid advertising does have benefits – if you do it correctly. Many wedding pros waste money on unnecessary ads that don’t bring in qualified leads. Check out these articles to learn the

Facebook. Like it or not, that is where a lot of brides and grooms hang out, and if you want to reach them you need to be there too. But what is the best way to use Facebook to get leads without wasting a ton of time and money? Here are 6 articles that can help: How to Create a

When Molly Guy got engaged in 2010 she was “super bummed” with the Manhattan wedding industry. Everything was frills and lace, formal, ultra-traditional and utterly not her. Her own disappointing search for cool and edgy bridal fashions inspired Stone Fox Bride, a Manhattan bridal boutique curating handmade, local designs. It literally “flips the bird” at the traditionally conservative wedding industry

Question: I had my worst year ever. I’ll be 67 soon – do you think my age is killing my business? Dear Stephanie and Jeff, I live in a small town.  I used to DJ at several of the local radio stations and have been in the DJ business more than 25 years.  This was my worst year ever.  Not

Question: I’ve written a wedding speech book. How do I market a product rather than a service? “Hi, I’ve watched several of your videos and I had a question. I received your download a while back for which directories to submit to but I’ve written a wedding speech activity book and I was wondering, do you have a suggestions for

When you are just starting out in the wedding industry, how do you get new clients? If you think it will be easy to become successful working lavish weddings straight out of the gate, you may need a reality check. It’s more likely you will need to become great at marketing if you want to build a profitable wedding business.

Question: We already have a successful business in the corporate market.  How do I start offering our services for brides and grooms? “Hi Stephanie, We are a 60 year old company. In essence, we pioneered the AV rental and production business in this market. We have a very strong corporate presence and are involved with almost every corporate event for