Networking In The Wedding Business Community

Is “networking” an important part of building your business? Sometimes it’s “who you know” and “who knows you” that help a business to succeed, and it’s very true in the New Jersey wedding community. We wanted to share with you a few opportunities to network with other wedding professionals in various ways…

First, are you actively participating in bridal shows and events? Not only will you have the opportunity to showcase your products and services to engaged couples, their bridal parties and families, but you’ll also have a chance to meet and get to know other vendors exhibiting at these shows, and often you’ll be able to cross-promote or recommend each other, helping to increase your (and their) business. Here’s a list of upcoming shows going on throughout New Jersey where you may want to consider attending or exhibiting:

http://www.njwedding.com/bridalshows

Here’s a list of Bridal Show Producers that you can contact about the costs for display booths, tables, etc.:

http://www.njwedding.com/advertising/njbridalshows.cfm

Second, a growing way to connect with others in the wedding community is through “social networking” web sites like facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Are you on these yet, and actively promoting your business? If not, you should be, because it’s FREE and already has a strong contingency of members within our industry actively using it. Here’s a link to various groups and pages that you can check out and join:

http://www.njwedding.com/facebook

Also, one of the best ways to make new connections is the “old fashioned way” through wedding industry events were a simple handshake and “hello” could be the beginning of a wonderful new business relationship! We encourage and invite you to one coming up on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at the Landmark in East Rutherford. As a media sponsor and participant, we’ve found these past events (which are FREE for up to 2 people per NJ company) to be exciting, where many new relationships begin by just handing out your business card and saying “hello” to fellow wedding professionals. For more information and to register, visit the following link:

http://www.njwedding.com/industryevent

We hope these above resource are helpful for your wedding business, and hope to connect with you soon!

Erik and Beth Kent
Co-Publishers
NJWedding.com & WeddingIndustry.biz

Here Come the Brides, The State of the Union 2010

Planning that once-in-a-lifetime celebration in this new decade is all about attention to detail, with couples showing their individuality and signature-style. Through the years, while some things about weddings change, others remain exactly the same. While the past is fondly remembered, this year, the present is important too! Save the date cards, self-written vows, mismatched bridesmaid dresses and eco-friendly touches are all new additions to this upcoming wedding season.

Veils, cakes, the first dance, champagne, lace, tulle, something old, new, borrowed, blue, and wedding photographs have all remained constant, in an ever-evolving wedding day. New social media such as Facebook and Twitter and the online personalized bridal widgets and web casting of the ceremony in real time, highlight all the couple’s news and the wedding day festivities. But this season’s focus is on retro chic and the Hollywood days of glamour.

The traditional black tuxedo is back for the gents and for the bride, it’s all about accessories; gloves and pearls. The bird cage veil and the emergence of bridal hats and the bouffant or French twist hair styles, make for an elegant look. The inspiration comes from the sophistication of the 50’s and 60’s. Strapless wedding gowns are as dominant as they have been in the past, and, they will quite likely continue to be in the future, but expect to see sashes of black and high waistlines. Gold is back for engagement and wedding bands after an absence of a few years, where silver was prominent as the metal of choice.

The vintage glamour look, which emerged last season, continues this year, and is gaining strength. There’s a breath-taking ambience to today’s weddings. The “something new”, could be hair extensions, while “something blue” can be the sky over a Jamaican destination wedding. Honeymoons are all-inclusive and brides and grooms are gravitating to luxury resorts with their amazing meal packages and opportunities for many different adventures..

Invitations range from fun to fancy formal, and some even have illustrations of the bride and groom illustrated in pencil sketched artwork. Look for vibrant colours that match the wedding’s theme such as turquoise/raspberry combinations as well as the traditional and elegant colour scheme of black and white.

Brides and grooms are revamping their first dance with a routine that is a medley of songs, replacing the traditional first dance of the reception, which in 2010, is just called the “party”.

Weddings are elegant with a lot of character. For comfort you’ll find wedding venues with comfy couches and living room settings, set up for the ceremony and reception; adding increased comfort and cosiness for the guests. Sit down dinners are still in style, but look for cocktail receptions with a supper club feel- cocktails- think, martinis, Manhattans, old fashioned cocktails and big band sounds.

Wedding cakes continue to be tiered, but the trend is to more white cakes with butter cream or fondant icing, topped with an heirloom antique cake topper of a bride and groom. Colourful macaroons are replacing cupcakes. Dance floors are adorned with custom vinyl monograms of the bride and groom’s initials. And look for special lighting, which klamps up the décor of the reception site, adding warmth and atmosphere.

On this special day, couples want their signature style shining through. The possibilities are endless! From sheer whimsy to the outrageously breath-taking, today’s couples are style-makers and it shows! There has never been a better time to marry!

Media Contact

Sheryl Davies, Publisher
519-252-8463

http://www.theweddingguide.ca

The Wedding Guide Windsor/Essex County,
Perfect wedding planning at your fingertips since 1992!

CARY, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Dex One Corporation (NYSE: DEXO), a leading provider of marketing services and solutions for local businesses, today unveiled DexKnows Weddings (http://dexknowsweddings.com), a new content-rich portal that is part of the DexKnows.com ® family of local search sites. It is Dex One’s first of several products to focus exclusively on a specific vertical market.

DexKnows Weddings is designed to directly connect consumers and local businesses by providing a single source for wedding-related information. The site is designed to make wedding planning easy and engaging by including detailed information for soon-to-be brides and grooms who may be searching for attire, flowers, food, reception venues and more.

“Combining the powerful local search capabilities of DexKnows.com with a focus on a specific market like the wedding industry enables us to present consumers with a unique experience tailored to fit their needs. It also allows us to provide local businesses with the best means of reaching these highly-targeted consumers,” said Sean Greene, senior vice president of interactive, Dex One Corporation. “Our new weddings site is the first in a planned series of life event or industry-specific products devoted to markets that are underserved by current online offerings.”

Listings on DexKnows Weddings are populated from the robust, accurate content DexKnows.com is known for and include user-generated ratings and reviews, links to businesses’ websites and more. Features of DexKnows Weddings include:

“Our goal has always been to make it easy for consumers and local businesses to find each other, and DexKnows Weddings is a natural extension of that goal,” said Greene. “DexKnows Weddings’ premier content, unique features and access to local merchants make it the preeminent local search destination for all wedding-related needs. We look forward to taking this same approach with other markets.”

About Dex One Corporation

Dex One Corporation (NYSE: DEXO) is a leading marketing services company that helps local businesses reach, win and keep ready-to-buy customers. The company’s highly-skilled, locally based marketing consultants offer a wide range of marketing products and services that help businesses get found more than 1.5 billion times each year by actively shopping consumers. Dex One offers local businesses personalized marketing consulting services and exposure across a broad network of local marketing products – including its “official” print, online and mobile yellow pages and search solutions (http://www.dexknows.com and http://www.business.com), as well as major search engines. For more information visit www.DexOne.com.

Source: http://triad.dbusinessnews.com/viewnews.php?article=bwire/20100315005343r1.xml

A directory for Fitness Focused Brides and Bridal Fitness Providers

Seattle – March 4, 2010 – The Healthy Bride today announced the launch of the wedding industry’s first Bridal Fitness Directory, www.healthy-bride.com.

The directory was started by Christi Masi, an award-winning fitness trainer and founder of  The Healthy Bride, a Seattle-based personal training and nutrition consultancy helping brides feel and look great on their wedding day.  Designed for the bride and bridal fitness providers, the new site has information, workouts and information to suit all brides from the D-I-Y Bride, to the bride looking for support and encouragement from a Bridal Bootcamp or a personal trainer.

“I wanted to provide a place where a bride can get solid, helpful information on bridal fitness and wedding weight loss from experts in her area,” said Masi.  “With the site, anyone can find a personal trainer or bridal bootcamp program in her area within one click of the home page”

The site is also designed for the bridal fitness provider to find information, support and products to help them with their business.  In addition to the directory, Masi offers assistance to those wanting to start their own bridal fitness business in an E Book “How to start your own Bridal Fitness Business”. When she started The Healthy Bride in 2004, bridal weight loss and fitness was an emerging industry; but is now in a period of rapid growth.  As the Wedding Report states the market value for bridal diet, weight loss, and gyms was $271 million for 2009.

“I love the bridal fitness business, and want to help others get into the business.  Brides-to-be are very fun to work with – they are happy, healthy and motivated!  I want to help other fitness professionals achieve success in this rewarding industry by sharing what I have learned.” Masi co-authored the book with Monica Sansaver, a recent bride and Seattle University MBA graduate.  “Monica really helped put my 7 years of experience into an operations manual that will jump start anyone wanting to get into the bridal fitness niche”

The Healthy Bride Directory will offer 3 levels of vendor listings: Free, Gold ($15 per month) and Platinum ($30 per month).  The site will allow vendors to link their listings to their Facebook and Twitter pages and also upload photos and videos.

Brides-to-be can also keep up with fitness and nutritional tips at The Healthy Bride blog at www.healthy-bride.com/blog.

The Healthy Bride®: A Leader in Bridal Fitness

The Healthy Bride (www.healthy-bride.com) was founded by Christi Masi to help prepare brides-to-be (and a groom or two!) for their big day through individualized fitness and nutritional regimes developed exclusively for their particular goals.  Based in Seattle, The Healthy Bride offers bootcamp-style classes and nutritional counseling for brides in the area, as well as a online and localized resources for brides-to-be nationwide, including free workout podcasts, a fitness blog, workout accessories, and Christi Masi’s “Healthy Bride Bootcamp DVD” and her book, “The Healthy Bride Guide,” also available on Amazon.com.

About Christi Masi
Founder of The Healthy Bride, Masi’s focus is on training women to successfully meet life challenges. An avid, international mountain climber, her professional background includes 11 years of sales and marketing at Starbucks Coffee. Christi’s outstanding leadership ability and natural enthusiasm has motivated women to complete triathlons, half marathons, and summit climbs of Mt. Rainier. Not to mention health and fitness goals for pivotal life moments like weddings!

Christi’s credentials include ACSM- HFI®and NSCA -CPT® certifications and a BA in psychology from the University of Washington.  Modern Bride Magazine awarded Christi designation as a “Top Trendsetter of 2006” and Seattle Bride Magazine has awarded The Healthy Bride Best Bridal Fitness Program 2007, 2008 & 2009.

The Healthy Bride® is a registered trademark of Cloud Nine Women, Inc.

Media Contact:

Christi Masi
206-755-9683

Source:  http://www.healthy-bride.com/blog/bridal-fitness/the-healthy-bride%C2%AE-launches-first-bridal-fitness-directory/