Highlights from Wedding MBA 2014 in Las Vegas

September 19, 2014

We just came back from attending the Wedding MBA 2014 Conference in Las Vegas, and unlike the old adage, what happened in Vegas will not stay in Vegas, because we’d like to share some highlights!

Wedding MBA Entrance

We started off the trip by attending the launch of WIPA Las Vegas, the Vegas chapter of the amazing Wedding Industry Professionals Association. We heard an honest and inspiring presentation from the publisher of Canada’s luxury wedding magazine WedLuxe Angela Desveux, who told us about some exciting news that you’ll all be hearing about in 2015.

WedLuxe Presentation

The first day of the Conference began with a presentation from The Knot founder Carley Roney, who gave a run through of wedding trends over the last two decades and what to look forward to next (including 2014 seeing the biggest average budget for weddings!). The room was full to the brim, with what must have been several hundred people. After her session, we had a great chat with Carley and the CEO of the newly launched HoneyBook, Oz Alon.

WeddingWire at Wedding MBA 2014

In fact, this year’s conference was heavily focused on technology and how it’s transforming the wedding industry. The founders of WeddingWire, which had a big presence at the conference with its Back to the Future mobile, presented several times throughout the conference and attendees learned about SEO, blog strategy and social media.

Darcy Miller editor of Martha Stewart Weddings at Wedding MBA 2014

We also heard great presentations from the editor-in-chief of Martha Stewart Weddings and photo editor of The Knot who spoke about how to publish real wedding albums along with our friend and Two Bright Lights founder Siri Eklund.

After a long day of sessions, we needed to let loose, so here we are in our 1980s attire at The Knot’s Rock of Ages party, created by our talented friend and extraordinary wedding planner Brit Bertino.

I Do PR team attend The Knot Party at Wedding MBA

While the majority of the attendees at the conference are just starting out in the wedding industry, the conference gave us a chance to meet with the top wedding industry influencers as well as make new friends.

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Inspiration behind Emmaline Bride’s Book “The Inspired Wedding”

September 10, 2014

Emma Arendoski,  founder and CEO of wedding blog Emmaline Bride  and author of The Handcrafted Wedding, is debuting a new book The Inspired Wedding on September 12th!

The queen of personalization, Emma has shared tips and inspiration on how to add personal touches to on her blog and throughout her first book. We sat down with Emma to learn more about “inspirations” behind “The Inspired Wedding”, and what tips and tricks she has in store for her readers.

Photo taken by : Revelry Photography

Photo by Revelry Photography

I DO PR: How does The Inspired Wedding differ from your first book The Handcrafted Wedding?

Emma Arendoski: The Inspired Wedding is an idea book with seven unique handpicked themes and over 500 beautiful wedding photographs.  Each chapter describes how to plan a wedding with that particular theme from start to finish.  While I incorporate creative handcrafted ideas along the way in both titles, The Inspired Wedding is unique because it focuses on how to plan a wedding by its theme. The book covers everything you need to know to plan a wedding from start to finish across seven unique themes (with plenty of customization along the way).

What inspired you to write a second book?

EA: My goal for The Inspired Wedding is to empower couples to plan a themed wedding that reflects a style all their own, from start to finish.  This book celebrates this concept. I am so honored to have had the privilege of writing it.  It is a project I had sought to pursue for a long time, so I feel accomplished having completed it.

How has the wedding industry change since you wrote the first book?

EA: Since I wrote The Handcrafted Wedding, I have seen an even larger surge in ‘handmade’ wedding touches:  couples are customizing every aspect of their wedding day from start to finish.  I have also seen an increase in the purchase of handmade goods used as accessories, gifts, and decor, whether purchased online from a handmade vendor or made from the couple’s own two hands.

Which part of the book did you most enjoy writing about?

EA: I can’t pick a favorite theme, as I wholeheartedly enjoyed each of the seven themes in this book. However, I always love discussing the decor of a wedding space, whether it be the ceremony or the reception. From the centerpieces to the table linens, there are so many unique ways to decorate and transform a space to make it your own.

Is there a book tour in the works?

EA: There are a few events in the works, including book signings.  I’ll be doing many videos following the launch to give couples an inside look at parts of the book.

Which wedding industry events can we find you at?

EA: Right now, my schedule includes plenty of Michigan-area based events and book signings; I also have nationwide events planned but nothing I can discuss at this moment. For press inquiries or events, those interested can email press@emmalinebride.com for details.

 

Check out Emma’s new book on Amazon!

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Unveiled Is Hands Down California’s Best Wedding Show

August 22, 2014
Unveiled: Bridal Style Revealed

Style Unveiled Menu

Unveiled: Bridal Style Revealed is hands down California’s best bridal show series, which this year comes to L.A. on September 7 a the chic W Hotel in Hollywood, followed by San Francisco on October 19 at the beautiful Bently Reserve.

With unprecedented media sponsors  this superbly stylish one-day event reaches the right demographic for your luxury brand.

Besides being organized by the talented Tarin Wilson of Plan A Events, Unveiled wins the best wedding show in California in our book because of its impressive roster of media sponsors, including is sponsored by top media including Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides California, Angeleno, Riviera, San Francisco magazine, San Francisco Examiner and Huffington Post Weddings.

Impressive, right?!

Martha Stewart Weddings Editorial Director, Darcy Miller, at a previous Unveiled event

Martha Stewart Weddings Editorial Director, Darcy Miller, at a previous Unveiled event

This is the fifth year for Unveiled, so we caught up with Tarin to find out what’s new and exciting! This year, they will be debuting Unveil Your Deal, where attendees will be able to receive deals for up to 40% off exhibitors’ regularly priced goods and services. Not bad, we say, especially given that the exhibitors include Dylan’s Candy Bar, Bloomingdales, William Sonoma and world-renowned caterer Wolfgang Puck.

Brides checking out vendors at a previous Unveiled event

“Whether she wants to learn about the latest trends, sample cake and champagne, peruse hand-picked exhibitors, or mingle with wedding industry style setters, Unveiled brings together everything the contemporary bride needs to find her muse,” said Tarin.

And if your brides are looking for fashion, Unveiled’s LA show will feature a bridal presentation by Amsale, while the San Francisco show will bring an array of Monique Lhullier gowns from the Bridal Galleria.

We’ll definitely be checking out the San Francisco show, so stay tuned for a detailed report!

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What’s in a Name? How New Names Help Boost Hotel’s Wedding Sales

August 13, 2014

We just got word that San Francisco naming firm Eat My Words recently helped revamp the wedding package offered by the ultra chic Hotel Vitale on San Francisco’s Embarcadero.

Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 11.21.20 AMFounder of Eat My Words and a long-time friend of ours Alexandra Watkins writes about this project in her soon to be released book, Hello, My Name is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick. Alexandra told us how by renaming the boring old rehearsal dinner into Meet The Parents and Hotel Vitale’s co-ed bachelor party package into “Shower Together,” the hotel experienced a 25% jump in sales!

We asked Alexandra to share the full menu from her book with other wedding brands reading our blog and hoping to improve their bookings next season.

Hello My Name is Awesome

Check out how Eat My Words was able to revive different offerings from Hotel Vitale Weddings:

Eat my Words

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Entwined Wedding Industry Event Rocks Brooklyn

August 7, 2014

 

This week, our New York’s team was invited to attend the invite-only Entwined wedding industry event. Hosted by Thea Bloch-Neal of Hushed Commotion, Patricia Kim of Fourteen-Forty and Squarespace, the wedding industry event took place at Industry City on a beautiful breezy evening in Brooklyn.

Decor and people from Entwined

Entwined events gather New York’s players from the wedding industry for casual networking as well as a much needed break from the summer wedding season. Hosted every few months at a new venue, Entwined events are a great way to meet new colleagues and try out the latest and greatest in local products.

Food and beverages from Entwined

(left) Brooklyn Brewery serves up beers while (right) Saucy by Nature dishes out some yummy farm-to-table eats.

This event was catered by Saucy by Nature (the mini chicken pot pies were to die for!) and served beers by Brooklyn Brewery. MIXTAPE performed edgy renditions of some of the latest music and added a great atmosphere to the outdoor event.

Attendees included Amanda from Bespoke, star cake maker Ron from Ron Ben-Israel Cakes and Liz from Octavia + Brown, among many others. We caught up with our friends at Love Inc. Magazine and met some new ones like the team from Trump SoHo New York.

People from the bridal industry at Entwined

(left) Michael Dougherty from I Do PR with Liz from Octavia+Brown. (mid) Host Patricia, Michael and Amanda from Bespoke. (right) Ron Ben-Israel shares a few laughs with Michael.

Thanks so much for having us!

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