WEDDEX

Brand New Website & Blog!!!!

2011-11-25T19:33:00.005-05:00

At long last we are thrilled to share our brand new Engaging Concepts website and WEDDEX Blog!

Our deepest gratitude to the brilliant team of Lara Casey + Emily Ley from Making Brands Happen for their dedication and direction in our fresh new look! We enjoyed every moment of working with them! And a special thank you to Flosites for their work in getting it all coded, designed and working behind the scenes in record time.

This will be the last post on this trusty old blog - so please be sure to visit the new site and RSS the bright and shiny new blog and stay in touch!!

Cheers!

Rebecca

engage!11 :: the grand del mar highlights

2011-06-14T15:37:00.002-04:00

What an amazing group of 250 of the top luxury wedding industry professionals gathered for our 7th sold out wedding business summit at the spectacular The Grand Del Mar Resort in San Diego two weeks ago!! We could not be more honored to have collaborated with many of the wedding industry's top talents to produce this event. A million thank you's are in order and will follow in the next blog post. For now, enjoy the 2 'same-day-edits' produced for us on-site by the uber-talented Bruce Patterson of Cloud Nine Creative!

Day One highlights (including a song custom-written for engage! called "Take Me There" by the team from Noteworthy Songs) ::

Engage 11: Grand Del Mar // Day 1 from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.

Days Two + Three Highlights/Wrap Film ::

Engage 11: Grand Del Mar // Wrap Film from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.

Top Social Media Influencers in the Wedding Industry

2011-02-17T08:19:00.002-05:00

I am honored to have been named as one of the "Top Social Media Influencers in the Wedding Industry" by WedBiz Journal, a new wedding industry publication.

We have leveraged the power and reach of social media to connect with wedding industry professionals from around the globe. It has had a major impact on our business in countless ways and we are excited to see where all it takes us next!

Thank you to WedBiz Media for including us on this list!

engage!10 :: the breakers highlight film

2011-01-13T21:53:00.001-05:00

engage! 10 The Breakers from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.

Upcoming Wedding Industry Speaking Engagement :: Event Solutions Idea Factory

2011-01-06T22:31:00.003-05:00

I am really looking forward to speaking on March 1st at Event Solutions "Idea Factory" in Las Vegas at the brand new Cosmopolitan. Other wedding industry friends who will be participating as speakers include Preston Bailey, Marcy Blum, Sean Low and Todd Fiscus among a host of others.

They had each speaker answer a few questions on their take on today's events industry - Click here for my answers!

My presentation will be on Tuesday, March 1st at 7:45am (!!!) and is titled "Romancing The Luxury Bride: State of the Wedding Industry."

Hope to see you there!

Wedding Industry News :: Knot Expands to China with Ai Jie

2010-12-16T23:28:00.002-05:00

Big global wedding industry news that The Knot has officially launched in China with Ai Jie (Ijie.com)! Check out the comprehensive feature coverage by AdAge.

We were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with InterContinental Hotels Asia-Pacific (IHG) on a 10-month wedding sales & marketing strategy development project in 2008-2009 that took us to Shanghai twice (see link to this post from the breathtaking wedding market photo shoot we did while there!) and also to Tokyo. We learned so much about the global wedding market and in particular the exploding opportunities for the wedding industry in China. Staggering...and exciting!

Here are some key China wedding industry statistics and insights from the press release from The Knot ::

“China is by far the world’s largest wedding market, with approximately 10 million weddings a year, which is five times the number of weddings in the U.S.,” said David Liu, CEO and cofounder of The Knot Inc. “With the first generation of children from the One Child Policy marrying now, a wedding is a highly anticipated occasion for their parents and grandparents. This presents a huge opportunity in the China market, and our mission is to be the number one leader in bringing Chinese couples stylish inspirations, expert advice, and unique tools to help them plan their weddings and lives together.”

Chinese Wedding Industry Statistics

Ijie.com provides U.S.-based businesses an opportunity to align with a premium trusted brand and access to a huge untapped bridal market. As the first generation of children from the One Child Policy enters the average marrying age, young engaged Chinese couples wield unprecedented wedding budgets and are increasingly incorporating Western traditions into their wedding ceremonies.

Wedding industry: $57 billion (400 billion RMB) (Source: China Wedding Industry Development Report)
Average number of weddings: 10 million couples marry annually (Source: China Wedding Industry Development Report)
Average wedding spend: $12,000 (80,000 RMB), excluding the cost of the wedding ring, attire and honeymoon (Source: China Wedding Industry Development Report)
80 percent of weddings combine Chinese-Western traditions (Source: National Committee of Chinese Wedding Service Industry)

Congrats to David Liu, Carley and everyone at The Knot on this global expansion - we can't wait to watch it explode with success!

Our Business Cards!

2010-12-15T22:57:00.005-05:00

A long overdue shout out and thank you to the fab Vanessa Kreckel of Two Paper Dolls + Louella Press for her ongoing work for us with both Engaging Concepts and engage! ... she has been an amazing partner to us since we met her 18 months ago when she attended engage!09 :: something blue in Grand Cayman.

She letterpressed our current EC business cards (and hand-painted the edges) back in the spring on gorgeous #220 lettra stock and we continue to get so many compliments on them!!

She was even kind enough to blog about them awhile back.

She and our uber talented designer Trisha J Hay of C H A R I O T are amazing collaborators and we are so lucky to have them as extended members of our team!!

Thank you Thank you for being such incredible partners -- we can't wait to see what 2011 holds!

"Top Knots" Judge

2010-12-15T21:55:00.003-05:00

I am honored to be a judge in the PDN (Photo District News) New School of Wedding Photography contest :: "Top Knots" -- I am passionate about great wedding photography and its importance to the wedding industry and really looking forward to this unique opportunity!

For more details on the contest and to submit your work (Deadlines are fast approaching!!) visit the official site at www.topknotscontest.com

Speaking Engagement :: International Caterers Association (ICA)

2010-11-30T23:25:00.000-05:00

Another great time I had recently was speaking to the International Caterers Association (ICA) for their Regional Education Days (RED).

Officially known as ICA RED.

This was my first time speaking just to caterers (not mixed in with other wedding industry pros) and what a great, fun group they are!! The day's events were held at the very impressive new campus of The Rosen College of Hospitality Management- part of the University of Central Florida. Wow!

Thank you to long-time friend, supporter and former colleague at Disney Weddings, Warren Dietel who is on the board of ICA (and President and Owner of top Central Florida Catering company Puff 'n Stuff) and planned this extraordinary RED experience for asking me to speak to this amazing group of top caterers from around the country. It was truly a pleasure and fun to see some familiar faces of friends like Simon T. Bailey (also a speaker that day and former colleague of both mine and Warren's from our Disney days!), Pauline Parry and Joy Wallace and meet some wonderful new friends as well!

Looking forward to staying in touch with everyone!

engage!11 :: the grand del mar

2010-11-18T21:53:00.005-05:00

We are thrilled to announce that engage!11 will be hosted in San Diego, CA at The Grand Del Mar May 30-June 2, 2011 -- simply an incredible resort and a perfect place for our 7th engage! event!! Much, much more to come but we hope you will consider joining us for what promises to be another impactful and 'engaging' luxury wedding business summit! Reserve your spot by clicking here.

Behind-the-Scenes visit to The Martha Stewart Show!

2010-11-18T00:24:00.006-05:00

The 'icing on the cake' to our whirlwind New York visit last month was getting to join many of our wedding blogger buddies for a behind-the-scenes visit to the taping of The Martha Stewart show that included a segment on Sandals Weddings by Martha Stewart and destination weddings.

A few photos ::

Here we are with Darcy and Jen Ruske of Martha Stewart Weddings, Joann Delgin from Sandals and many of our favorite bridal bloggers including Harmony Walton, Ali Philips, Stephanie Frasier-Grimm, Christy Weber, Bee Kim and more!

With Randy in the Green Room!

Randy and the uber-fab Anthony Luscia of Martha Stewart Weddings!

This was our second visit to the Martha Stewart Show - last year we were lucky enough to have VIP seating for a taping of an entire show dedicated to Destination Weddings! Here I am with friend (& former client from Sandals) Liz Kaiser waiting for the show to begin.

In the studio...

Thank you Darcy, Anthony and Joann for the amazing invitations to get a glimpse into this wonderful world -- we loved every minute of it!!

New York Bridal Market Parties 2010! :: The Knot Industry Gala

2010-11-18T00:04:00.003-05:00

Next up on our whirlwind NYC bridal market adventure was the party celebrating 15 years for The Knot. We are proud to have been one of the earliest supporters of The Knot those many years ago while at Disney (back when we all still referred to it as "the world wide web"!) and have been delighted (and more than a little blown away) at the explosive growth and superstar status that founders Carley Roney + David Liu have achieved. We couldn't imagine not being there to celebrate their success and remarkable achievements.

A few highlights of the extraordinary party held at The New York Public Library ::

Really, there are no words. This 12-foot tall, fresh floral masterpiece was designed by the one and only Preston Bailey!

Preston and the gorgeous Carley Roney!

Friends!! From left: Marcy Blum, Bryan Rafanelli, me, Carley, Randy Fenoli and Kathryn

Love this shot of Carley + Randy...it really sums up the spirit of the night!!!

New York Bridal Market Parties 2010! :: Martha Stewart Weddings

2010-11-17T23:35:00.004-05:00

We really love parties - especially when they are filled with many of our very favorite wedding industry friends! Kathryn and I decided completely spur of the moment (literally hours before!) to fly up to New York for two very special parties :: The Martha Stewart Weddings event and The Knot's 15th Anniversary Party...because after following all of bridal market *buzz* on Twitter we simply couldn't stand to miss another second! Here are some highlights from the incredible celebration at The Martha Stewart offices...complete with a behind-the-scenes tour with Darcy Miller!

Kath and Me with the incredible celebrity photographer (and recent engage!10 :: the breakers speaker!) Donna Newman and our dear Cayman Islands friend Danielle Wolfe of

The Caribbean Club!

Me, our gracious hostess Darcy Miller and Kathryn!

Me and Kath with Darcy, famed designer Monique Lhuillier and husband Tom!!

Kathryn, Joann Delgin and Me...the Disney Weddings dream team together again!!

Thank you to Darcy, Anthony, Shira, Jen Ruske and all of our friends at Martha Stewart Weddings...it was truly an incredible party and so worth our impromptu trip!!

Speaking Engagement :: WPPI Road Trip Orlando

2010-11-17T23:10:00.003-05:00

I was so honored when the oh-so-wonderful Garrett Nudd asked me to share the stage with him recently during the WPPI Orlando Road Trip. WPPI stands for Wedding and Portrait Photographers International and it is one the largest (if not THE largest) associations for professional wedding photographers in the world. It was a great pleasure to spend time with so many talented pros! Thank you to Garrett for including me!

Here Garret and I are pictured after the presentation with the lovely Joy Nudd, Lisa Konecny of E-Events and Jeffrey Stoner of Stoner Video - great times!!

Client Project :: Sandals Weddings by Martha Stewart

2010-11-17T22:10:00.005-05:00

We recently had the honor of working with our long-time Engaging Concepts client Sandals & Beaches Resorts on the roll-out for their very exciting and innovative partnership with Martha Stewart called "Sandals Weddings by Martha Stewart." We were involved in the training & development of their teams from all 19 resorts throughout the Caribbean (Jamaica, Antigua, the Bahamas, St. Lucia and Turks & Caicos) and in their wedding sales offices in Miami.

We designed a comprehensive training program and delivered it multiple times over the course of a week in Jamaica. We also supported the team from Martha Stewart Weddings in the hands-on training of the actual wedding collections ( & learned alot along the way!!). They are all beautiful and are incredibly affordable! Every wedding at a Sandals or Beaches Resort is a Martha Stewart Weddings-designed affair (including the free WeddingMoon package with minimum night stay). The upgraded collections begin at just $1600.

Here are a few of our favorites ::

Chic & Natural ::

Vision in White ::

Seaside Serenade ::

And lucky me, in August I had the opportunity to travel to visit the newly expanded Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort on a special fam trip hosted by Martha Stewart Weddings Editorial Director Darcy Miller. It was a wonderful trip away with cherished industry colleagues...and the resort is a family-paradise!!

Pictured here at our "Island Paradise" collection dinner table on the beach at sunset with my dear friends Joann Delgin, Director of Weddings and Debbie White Director of Public Relations for Sandals & Beaches Resorts!

Here is a link to Harmony Walton of The Bridal Bar's round-up of our trip, with loads of great pics!

What an honor the entire experience was from start to picture-perfect finish!!!

Speaking Appearances at WIPA :: San Francisco + San Diego

2010-11-17T21:14:00.004-05:00

I had an amazing time in California speaking for WIPA (Wedding Industry Professionals Association). I am so incredibly impressed with this organization and the level of professionalism, creativity, passion and commitment to creating a community of top-tier wedding professionals. I look forward to being a member of this organization in the coming year. Here are a few images from my whirlwind trip to The St. Regis in San Francisco (my second stay there in less than 6 months - spoiled!) and The Grand Del Mar (an amazing & very special resort!!). Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to join us!!

Here I am in a fabulous creme & gold Raj Tent with owner Maurice. I have always loved these gorgeous tents and was thrilled to get to finally see (& enjoy!) one in person!!
The specialty Raj tent on the lawn at The Grand Del Mar.

Enjoying an afternoon glass of wine with the fabulous Dez Patterson (one of our new engage!10 :: cayman islands friends), Pauline Parry (President of WIPA & owner of Good Gracious Events! in LA and an industry icon!) and Natasha Chornesky of WriteShot in Las Vegas and who gave a lovely introduction to my presentation.
With the fab Pauline Parry on one of the incredible staircases at The Grand Del Mar - what an enchanting resort...I can't wait to return!!!

The Magic that was engage!10 :: the breakers

2010-10-09T18:01:00.002-04:00

Our feet have still not touched the ground since returning from the magnificent Breakers Palm Beach following our 6th SOLD OUT engage! event this past week. We were so very lucky to have had our friend the brilliant Bruce Patterson of Cloud Nine Creative document it all to share as surprise 'same day edits' shown on Day 1 and Day 3 of the event. We have MUCH more to share but the best way to sum it all up is to take a peek at these highlights of the magic that was engage!10 :: the breakers...

Engage 10 {Day One} from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.

Engage '10 {Day 2 + 3} from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.

Speaking at WIPA!

2010-07-30T16:14:00.004-04:00

I am thrilled to be heading to California to speak next week to members of WIPA (Wedding Industry Professionals Association) in both San Francisco and San Diego and look forward to meeting new friends and seeing some familiar faces on the West Coast! Hope to see you there!

For more details on the programs visit: www.wipausa.org

Additional information on engage!10 :: the breakers

2010-07-15T12:16:00.008-04:00

With the 'paint just dry' on engage!10 :: cayman islands (see below for the recap) we are already hard at work on details for our next event this fall...engage!10 :: the breakers!

We are so excited to be collaborating with the incredible team at The Breakers in Palm Beach and have some new surprises in store blended with the best of what engage! has become known for - inspired networking and inspiration for luxury wedding professionals in an intimate and inviting setting.

We have created a detailed pdf with all of the background and information on the upcoming event ::

engage!10 :: the breakers information

And of course the official website is www.engage10.com

Hope to see you there!!

engage!10 :: cayman islands RECAP

2010-07-15T10:36:00.004-04:00

Time sure flies when you are having fun!! We have enjoyed an incredible few months here at Engaging Concepts with some really interesting client projects and unique opportunities and of course, the successful presentation of our 5th wedding industry event engage!10 :: cayman islands in early June!

Instead of us telling you about it, we thought better to hear directly from the speakers & attendees themselves -- to date over 75 blog post/recaps have been filed and the official Twitter hashtag www.twitter.com#engage10 was burning up the lines before, during and after the event! Here is a pdf with live links to each post ::

engage!10 :: cayman islands blog posts

And a link to some highlighted 'rave reviews' of comments we have received about the event ::

engage!10 :: rave reviews

We continue to be blown away (& humbled) by the outpouring of support and kind words from so many and are eternally grateful to each and every person who joined us and came together to make this event the best one yet!! We could never have done it without the support of so many of our partners and will be thanking them in a follow up post!!

:: Incredible photos (above) of the event shared with us by the talented photographers Stevi & Matt Savage of Avery House ::

Speakers Announced for engage!10 :: the breakers

2010-04-05T21:31:00.007-04:00

We are thrilled to announce the incredible speaker line-up for engage!10 :: the breakers. Be sure to check out the website for all of the names and full bios. But in the meantime, here is a sneak peek at the list! Hope to see you at engage!10 in June in Grand Cayman and/or in October in Palm Beach - all the details can be found at www.engage10.com.

Check out the "list" ::

Darcy Miller – Editorial Director, Martha Stewart Weddings
Mindy Weiss – Celebrity Party Planner
Carley Roney & David Liu – Founders and CEO's of The Knot
Maria McBride – Style Editor, BRIDES Magazine
Sylvia Weinstock – Sylvia Weinstock Cakes

Bryan Rafanelli - Celebrity Event Designer
Marcy Blum – Marcy Blum Associates
Abby Larson – Founder/Editor of StyleMePretty.com
Randy Fenoli – Fashion Director, Kleinfeld & star of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress”

Todd Fiscus – Todd Events/Dallas

Carol Poon – Editor, Bride & Bloom Magazine
Walt Shepard –Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Inside Weddings
Brooke Thomas – Editor, Weddings Unveiled Magazine
Susan Moynihan – Editor, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine
Lisa “Ceci” Johnson – Ceci New York
Amy Atlas – Amy Atlas Events
Tara Guerard- Soiree {Charleston & NYC} and author of “Weddings by Tara Guerard”

Liz Banfield - Wedding & Lifestyle Photojournalist

Lara Casey – Editor, Southern Weddings Magazine
Michelle Rago – Celebrity Wedding Designer
Kate Parker – Founder, Kate Parker Weddings & MyKPWedding.com
Harmony Walton – The Bridal Bar, Beverly Hills, San Diego and Atlanta

Liene Stevens - Social Media Expert & President of ThinkSplendid

Jill Meister – Media Consultant/former CBS Early Show producer

Sean Low – The Business of Being Creative/former President of Preston Bailey Designs
Simon T. Bailey – Author of “Release Your Brilliance”/Named to Top 25 Motivational speakers
Cindy Novotny –Internationally recognized speaker/trainer/Master Connections Associates

and of course - Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce of Engaging Concepts!

engage!09 :: something blue -- Recap Video!

2010-01-27T23:09:00.002-05:00

engage!09 :: something blue from Rebecca Grinnals on Vimeo.

Special thanks to our friends at Chowder Inc. for creating this for us!

All the details at www.engage10.com

engage!10 is LIVE!

2010-01-25T10:37:00.004-05:00

It is official - www.engage10.com is live! Be sure to check it out for all details on both engage!10 events - including speaker line-ups, program details, travel & accommodations, galleries from past events, testimonials from engage! attendees and a special video recap of engage!09 :: something blue created by our friends at CHOWDER! Updates to come over the coming months. We are so excited about the many luxury wedding professionals who will be coming together in June and October.

Special thanks to the amazing Trisha J. Hay for her design talents and also to liveBooks for the custom websites!

Save-the-Dates for engage!10 events

2009-12-02T21:42:00.004-05:00

I know, I know - not a blog post in almost 3 months and sooooooooooo very much going on in the wonderful world of Engaging Concepts in that time!! I have a long list of posts that need to be written but I did want to be sure and let everyone know that we indeed have set dates for the next series of engage! events for 2010 and are hard at work behind-the-scenes creating two compelling and unique luxury wedding business summits sure to top the previous 4!! Many, many more details to be announced via Twitter in the coming weeks and the main engage!10 website and registration will launch on 1.10.10 so stay tuned!!!

Updates on engage!09 :: the encore

2009-09-11T00:32:00.003-04:00

Quick update on engage!09 :: the encore coming up October 12-14, 2009 in Las Vegas at the amazing Wynn Encore Resort. Only a few spots remain and we are thrilled to once again have an incredible group of luxury wedding professionals coming together to share powerful business insights and for what has become a signature of engage! events - the 'inspired networking!' To date, we have attendees representing 22 states and 6 countries!!

We sent this email blast out yesterday {click on it to view larger!} and included a fun announcement - that the one and only Randy Fenoli, Fashion Director of Kleinfeld and star of TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress" will be joining us for the entire event and helping to 'guest host' the final night private event at the fab BLUSH nightclub at the Wynn!

In addition to that exciting news we have learned that Sylvia Weinstock is also joining us for the event - with even more surprises in store for the 100 attendees who will be on hand!!

We will update along the way but best bet is to follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news for #engage09encore {that is the official #hashtag to search on twitter!}.

Great times ahead!

"People You Should Know in the Luxury Wedding Industry"

2009-09-04T13:29:00.008-04:00

So honored!!! From the blog of Lara Casey Reps::

"Sean Low, Rebecca Grinnals & Katharyn Arce, and Harmony Walton all have one very big thing in common: they are not only the industry leaders, movers and shakers, but they make things happen for people. BIG things. Sean Low single-handedly took Preston Bailey out of serious financial ruin andinto an uber-market all his own. The dynamic duo behind Engaging Concepts, Rebecca and Kathryn, have taken the luxury wedding market by storm, creating the most talked about conference to date:Engage!. We were fortunate to attend the Engage!08: Encore in Celebration, Florida last October and it opened up worlds of new opportunity for us. Harmony Walton's Bridalbar concept (just one of her many genius endeavors) is growing like wildfire and opening brides eyes to a new way of planning weddings. Brides are matched with their dream wedding team and wedding pros come together under one roof with a common thread: no competition, just the right vendor for the right client.

These are the people to look to for the real market trends... because they are creating them and giving people the knowledge and tools to do so as well. You can follow Sean, Rebecca, Kathryn andHarmony on Twitter. But, the greatest value is in one on one time with them. Sean now offers consulting and has a wildly popular blog, The Business of Being Creative. Rebecca has teamed up with Sean to offer what I consider the gold standard in business strategy: Super Sessions. Harmony is a frequent speaker at industry events and is always happy to sit down and dish over drinks. These are some of the most brilliant and generous people I know and I feel so blessed to call them friends. I learn from their dedication and commitment to the luxury wedding market every day and so can you. Drop them a line, an email, or a tweet and say hello!"

:: images left to right: Laura Novak, Stacey Kane, Triplecord

Thank YOU Lara! We are huge fans of all that you are doing and will continue to do for our amazing industry. We are so very grateful for your enthusiastic support!!

Be sure to add Lara's new BLOG to your 'must read' list :: www.laracasey.com/blog

New wedding industry client project launches :: CaymanVows.ky

2009-08-26T22:36:00.005-04:00

We are delighted to present a project 9 full months in the making - the brand new website [created in collaboration with amazing agency Chowder Inc.] for our mutual long-time client, The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism. Presenting :: www.CaymanVows.ky

All the details in the official press release below ::

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

New interactive wedding web site www.caymanvows.ky
offers inspiration and guidance to brides planning

destination 'I do's'

Toronto, ON (August 26, 2009) - Hot on the heels of its successful Engage!09 :: something blue wedding business symposium this summer which saw the likes of wedding guru Preston Bailey and Martha Stewart’s Darcy Miller descend upon the destination, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism has launched a new web site, www.caymanvows.ky. Designed to showcase its wide range of wedding experiences, connect couples with service providers and inspire them to find their own unique wedding style, the site is infused with numerous interactive elements and a gallery of over 900 photos to date.

A ‘Find Your Wedding Style’ quiz helps couples narrow in on their unique taste preferences and a ‘Real Wedding Stories’ section not only tells the story of couples married in Cayman, but provides an extensive photo gallery for each, with the on island suppliers they worked with to make their dream day a reality.

“Images play an enormous part in helping a bride to determine what resonates with her and her sense of style,” says Rebecca Grinnals, founder of Engaging Concepts, an expert consultancy to the wedding industry that helped develop the web site. “Brides get inspiration from other brides and so the site is very image laden and interactive so couples can truly get a sense of what’s possible, while identifying the look and feel that best represents their relationship.”

There’s even a section dedicated to the needs of wedding guests, with information on accommodations for all budgets, how to get to the destination, activities and attractions, on island transportation options, shopping, spas and telecommunications information. In addition,legal requirements, a special section on honeymoons and a wedding blog featuring guest entries from on-island service providers, add to the mix of content.

“The Cayman Islands offers some of the most talented wedding service providers I have ever worked with,” says Grinnals. “So we have included an extensive section on venues, florists, wedding planners, photographers, cake designers and more. There’s also an explanation of what a traditional Unity Sand ceremony entails, a popular choice for those who get married on the beach.”

Plans are underway to further increase the content including a section on unique destination wedding favour ideas, “must shoot” photo lists and even a behind-the-scenes look from wedding expert insiders. Grinnals says the site will be refreshed on a quarterly basis so brides will always be able to peruse a new selection of images which reflect the latest trends, colours and design elements.

For more information on booking a wedding in the Cayman Islands visitwww.caymanvows.ky or email caymanvows@caymanislands.ky. In Canada, contact the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism at 416-485-1550 or toll-free 1-800-263-5805.

Powerful Video :: Why Social Media is Here to Stay

2009-08-18T22:04:00.001-04:00

Via Ryan Seacrest.com {of all places!}

"In a YouTube video jam-packed with statistics on the alarming growth of social media platforms in recent years, a case is made that our society could be approaching the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution.

Amid slick graphics and a hip soundtrack, the video spouts statistics including:

- Social media has overtaken porn at the #1 activity on the Web.
- 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media.
- Radio took 38 years to reach 50 million users, TV took 13 years, Internet took 4 years, yet Facebook took less that 9 months to add 100 million users.
- If Facebook were a country, it'd be the world's 4th largest following the U.S., India and China.

The video is produced by Socialnomics.net, a social media blog run by Erik Qualman, a VP at EF Education, the world's largest private educator.

Where do YOU fit into this social media revolution?"

Official engage!09 :: website is LIVE!

2009-08-07T21:22:00.004-04:00

Be sure to check out the official engage!09 :: the encore website at www.engage09encore.com and our new color palette for this event :: poppy & cement - inspired by many of the chic colors of the Wynn Encore.

Kathryn and I head to Las Vegas for a site visit and planning session next week and can't wait to start pulling together all of the fun details this time around!!

Announcing engage!09 :: the encore - a luxury wedding business intensive

2009-07-29T23:00:00.007-04:00

{click on image to enlarge and actually read!}

Based on the incredible feedback we have received over the past year from attendees and speakers alike from all 3 previous engage events, we have created something a bit different and unique. We are offering what has been a resounding: "more, more, more" of some of the highest rated aspects of the first events.

I like to say we were at the 30,000 foot level for our previous programs and this 'encore' event will now 'land the plane.' It will focus on the key takeaways from past events :: personal development & business development blended with the 'inspired networking' that engage has come to be known for. That is why we are carefully terming it "a luxury wedding business intensive."

We are busy at work 'behind the scenes' planning for an over-the-top, A-list speaker packed engage!10 event very late next spring and will announce dates, location and details in the months to come but the demand for us to ::

1. bring an event to the West Coast before then

and

2. to take a deeper dive into some of the pressing and important issues facing your businesses today in an intimate but inspiring setting - alongside the best of the best like-minded wedding industry peers has inspired us to create this special encore opportunity.

The programs will feature more in-depth and highly interactive sessions with engage-alums myself, Sean Low and Simon T. Bailey along with a candid and refreshing luncheon discussion with eventiste {and now wedding blogging diva} Marcy Blum.

In addition, we also cannot wait to share with you the incredible talent of Todd-Avery Lenahan of ABA Las Vegas...the brilliant design mind behind the WYNN Resorts interiors and many, many other inspired places around the globe! A long-time friend of Kathryn and mine, he is sure to wow and inspire with a totally unique perspective of the business of design. We are thrilled and honored that he has agreed to join us!

Of course, many other fabulous & engaging surprises are in store. The official website will launch on 8.07.09 with official registration opening 8.14.09 at 9am est so stay tuned to Twitter and this blog for all the details! In order to keep this intensive event intimate and impactful, we are limiting to only 100 attendees.

Hope to see many of old friends & new in Vegas in a few short months!!!

engage!09 :: something blue in Grand Cayman - Our View

2009-07-10T01:21:00.008-04:00

Where to even BEGIN? Honestly, the latest engage! event in Grand Cayman

[ engage!09 :: something blue ] was such an amazing success because of every single person who came together to speak, attend, partner and well, 'engage!!!'

This wedding industry that we are so privileged to be part of continues to awe and inspire on every level. We had {175} awesome wedding professionals join us from 27 states and 9 countries representing all aspects of the luxury wedding industry.

There were wedding designers, stylists, planners, photographers,travel industry executives, jewelers, artists, invitation designers, authors, editors, fashion directors, advertising and PR executives, television producers {& stars!}, 5-star resorts, online media experts, wedding cake designers and list goes on and on! The *magic* was that everyone came together with open minds and open hearts to connect with each other in meaningful ways -- to inspire each other, and, as more than one person said to me - to learn about themselves.

We are all so connected by this incredible industry and while social media has allowed many of us to get to know each other in an unprecedented fashion in the past few years through blogs, twitter, facebook and more - NOTHING can take the place of connecting and 'engaging' in person. Nothing.

There are so many moments to share - I have no idea where to begin!! So, think I will link to just some of the amazing 'round-up' blog posts from many of the attendees so you can hear directly from those that experienced the event. See the bottom of the post for links to many of them!!!

Here is the link to the fun slideshow recap that Donna von Bruening {a 3-time 'engagee'} put together for us just days after our return ::

http://www.dvbphoto.com/slideshows/engage/

I also put together a sort of behind-the-scenes view and commentary of the event on Facebook and have included a public link to that gallery here ::

engage!09 :: something blue from "My View"

For now - from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every one of the amazing speakers, partners and attendees who believed in us and came together to make this event what it was...something very special and meaningful on many levels. Powerful, actually.

Most especially I want to thank my Kathryn. For positively every. single. thing. She is...brilliant. None of this would have happened without her. I am forever grateful and so honored to work beside her.

Much, much more to follow!!!

xoxoxo, Rebecca

:: Just a sampling of Post-engage!09 Blog Posts ::

Bee Kim's "Ultimate Recap" on WeddingbeePro

Bee Kim "Live Blogging" from the event

Darcy Miller on The Brides Guide Part 1

Darcy Miller on The Brides Guide Part 2

Darcy Miller on The Brides Guide Part 3

Darcy Miller on The Brides Guide Part 4

One Wed :: Savvy Scoop

Ashley Baber

Susan Moynihan of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine

Harmony Walton of The Bridal Bar

Kristy Rice of Momental Designs Part 1 & 2

Alison Hotchkiss of Alison Events

Karen Tran Florals

Bella Signature

Outstanding Occasions

Blue Orchid Designs | Splendid Communications

Celebrations Ltd. Grand Cayman

Donna von Bruening

Flaire Weddings part 1

Flaire Weddings part 2

Melenbacker Photography

Trisha Hay black.white.bliss part 1

Trisha Hay black.white.bliss part 2

Get Married Blogger Brides 1

Get Married Blogger Brides 2

Get Married Blogger Brides 3

Marion Marshall - Absolutely Blooming

The Weddington

Barbara Hearn

PussBackfoot Blog

News Article: The Cayman Compass

From the WSJ :: :: "I Do For Less: As the economy shrinks, so do wedding budgets"

2009-06-07T21:20:00.002-04:00

From The Wall Street Journal: :: "I Do For Less: As the economy shrinks, so do wedding budgets"

engage! in print

2009-04-21T19:07:00.005-04:00

engage! makes it into print! We have so fortunate over the past year to have received an incredible amount of priceless *buzz* all over the internet about our engage! events. But today marks the first official magazine coverage!

The publication is Real Life Magazine - a caribbean luxury lifestyle, property and design magazine that is distributed throughout the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the Cayman Islands.

A very special thank you to dear friends Pilar Bush and Kathy Jackson at AtWater Consulting Ltd. for placing this for us...and for believing in us over the years - we are so grateful for their unwavering support!!

{click on the article to see in full!}

Grand Cayman Wedding Feature in Modern Bride

2009-04-21T13:11:00.004-04:00

Check out this gorgeous "real" Grand Cayman wedding featured in the new issue of Modern Bride! {click on image to see larger view}

Client Project: Cayman on TheKnot

2009-04-21T13:00:00.000-04:00

Very excited about this web project collaboration with TheKnot and WeddingChannel for long-time Engaging Concepts client: The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.

Wanting to go far beyond standard web banner ads, this interactive sweepstakes/sitelet allows brides and grooms to select their 'wedding style' and view images from any one of the 3 very different Cayman Islands allowing visitors to get a sense of the variety of different and unique destination weddings available.

Special thanks to Cayman advertising agency, CHOWDER for always taking the concept to the next level! TheKnot and WeddingChannel really 'got' what we were trying to achieve and delivered a client-focused solution to help cut through the clutter!

engage!Savannah

2009-04-09T20:19:00.005-04:00

This past week Kathryn and I had the pleasure of presenting a custom engage!Savannah 1/2 day seminar for the Savannah Wedding Professionals. The fabulous Donna von Bruening of DVB Photo, who is the founder and President of SWP arranged the entire event following her experiences at both engage! events last year here in Orlando.

We loved seeing old friends like the fab Minette Rushing of Custom Cakes, uber talented Amy Harvey of Harvey Designs, photographers extraordinaire Agnes Lopez and Joi Perkins of Pennington Photography and meeting new ones like Christine Hall and the girls from Bluebelle Bridal...the list of talent goes on and on! Each one in their own right is an inspiration and wedding industry leader!!

Most of the members of the Savannah Wedding Professionals were there and what impresses us most is their combined commitment to furthering the wedding industry in their area and putting aside thoughts of competition with each other -- truly realizing that in today's world the competition is GLOBAL not LOCAL. Together they have great things planned for the already *hot* Savannah wedding market and we are so excited to see where they take it next!

Thank you Donna and everyone who took precious time from their busy Savannah wedding season to spend most of the day with us. We are truly 'engaged!'

Destination Weddings: Big Business

2009-03-23T08:19:00.008-04:00

The business of Destination Weddings has been in the news quite a bit lately - I have conducted media interviews within the past week alone on the topic with Bloomberg Business News, USA Weekend Magazine [circulation 45 million] and AARP [circ. 50 million] and WeddingChannel.com!

Here are a few links to some of the most recent and insightful pieces on this continuing *hot* trend in the wedding industry and the shifting behaviors of consumers:

USA Weekend Magazine: "Saying 'I Do' in the Caribbean"

Associated Press: "Destination Weddings Keep Guest List Down"

Hawaii Star Bulletin: "Wedding Bells Ring More Quietly"

Savannah Morning News: "Couples to Savannah: I Do!"

As a matter of fact, I am in Grand Cayman this week helping to host, tour and meet with the owners of high end destination wedding planning firm LUXE Destination Weddings - and they are reporting that their business is stronger than ever before!

Photo: Grand Cayman Wedding by the amazing Rebecca Davidson

From CNN: "I Do For Less"

2009-03-21T18:06:00.000-04:00

engage1to1 "Super Sessions" with Sean Low

2009-03-03T12:16:00.006-05:00

Really thrilled to 'officially' announce a program that we have been unofficially offering for many months now. A joint engage1to1 'super session' with none other than the brilliant Sean Low, President of Preston Bailey Designs and creative business consultant.

We have been offering a very limited number of engage1to1 sessions {phone, in-person and super sessions} since last summer and have really enjoyed this intimate, interactive and high-impact opportunity to work directly with some of the wedding industry's leaders on taking their businesses to imaginative new heights.

Sean and I have collaborated closely in various business ventures for almost 4 years now and spend time each week discussing the wedding industry and the massive amounts of opportunity for growth at every level - even in this challenging economy. He has participated in both initial engage events and is a featured speaker for engage09 in June by POPULAR demand. His blog has quickly become a 'must read' and he has taken Twitter by storm with his spot-on insights and thought provoking commentary on the state of your business in the current economic environment.

I am so honored to be offering this very special, limited series of engage1to1's with Sean. They are an intense 8-hour session totally focused on YOU and your business potential and growth -- from a marketing/big picture point of view and a straight forward business standpoint.

For additional information, availability, options and cost please contact our office at engage@engagingconcepts.com or call 407.566.2298. We look forward to working with some of the industry's brightest talents and businesses to explore new and exciting potential and growth!

BridaLuxe :: Affiliate Marketing for Wedding Pros

2009-02-13T14:12:00.003-05:00

Through Twitter I have recently learned about BridaLuxe, a new niche affiliate marketing network for the wedding industry. This blog is not a b2c entity so it would not make sense for us to sign on but for many of you out there in wedding-world it just might be an interesting option to monetize your site or blog {only if appropriate and relevant to your content and growth strategy of course!}.

Would love to hear any feedback from those of you who sign up or have been working with them. In this economy, creating divergent streams of 'passive' income is a smart business strategy as long as it aligns with your brand. BridaLuxe appears to be headed in the right direction - time will tell!

From WSJ: "The Grim Forecast for 2009 Wedding Spending"

2009-02-11T10:57:00.003-05:00

This just in from The Wall Street Journal::

"Bridal shopping season is just around the corner, following the bump in engagements that happens on Valentine’s Day. But this year, designers of wedding gowns and accessories are expected to take a hit. Sales of wedding gowns in the U.S. are expected to decrease 2.8% this year, compared with 2008, to reach $973 million, according to a new projection by Los Angeles-based market-research firm IBISWorld, which compiles its estimates based on reports from retailers’ and manufacturers’ industry groups. While the sales drop isn’t as large as the 4.2% decrease the wedding dress category saw in 2008, it represents a continuing decline in an area that had seen steady growth since at least 2001, says Toon van Beeck, a senior industry anylyst for IBISWorld.

He notes that the average amount spent on a wedding is expected to drop 8% in 2009 to reach $20,000—just two years ago, in 2007, the average amount that a couple spent on a wedding was $30,000.

“This year, the economy will play a big role” in wedding planning, Mr. van Beeck says, predicting that wedding spending will also likely be affected by couples who postpone their plans “so the ceremony can be done when the financial time is right.”

Other areas of the industry that are expected to take a hit include engagement rings and the hiring of wedding planners. Couples getting married in 2009 are expected to spend $785 million on hiring wedding planners, representing a decrease of 4.2% from the 2008 figure, Mr. van Beeck says. In 2008, the drop in spending on wedding planners was only 1.7%, he says. “Many of the 2008 weddings were already booked and paid for,” he says. But “for 2009, people were able to mitigate this cost, hence the steeper decline.”

There is, however, one small bright spot in the wedding industry business: Rentals. For several years, spending on wedding gown rentals had held steady at about $40 million each year. This year, however, spending on rented gowns is expected to rise 7.5% to reach $43 million."

Sean's Blog

2009-02-09T21:53:00.002-05:00

Finally!! The brilliant Sean Low, President of Preston Bailey Designs has started a blog! It is entitled "The Business of Being Creative" and with it he shares his insights on anything and everything related to the business-side of our creative industry.

I have had the great pleasure of working with Sean on many projects over the past 4 years and I always am inspired and energized by his smart and level-headed approach to the business of our business. He captivated the attendees at www.engage08:the encore and by popular demand, will lead a panel at www.engage09.com .

Be sure to add Sean's Blog to your RSS feed and visit also. He is also a must follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/seanlow .

Welcome to the blogging world Sean and thank you for helping us all to look at this business from a practical and critical point-of-view!

engage!09 :: something blue registration opens!

2009-02-01T20:26:00.002-05:00

Beginning tomorrow {Monday 2.2.09} at 9am official registration will begin for engage!09 :: something blue. Specific details on registration are available on the blog.

Space is limited to the first 125 registrants and both engage!08 and engage!08:the encore sold out, so if you are interested in joining us we recommend you sign up as soon as possible!

In the meantime, we were thrilled to have announced the engage!09 scholarship winner - all the details over on the engage!09 blog. Congratulations to deserving * rising star * Monica Gill of The White Box of Wedding Design - we look forward to meeting {and learning from} Monica in June in Grand Cayman.

So much has been happening in the past month - we promise other updates soon!

engage!09 Official Site is LIVE!

2009-01-15T01:46:00.003-05:00

It is officially, official! Be sure to check out the brand new website with all the details for engage!09 :: something blue at www.engage09.com -- including a special scholarship opportunity for a deserving 'rising star' wedding professional!

Industry News:: The Launch of Southern Weddings Magazine!

2009-01-06T20:51:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Lara Casey and all of the fab girls at Southern Weddings for the launch of their brand new magazine that hit newsstands today! We were so fortunate to receive a few advance copies over our holiday break and are so impressed and just love their fresh approach!

The publication is gorgeous and is packed with amazing real weddings and page after page of delicious wedding inspiration. Simply put, the eye-candy from their super cool blog brought to life in the pages of a high quality magazine!

You can check out the blog for updated listings of where to find the publication -- which is growing daily!

This team has literally taken the wedding industry by storm - with much of their success built from careful and strategic social media networking and an authentic and very transparent approach to this business - which really has set them apart in a very cluttered market. I have loved watching them grow and have no doubt that they will continue to build an innovative and unique wedding brand from the ground up - and do it with their own refreshing style and flair!

Keep a close eye on them - and be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook for the latest and greatest 'behind the scenes!' {and by the way - we are THRILLED that Lara has agreed to be a speaker at engage!09 :: something blue in Grand Cayman in June...more on that to follow but we know she will add a wonderful dynamic to the program!!}

Holiday Wishes from Engaging Concepts!!!

2008-12-23T22:31:00.000-05:00

NYT::"Recession? Time to Slash the Flower Budget"

2008-12-21T08:32:00.003-05:00

A 'must read' article for everyone in the wedding industry from The New York Times about how couples around the country are responding to the economy by 'slashing' wedding budgets.

These consumer insights and behaviors are critical to understand and will have far-reaching impacts across all budget levels of weddings.

Smart and savvy wedding professionals will not be reactive but rather proactive in understanding the mindset of today's newly engaged couple and offer creative ways for them to afford {and justify} their particular goods or services and above all else, overdeliver at every single point of contact during each stage of the wedding planning cycle and beyond.

There is no doubt that the cream will certainly rise to the top and that there will be quite a few casualties along the way of those that have coasted for a long time and ridden the wave of consumer excess. Those that truly 'get it' will emerge stronger than ever before - which one will you be!?!

Early Buzz for engage!09 :: something blue

2008-12-18T21:07:00.003-05:00

We are so thrilled with the early response to our announcement about engage!09 :: something blue on June 21-24, 2009 at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. We have heard from so many of you and are delighted that you are as excited as we are about the event.

We promise many more details in early January including a new website and blog. In the meantime, be sure to check out and join our fan page on Facebook!

We also want to send out a heartfelt 'thank you' to the following amazing industry friends who took the time to share their thoughts on engage! with blog posts - here are a few:

Harmony Walton of The Bridal Bar

Lara Casey at Southern Weddings

Liene Stevens of The Smart Planner

Laura Novak of Laura Novak Photography and Strategy Avenue

The Bliss Event Gals

We have lined up a few additional AMAZING wedding industry speakers and will sharing that news after the new year so be sure to stay tuned!

TODAY Show: Luxury Remorse

2008-12-18T08:47:00.005-05:00

Powerful paradigm shift in behavior of consumers from just a few months ago. Well worth a quick view to think about how this is/will continue to affect the wedding industry. Conspicuous consumption suddenly something to be ashamed of and hide...

Check out the blog post by Tina Brown on The Daily Beast that broke and inspired this piece entitled:

"Shopping in Secret: What Rich People Don't Want You to Know About Their Spending." WOW.

Over the Top Engagements:

2008-12-18T08:37:00.003-05:00

From The Today Show & BRIDES Magazine comes a piece on the increasing trend towards extreme proposals:: "'Will you marry me?' goes extreme-In an age of modern love, guys are popping the question with flair to spare"

Check it out here - interesting to note the companies that are focusing on this niche...opportunity or waste of time?

Announcing: engage!09 :: something blue

2008-12-11T13:00:00.005-05:00

Engaging Concepts is thrilled to announce the incredible details for engage!09::something blue!! This three day luxury wedding business summit will be held June 21-24, 2009 at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman so save the dates!!!!

Our amazing line-up of confirmed speakers will include:

-Darcy Miller, Editorial Director of Martha Stewart Weddings
-Millie Bratten, Editor in Chief of BRIDES
-Preston Bailey
-Marcy Blum
-Sylvia Weinstock
-Sean Low, President of Preston Bailey Designs
-Michelle Rago destination event designer and author
-Harmony Walton of The Bridal Bar LA
-Simon T. Bailey, author and brilliandeer
-Lara Casey, Editor in Chief of Southern Weddings
-Abby Larson founder and editor of Style Me Pretty
-Susan Moynihan, Editor in Chief of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine
-Laura Novak, acclaimed wedding photojournalist and business consultant
-Randy Fenoli, Fashion Director of Kleinfeld and featured in TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress"

...with more announcements still to come!

Aside from the unprecedented opportunity to be with the “best of the best” in the luxury wedding industry, this summit will include a Seven Mile Beach welcome party Sunday evening, continental breakfast Monday morning followed by a full day’s educational and inspirational symposium, networking luncheon and VIP dine-around. Tuesday morning will kick-off with continental breakfast and four (50)-minute targeted breakout sessions. And of course you’ll have time to explore and experience fabulous Grand Cayman during the afternoon before the celebratory gala dinner Tuesday evening.

The cost is $2000 per person with many more details to follow in early January with the launch of the official engage!09 :: something blue website and blog. Registration will open Monday, February 2, 2009 and will be limited in order to keep the event intimate and impactful. The first two engage! events sold out and we expect to do the same with engage!09 so stay tuned for the launch of the website with all the specific details, special room rates, airline partners and more!

We look forward to seeing you in June and are thrilled to be hosting this expanded luxury wedding business summit in the beautiful Cayman Islands along with our presenting partner and long time client: The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism - we cannot wait to share this very unique and special tropical paradise with our friends in the wedding industry!!

Cayman Wedding Update and Business Symposium

2008-12-08T16:14:00.005-05:00

Kathryn and I are headed to Grand Cayman for the remainder of the week for strategy meetings with our long time client, The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism and to present a customized 1/2 day wedding business symposium to members of the wedding private sector!

We have also arranged for the Director of Research for The Knot to come down and present the latest market intelligence research and consumer insights related to the Destination Weddings and Honeymoons as well as to roll out a new custom program for on island partners.

We look forward to seeing all of our Cayman wedding industry friends - old and new - at the Westin Casuarina Resort from 9am-12noon on Thursday, 11 December! See you soon!

What a *big* week this is going to be...stay tuned!!!!!!!!

engage!08::the encore Highlight Video

2008-12-04T16:18:00.005-05:00

*If you wish to view in a larger format or this version loads too slowly click here for a faster version!*

Thank you to the amazingly talented Brett Culp of CVP Experience-- he captured the event and brought it to life! Enjoy!

Sneak Peek from Shanghai

2008-12-03T12:20:00.007-05:00

Here is sneak peek at just one of the {raw} selects from our hotel client photo shoot in Shanghai last week! This is in front of the amazing chandelier that spanned 3 floors from the lobby. The photographer, stylist and model are quite famous in Shanghai and it was very interesting working with them on this project.

Our research for this ongoing project indicates that the wedding business in China is still in the very early stages of growth - only about 10 years or so! Amazing if you think that there are close to 12 million weddings each year {compare that to the standard 2.4 million here in the U.S.}! There is so much opportunity for massive growth in this emerging nation especially so with the 'one child' policy in place in China - there is major focus by the parents and grandparents on hosting auspicious and lavish weddings.

We have learned {and continue to learn} so much about this exciting and interesting market and are honored that this client has placed so much trust in our international wedding expertise to continue to tap us as advisors on building out their entire Asia-Pacific wedding marketing initiatives. We will share the final outcomes in early 2009!

{click on photo to enlarge!}

Breaking Wedding Industry News: WeddingBeePro.com

2008-12-02T12:48:00.005-05:00

This just in - today marks the official launch of WeddingBeePro - in founder Bee Kim's own words:

I’m excited to announce the latest member of the Weddingbee blog family: a group blog by top wedding vendors!

Weddingbee PRO is a group blog about weddings, just like Weddingbee. But this blog will have real wedding *vendors*, blogging about weddings from the vendor side of the aisle. It’s the first group blog of its kind, and we couldn’t be more excited!

For all the scoop - including how you can be considered as a WeddingBeePro blogger - check out the site...congrats to Bee for yet another innovative approach to the wedding industry! Can't wait to follow it as it grows!

"Luxury Shame": NEWSWEEK

2008-12-01T23:50:00.003-05:00

I am back from my whirlwind trip to China and almost recovered from the massive change on time zones in a short period of time!! What an experience!!

In the meantime, I came across this very salient article from this week's NEWSWEEK that sheds light on what is most likely already affecting everyone in the wedding industry {or will be in the very near future!} - "Luxury Shame: Why even the very rich are cutting back on conspicuous consumption."

A 'must read' for anyone servicing the higher-end, luxury wedding market...would love to hear your real life experiences relative to this topic!

Live from Shanghai!

2008-11-24T22:28:00.004-05:00

Greetings from Shanghai! I am here this entire week advising on a major photo shoot for our International hotel brand client. This project is the culmination of months of intense planning and will support all wedding marketing initiatives including a new advertising campaign, marketing & sales collateral and new website designed for the Asia Pacific market.

We are collaborating with a Hong Hong based advertising agency, a Singapore based web agency and working with a reknowned Shanghai photographer to accomplish the goals set forth by our client.

I will be here all week and continue to be amazed by the opportunities that face us all in the global wedding industry - and how at the heart of things - no matter where we are - weddings are the same: a celebration of life, love, family and friends!

[Photo by the amazlingly talented Eric Larson and Jen Sens of Jensenlarson Photography]

Breaking Wedding Industry News: Colin Cowie named as new Host for GetMarried TV!

2008-11-18T03:55:00.004-05:00

In breaking wedding industry news...founder and President of GetMarried television Stacie Fancombe has just released [vie a Facebook update, no less!] that wedding design superstar Colin Cowie is the new host of GetMarried on Lifetime!

More details to follow for sure ...so be sure to stay tuned to GetMarried.com and their blog BloggerBrides for the latest!

Congratulations to Stacie and the entire GetMarried team for this HUGE and exciting news!!!!!

New Destination Wedding Insights

2008-11-13T13:52:00.006-05:00

Just out this week from Beverly Clark's Elite Wedding Collection is a new 'state of destination weddings' survey of their website visitors [brides!] providing valuable insight to top tier hotels and resorts that specialize in weddings and honeymoons.

You can read the survey in its entirety here.

Some interesting outcomes show that, so far, Destination Weddings are still very resilient but a noticeable shift from more exotic destinations such as Europe and cruising to locations closer to home like the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida.

Guest counts seem to be holding steady as 59% of couples plan on having 25+ guests join them for their wedding.

Publisher Jay Klanfer and the entire Elite Wedding Collection team do a great job of providing "qualified properties and wedding professionals a high impact, low cost marketing solution that will reach tens of thousands of affluent brides as they actively plan their wedding. The Elite turn-key program integrates print, web, eMarketing, trade show and social media to reach brides wherever and whenever they plan"

We have had a number of clients over the years participate with EWC and its sister sites WeddingLocation.com and HoneymoonLocation.com and all have been very happy with their targeted results. If you are in the destination wedding market or wish to grow that aspect of your business I recommend taking a look at their offerings!

Must view slideshow on Social Media

2008-11-12T16:07:00.003-05:00

What The F**K is Social Media?

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: socialmediamarketing marketing)

disclaimer: I do not condone the use of the language 'innuendo' and apologize to anyone who might be offended - but the message is powerful and worth sharing so I made the decision to post!!!

A few more engage!08 the encore posts

2008-11-12T14:11:00.003-05:00

Just when I think the *buzz* is dying down over engage!08::the encore - I am surprised by a google news alert notifying me of yet another blog post recapping the experience of another fabulous attendee! Here are some of the recent ones - thank you, thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for your kind words - we are so thrilled to read about your experiences:

Lara Casey's "MegaPost" on Southern Weddings Magazine

Traci Romano of Traci Romano Events

Amy Rubins of Fete Perfection Weddings & Events-Part 1

Amy Rubins of Fete Perfection Weddings & Events-Part 2

Loren Petrowski of I Do Monday Mornings

Stay tuned for exciting announcements SOON on engage!09...

Southern Weddings New Blogsite Launch!

2008-11-03T09:22:00.006-05:00

Congratulations to the girls over at Southern Weddings magazine on the much anticipated launch of their brand new blog-site!!! It is GORGEOUS...plan to get lost for hours in the amazing Real Southern Weddings, inspiring wedding details and so much more. Kudos to Editor in Chief Lara Casey and her smart team for putting together a daily MUST read for brides to be anyone in the luxury wedding business!

We are also honored to be included in the "Links We Love" section - and are thrilled to be among incredible company. If you are looking for a 'short list' of not to be missed wedding blogs - check it out!

Congratulations to Lara, Kristin, Lara and the entire Southern Weddings/Bliss team on this amazing accompishment - now, I am headed back to read more, more, more!

Blog Buzz for engage!08::the encore

2008-10-26T23:11:00.007-04:00

The reviews are in and we are so touched by the incredible response to engage!08::the encore! On Tuesday, October 14th an incredible group of {80} wedding industry professionals representing gathered at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes to meet, educate and inspire each other.

We are preparing a post with many of the highlighted responses and will post that shortly. In the meantime, take a look -{and a click through} - at some of the wedding bloggers who took the time to post about their experience at engage!08:: the encore:

Bee Kim at WeddingBee

Donna von Bruening of DVB Photo

Lara Casey and the Southern Weddings/Bliss gals

Emilie Sommers of emilie inc photographers

Liene Stevens of Blue Orchid Designs and The Smart Planner

Linyette Richardson Hall "The Wedding Diva"

Ali Phillips of Engaging Events by Ali

Isha Foss of Isha Foss Events Part 1

Isha Foss of Isha Foss Events Part 2

Isha Foss of Isha Foss Events Part 3

Kristy Rice of Momental Designs

Sharon Alexander of Sweet Sensations

If you attended and blogged and I have not listed your post here please let us know and I will update immediately!

And to those of you you took the time to craft these amazing posts - thank you - we are all just thrilled with your kind words and honored to have you join us for what was a VERY special 2 days!!!!

More soon...I promise!!!

[photo credit: an edited image of the gift bag from emilie sommers of emilie inc.]

NY Times: "How to Take a Cake Knife to Wedding Costs"

2008-10-25T08:42:00.004-04:00

This morning the New York Times has an insightful article that I am sure is just the tip of the iceberg of what we are about to start seeing in the media. Over the past few weeks I have have the privilege of spending quite a bit of time with top wedding professionals from many different regions and representing all aspects of the wedding industry and of course the topic of how the economy is going to affect weddings is high on the list of conversations. Some quotes from this article hit on a few key points that have been echoed by many so far and that we all need to be highly aware of:

Streamlining + Re prioritizing

"Even among families to whom a $50,000 to $100,000 wedding might not have seemed a reach earlier this year, some are now “reprioritizing,” said JoAnn Gregoli, owner of Elegant Occasions in Manhattan. “People are rethinking, downsizing, inviting fewer people and rethinking the décor,” she said, something she said she hasn’t seen before in her 20-year career. “In the last few weeks, calls are coming in saying, ‘Let’s streamline.’ ”

Appearing too "frivolous" or "over-the-top"

Even those who are not financially constrained may worry about appearances and think twice about mounting an extravagant wedding in hard times.

“Most successful men with daughters in their 20s set aside funds for the big day,” said Mr. Gruber, [a top NYC celebrity photographer]. “The money for her wedding is still there. Today it is a matter of perception: ‘Can I have the wedding I have always envisioned for my daughter, or is it insensitive to spend that kind of money right now?’ ”

Expectations of exceptional service

“We eliminated anyone who [we] called but didn’t say congratulations...”

Some quick takeaways are consistent with what we know about the wedding industry - weddings are 'recession-resistant' in that people will not CANCEL their weddings however, they will change their spending behaviors and make different decisions than they made even 6 months ago. Wedding industry professionals that are proactive in approaching this rapidly changing environment need to shift strategy immediately to be aware of the mindset of the consumer. Focus on providing value at every price point, make unsolicited recommendations to couples on how they can get the most return on their wedding investment, offer alternative pricing and flexible choices to help cut costs, and never assume that your part in the wedding will not be comprimised. It will increasingly be about re-prioritization and you do not want to be on the short end of that stick!

We will continue to monitor this very fluid situation and share insight and tips on how you can come out on top. We invite you to share your thoughts, ideas and observations on how the economy is affecting your wedding business in comments!

"Just Look on the Bride $ide: Ultra Lux Vows Defy Dow": NY Post

2008-10-23T08:22:00.003-04:00

I am headed off this morning to present to the Central Florida chapter of The Association of Bridal Consultants {ABC} and know that I am so very behind on the blog and promise a full recap from engage!08::the encore shortly!

In the meantime, I wanted to share this article in today's NY Post -an interesting quote from an attendee at last night's high-end bridal show "The Wedding Salon":

"It doesn't matter how the economy is doing as long as I can afford it. Who cares how Lehman Brothers are doing? It's one day of my life."

You can read the entire post here.

Much more to follow...so much to share!!!

Off to engage!08::the encore!

2008-10-13T08:41:00.004-04:00

Well, it is finally here and we are off to The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes for engage!08::the encore. We are thrilled that this second event has also sold out - with over {80} luxury wedding professionals joining us from over 20 states and 5 countries - amazing!!

We are so grateful for the commitment that these industry leaders {and some amazing sponsors!} have shown to this event {over 20% are returnees from the first engage in June!} and are looking forward to welcoming old friends and new for almost 2 days of inspiration, education, networking and insight.

Clearly, the economy will be a major topic of discussion throughout the event and we promise a recap of the event and some highlights of the program.

Follow along on Twitter as not only will we be updating along the way so will many of the attendees - should be interesting!

See you on the 'other side!'

{check out one of the amazing letterpress pieces above designed for engage!08::the encore by Bella Figura}

engage1to1 super session

2008-10-03T08:32:00.003-04:00

We are out of the office today conducting another exciting engage1to1 "super session" with an amazing wedding business out of Toronto! They have flown down to spend most of the day with us in a high-energy, intensive day of strategy, brainstorming and discussions on how they can take their already successful company to the next level!

Great times!

Breaking News: WeddingBee Sold!

2008-10-02T15:48:00.004-04:00

In huge wedding industry news - WeddingBee.com has been sold to eHarmony!

Owner and Founder Bee Kim made the announcement today on WeddingBee and explained the rationale behind the sale as well as addressed potential concerns of her very dedicated and wide-spread audience.

I have known Bee professionally and personally for the past few years and am just a huge, huge fan of her and all that she has done. I am thrilled for her and her husband {Mr. Bee} for the opportunity to sell, and for the way in which she had handled this and every other aspect of her business. She is one of our industry's leaders and was in my view, the first real wedding Blog in what has since become in incredibly crowded landscape. She is a class act and I admire her in every way. I have learned so much from her and respect her on many, many levels.

Attendees to engage!08: the encore will have a rare and unique opportunity to meet Bee in person and learn much more about her meteoric rise to wedding blogger success -- we can't wait!!!

Congrats Bee on a major accomplisment that most only dream about - you are an inspiration to us all!!!!!

Real Wedding at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman

2008-10-02T13:15:00.003-04:00

Lisa & Ian | Studio Nine Destinations from Studio Nine on Vimeo.

Lots to blog about in regards to our client The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism. We will start by sharing this gorgeous wedding highlight video of Lisa & Ian's wedding at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman shot by Jonathan Rubin and his team at Studio Nine Destinations. {If you watch closely during the video you will see that the amazing Randy Fenoli, Fashion Director of Kleinfeld helped the bride prepare to walk down the aisle!}.

I also know for a fact that one of the reasons that Lisa and Ian hired Studio Nine to document their entire wedding week extravaganza in Grand Cayman was their innovative approach to marketing their services with their "Is Now Soon Enough" advertising campaign in publications such as Grace Ormond's Wedding Style Magazine and their "INSTANT GRATIFICATION" promise which includes Video iPod Proofing delivered by end of event; Photo+Video Slideshow projected at Sunday brunch and DVD copies to both families to take home from wedding. They combine shooting HD video and fine art photography.

Theirs is an approach that speaks directly to today's techno-savvy bride and groom who seek {and demand} instant results and do not want to wait weeks {or more} for their edited wedding proofs and wedding video.

Take note - we are going to see more and more of this in the wedding industry and in this hyper-competitive environment, services such as these that combine quality, style and service will win again and again!

Fab Ad:: Trump Hotel Chicago Wedding

2008-09-29T15:53:00.004-04:00

Thanks to the amazing Traci Romano I spotted this really well done hotel wedding ad {these are relatively hard to come by} for Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago.

To see in full click on the image {this was as big as I could make it here on the blog} but the headline is: "YOUR EVER AFTER" and the body copy reads: "From our soaring, modern grand ballroom, to the glittering skyline, to the inventive cuisine and resounding service, let your vows take on a new view."

It is challenging for hotels/resorts/venues to cut through the clutter in wedding advertising and really make an impact. This ad accomplishes all that and more -- hitting on the key points that are important to a bride when choosing a wedding reception venue in the copy but with a dramatic visual to grab the attention of any reader. With food+beverage packages beginning from $220pp++ they have certainly set the tone for what one might expect at this luxury hotel in the heart of downtown Chicago. Kudos!

Kleinfeld comes to Minnesota

2008-09-28T18:23:00.003-04:00

Kleinfeld will leave NYC for the first time in its long and storied history - making its first stop in Minnesota for a trunk show hosted by Fashion Director, Randy Fenoli {who has been featured on this season of "Say Yes to the Dress" }.

What a special treat for brides-to-be in the midwest - Randy is just the BEST and I have heard great things about the new Alita Graham line designed by Kleinfeld.

We are also thrilled to confirm that Randy will be joining us in a few weeks to attend engage!08::the encore along with an amazing group of luxury wedding professionals from all over the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. A few spots still remain, so if you are able to join us - plan to!

2008 Caribbean Week: Canada

2008-09-23T22:34:00.003-04:00

I am in Toronto where tomorrow I will give a presentation on Destination Weddings as part of the 2008 Caribbean Week for the Caribbean Tourism Organization [CTO] sponsored by The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.

I have quite the "blog backlog" going on and the hope is that by next week I will be able to resume a more consistent posting schedule. A girl can dream-right? Until then, follow along on Twitter because that is being updated a few times per day!

The Wedding Book: Mindy Weiss & Lisbeth Levine

2008-09-12T10:46:00.004-04:00

A little while back I was delighted to receive a package in the mail containing Mindy Weiss's new Book "The Wedding Book" with a note from her co-writer Lisbeth Levine {who is also a contributing writer for InStyle and InStyle Weddings} saying:

"Rebecca - The book was a long time coming, but it's finally seen the light of day! Thanks so much for your help on destination weddings -- your expertise made those sections richer. By the way, I love your blog -- it's full of great wedding industry info!" Best - Lisbeth

She then cited a number of places throughout the book that included mentions of our long-time client The Cayman Islands and even a shout out to us in the Acknowledgements section! Really fun!

I had the pleasure of spending a long weekend with Lisbeth in Grand Cayman a few years ago as I hosted her and a number of other wedding editors for a media trip. She was working on the book with Mindy at that time - so it just shows how intense the process is to get a book project to market! {It is a mind-blowing, amazingly comprehensive 485-pages!!}

Thank you Lisbeth and congratulations to you and Mindy on an incredible accomplishment - this book is a 'must read' for any bride-to-be!!

HARO: Help a Reporter Out

2008-09-11T21:41:00.007-04:00

One of the biggest requests we get at Engaging Concepts from independent wedding professionals is for guidance/assistance with Public Relations efforts. Of course, that is a major reason why we have included a PR panel in the next engage symposium but in the past week I have spent some time evaluating and observing the innovative HARO "Help a Reporter Out" concept by PR guru Peter Shankman.

Based on what I have seen come across my desk a few times each day - I am convinced that it is something worth sharing with industry colleagues as a valuable resource for potential, targeted media exposure. You can read all about it and sign up for FREE by visiting the HARO site - and be sure that you review and understand the ground rules - there are some pretty major consequences if you do not - all of them very fair and understandable.

Basically, once you sign up you will receive an email a few times a day outlining a large variety of news outlets/TV/blogs/freelancers seeking specific interview topics or sources. You can quickly scan these and see if there is anything that may fit your particular business or personal niche and respond as directed.

Certainly worth a test to see if it provides any opportunities - I noticed a number of requests that easily could be fulfilled by readers of this blog and wedding industry colleagues.

And by the way...check out his explanation of why he offers this totally FREE...it is a perfect example of the Law of Reciprocity -- love it!

If you do sign up -- let me what you think!

77 Secrets for Greening the Wedding Industry DVD

2008-09-11T20:08:00.001-04:00

Susan Southerland of Just Marry! has done it again!

Fresh of her successful launch of her first DVD for brides "Wedding Planning Secrets" - she has created "77 Secrets for GREENING the wedding industry" specifically for wedding industry professionals. Available on Amazon and from the Just Marry website and perfectly priced at $29.95 - it is a must addition to any wedding industry pros resource library!

We are looking forward to having Susan join us at engage in October and congratulate her on this latest venture!

MUSE: Wedding Inspiration

2008-09-09T08:35:00.008-04:00

Today's inbox included a release about MUSE - a new wedding social networking community for 'like minded' to-be-weds. In their words:

What is Muse? Muse is your source of (Wedding) Inspiration.

The Wedding World is Changing

For your wedding, you need more originality and less replication. You need ideas that are practical and created by real people. You need classy mixed with cool. You need simple, quick and easy. You need one place online that forgets about everyone else and instead focuses on just you and your wedding. You need Muse.

Muse connects you to your wedding who, what, where and how. It's a social community of vibrant people that share wedding experiences.

On Muse you can...

Find and share different ideas with people similar to you
Plan every detail for every wedding related function
Connect and Collaborate with your friends, guests and wedding people

One to watch! Let me know if any of your brides and grooms are using MUSE and what you here back from them...

Blog Find: Beach House Bride

2008-09-05T19:44:00.003-04:00

oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh I just got lost in the dreamy blog Beach House Bride from the owners of Tulle - the amazing bridal boutique on Martha's Vineyard {check out their "inspiration lounge" concept - fab}. So lovely and chic!

Brings back very fond memories of some time spent on the Vineyard back in college - visiting my great friends who spent every summer there working during school...those were the best of times and life seemed so much simpler then!

Enjoy and happy weekend!

Brides and Grooms: Totally Connected

2008-09-03T10:36:00.004-04:00

In the 'strange but true' category and further proof that brides and grooms are eternally connected in every way - offline and on - check out Seattle-based designer Jana Brevick's Jacked—Cat 5 Compliant Wedding Set: "A wedding set for the unconventional! The female ring has a choice of four opaque colors: turquoise, white, orange or black. The male ring stands tall and dramatically transparent. The world is your technological oyster.”

These rings are sold out. Believe it.

Speaking Engagement: Caribbean Travel Conference | Toronto

2008-09-02T16:34:00.003-04:00

I am looking forward to speaking at the upcoming Caribbean Travel Conference in Toronto, Canada on September 24, 2008 presented by the Caribbean Travel Organization [CTO] - the Caribbean's official tourism development agency.

Directed to travel industry professionals, I will address the state of millennial matrimony, the changing face of today’s destination bride and groom, tips on romancing the wedding market, key insights into how couples decide on wedding and honeymoon destinations and tips on leveraging new media to reach these consumers.

My session is presented by The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, whom we have been providing romance strategy consulting services as part of their professional agency team since early 2004. View my full profile on the official CTO Canada site here and more details on the conference here.

Looking forward to my trip and to making more industry friends in Canada!

Facebook for Wedding Professionals

2008-08-28T21:34:00.001-04:00

After a self-imposed blogging break to focus on completing a major client project and presentation I am back! Amazing how guilty I was feeling about neglecting the blog - I have been Twittering away but the alternative focus on anything other than our looming deadline was just not possible

Besides Twitter, I have been quite into Facebook over the summer -- and now I admit I totally get all the hype and am enjoying it on many levels - business and personal!

In addition to growing my 'friends' network both professionally and re-connecting with long lost friends from childhood, high school, college and beyond, I have started a group on Facebook called "Luxury Wedding Professionals" that is already 175 members strong - membership is open and I invite you to join an eclectic group of industry pros from as far away as Paris, Singapore, Canada, the Caribbean and all over the U.S! We would love to have you join the group by clicking here.

If you are not quite convinced of the benefit of FaceBook for business - check out today's blog post by Mari Smith - called "The Pied Piper of Facebook" by Fast Company Magazine. Her post is called "10 Reasons to Use Facebook for Business" and is a quick read that sums up the reasons to at least make the attempt to get in the game.

Like all of this social media coming at us at such dizzying speeds - I am convinced that the ONLY way you can begin to understand it is to jump in and learn along the way - and the sooner you adapt and try to 'get it' the better - but never feel like it is too late!

Looking forward to connecting to you on Facebook!

Announcing: engage!08: the encore

2008-08-13T12:01:00.001-04:00

Following a SOLD OUT event in June 2008 with 85 luxury wedding professionals attending from 17 states and 5 countries, we are thrilled to present engage!08: the encore.

Set for October 14th, 2008 at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes this high-impact b2b luxury wedding business symposium will include appearances by The Knot founders Carley Roney & David Liu, cake diva Sylvia Weinstock, WeddingBee founder Bee Kim, CBS The Early Show producer Jill Meister, Sean Low-President of Preston Bailey Designs and wedding PR guru Eda Kalkay and will include discussions on:

Building a global wedding brand
Diversifying your business
Targeting [and managing!] the affluent bride and groom
Insights into the mindset of millennial matrimony
Blogging and leveraging new media
'Romancing' the bridal and lifestyle media
Turning your passion into profit

Real, honest and interactive including an "Inside the Wedding Studio" style Q & A session with Carley & David on building the most powerful wedding brand in North America while balancing it all as a husband and wife team and parents of 3 young children!

A candid discussion with wedding cake diva Sylvia Weinstock, fresh off the set of hot show "Gossip Girl" will 'dish' on starting her company at age 50, going global, and the real story behind those signature glasses!

President of Preston Bailey Designs, Sean Low, the business mastermind behind one of the most successful global wedding names in the world will share specific strategies on how to take your wedding business to the next level, elevating your level of clientele - and getting paid what you are really worth {and beyond!}.

Special guest speaker, Simon T. Bailey is back by overwhelming demand. Internationally reknowned author of "Release Your Brilliance" will lead an inspiring and motivating session guaranteed to examine your potential, insight, genius, innovation and ideas - just waiting to be released. Truly transformational!

Plus:

"Queen Bee" herself, Bee Kim, founder and editor of ground-breaking wedding blogWeddingBee will share her story on her meteoric rise from bride-blogger to wedding industry innovator and include tips on blogging for your business, how to find your authentic blogging 'voice,' developing an audience, what vendors need to understand, getting featured on other blogs and the real deal on monetizing what you have created.

CBS The Early Show lifestyle, entertainment and weddings producer Jill Meister will share the inside scoop of working with mainstream media, TV pitches that cut through the clutter, what makes a compelling wedding television segment and how to position yourself as a repeat guest.

Celebrity publicist Eda Kalkay {David Tutera, Emeril Lagasse, GetMarried, The Marings and more} will provide secrets to creating authentic *buzz* to get the attention of bridal and lifestyle media and how to make PR really pay.

Not to mention an incredible opportunity to network and 'engage' with the who's who of the luxury wedding industry!

Visit the engage!08 website for more details on the event and to register today - space is limited by design to maintain an intimate experience - this event is not to be missed!

Out of the {Wedding} Box Thinking...

2008-08-07T18:18:00.005-04:00

Love, Love, Love what amazing wedding photographers 5ive15ifteen out of Toronto offer - not just the standard "engagement/rehearsal dinner/wedding/day after" coverage options but something truly out of the {wedding} box: a dress fitting session!

The importance and significance of finding 'the dress' is near the very top of most girls wedding planning dreams...what a fabulous way to document these precious moments forever.

I encourage bridal retailers, wedding planners and photographers alike to partner on creating unique {and affordable} value-added 'dress fitting' photo documentation. If you do - share some of the results - I would love to blog them!

Kudos to the team at 5ive15ifteen for conceiving of this idea and merchandising it in such a great fashion!

Bridal Media News

2008-08-05T22:05:00.005-04:00

From the inbox: The always amazing Pacific Weddings Magazine has redesigned their website:

And, the gorgeous Your Wedding Day Magazine has gone national and can be found in bookstores across the country. Be sure to pick up a copy of the latest issue - yummy!
Enjoy!

A personal touch

2008-07-28T17:09:00.003-04:00

You might have noticed I have added a little 'personal' touch to the blog this week - after wondering how some of my favorite bloggers had their own signature at the end of each post - I finally took 2 seconds and googled "personal signature on a blog" and waalaa - in a matter of a few more seconds had created this:

Not too bad! MyLiveSignature allows you to create a unique custom signature for your blog, website or html email for free. I might play around a bit to create a few alternatives but all in all it works for me! From google to finish it took me no more than 4 minutes and it appeared on the blog.

If there are other sites out there that you have found that offer similar services - please share!

It truly is the little things...

Twitter me This...

2008-07-28T12:12:00.001-04:00

For the past few months I have been totally into Twittering.

I have a bunch of new friends on there - not really many old friends or really many that I know in person {in fact, I think I can count on ONE hand how many people I am following or are following me I have ever met in person!!}. But it has been fascinating and I admit it - totally addicting!

Twitter has received lots of press lately - including a feature article in the business section of USA Today last week. At first I thought it completely ridiculous and not something 'for me' -- but then again - I thought the same thing about blogging, IM'ing, texting, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and the list goes on and on.

I have expanded my wedding industry network exponentially in the past few weeks alone - it is amazing. The best way to understand it is to just DO it - just jump on in and start. You will find your 'voice' over time and trust me, you will soon 'get it' just like the millions of others who are 'tweeting' away to their own special and unique worldwide audience of new 'friends.' It is a form of super-networking - and it really works.

For my fellow wedding bloggers - there is a great article over on ProBlogger called "The Benefits of Twitter for Bloggers" that is super helpful - be sure to check it out.

Oh - and be sure to come along and "follow me" on my life's adventures and I promise to add to you my growing list of people I am following!!

Happy Tweeting!

BloggerBrides.com

2008-07-27T21:02:00.004-04:00

Congrats to Stacie Francombe, Harmony Walton and the entire GetMarried team for the launch of BloggerBrides.com - a brand new community of 'real bride bloggers' and 'star bloggers' who will be adding fresh and exciting content to the site daily!

I have added it to my exploding list of must-read wedding blogs and look forward to the valuable insight to be gained from all perspectives!

Color Forecast 2008: Pantone Fashion Color Report

2008-07-26T00:59:00.004-04:00

Be sure to download the free {and fab!} pantone fashion color report fall 2008

pdf for insight into the hot colors for fall and beyond - including rich purple which we have been seeing increasingly crop up on brides and planners inspiration boards for the past few months.

No matter your role in the wedding - you need to be aware and on top of wedding color palettes as they are one of the most important, unifying elements of a wedding event.

Bottom line, if it is important to your brides - it needs to be important to you!!!

{thanks to weddingbee for sharing the pantone link!}

New Program: engage1to1

2008-07-17T10:20:00.005-04:00

We are thrilled to {finally!} announce a new program being offered by Engaging Concepts based on overwhelming demand from wedding professionals for one-on- one consulting.

On a limited availability basis, we are pleased to offer engage1to1: high-impact wedding marketing and strategy consulting sessions designed for those wedding professionals looking to elevate and further define their successful businesses. engage1to1's will be offered as a one-hour phone consultation with check-in/follow up calls as needed or, more in-depth 1/2 day 'super sessions' here in Celebration.

For all the scoop and the full information piece please email Kathryn at engage@engagingconcepts.com or call the office at 407.566.228

Thank you to all of you who have inquired about our services in the past and waited patiently while we developed and refined a concept that works within our unique business model!

TIME: "Downsizing Your Wedding"

2008-07-15T22:50:00.002-04:00

Somehow in the mania that was May, I missed the article in TIME Magazine called "Downsizing Your Wedding." Click here to check it out.

In any case - it is well worth the quick read by anyone in the wedding industry. As we all know, even traditionally recession-proof weddings are feeling the pinch in many ways - not so much in the actual cancelling of events, but rather the scrutiny over each and every aspect that impacts the wedding budget.

Ensuring that you are providing real value in helping your wedding couples get the most for their money and demonstrating that the service or product that you provide is worthy of what you are asking has never been more critical.

This is the time to 'overdeliver' at every opportunity.

Cute Video-Clever Marketing

2008-07-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

Enjoy this cute and clever wedding marketing film created by our friends over at The Dessy Group about the history and significance of Bridesmaids. So fun! They have also launched a companion website at BridesMaidsGuide.com where it can be seen. It is only about a minute long but quite well done and effective!

Dessy.com: Bridesmaid Dresses
| Wedding Dresses | Flower Girl Dresses

WaterColor Days...

2008-07-14T13:42:00.003-04:00

Just back from an incredible vacation to one of my favorite places in the world: WaterColor, Florida on the Emerald Coast! We stayed in an AMAZING beach house {one of the previous houses we stayed in is featured in the current issue of Coastal Living Magazine!} and enjoyed lazy days on the sugar white sand by the crystal clear gulf waters, fresh seafood, jazz concerts on the great lawn at Seaside, sunsets, cocktails and best of all cherished time re-connecting and relaxing with family and friends. It was perfect.

The weddings held on the Emerald Coast are simply spectacular and I love keeping up with them via the blogs of two amazing photographers based in the area: Paul Johnson and Genya Garrett. Enjoy!

And now, back to work...

Photo above: PaulJohnsonPhoto

Summer Holiday!

2008-07-03T17:00:00.000-04:00

The blog will be quiet for the next week or so while we take our much anticipated {and needed} summer holiday! Our offices will be closed until the 14th when we will return renewed, refreshed and ready to take on the second half of 2008! Happy Summer

"Down the Aisle": Innovative Bridal Event

2008-07-03T11:37:00.005-04:00

Best of luck to the talented and innovative Lisa Konecny of Orlando based e-events and the wonderful Kristy Chenell of the new Ritz-Carlton Denver for their upcoming "Down the Aisle" event on July 9th. {Click on the image to enlarge for more details}

Lisa and Kristy hosted the first event here in Orlando at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes last year to RAVE reviews and results and have since 'taken the show on the road' to Kristy's new location in Colorado.

I love when great wedding industry minds come together to raise the bar on traditional {and let's face it - often uninspired} bridal events! Kudos to both of them. It has been so fun to follow Kristy's rise to success in her field since her days at Disney Weddings and the Ritz-Carlton here - she is truly talented and Lisa is a newer industry friend that I am so excited to be getting know more!

"Bandit Brides Target Event Pros": From Special Events Magazine

2008-07-02T16:10:00.003-04:00

This just in from Special Events Magazine:

"Bandit Brides Target Event Pros"

Bogus brides continue to prey on event pros with cashier's check scams. Special Events learned last week of a veteran Midwest event planner who was duped out of nearly $4,000 by a phony bride. The scam followed the typical pattern: The out-of-town "bride," who said she wanted to wed in the planner's city, sends the planner a cashier's check. The check represents an overpayment, and the planner is instructed to deposit the check and wire the excess funds to the "band." But the cashier's check turns out to be a fraud, and the planner is ... For more, click here.

Are the "Sex And The City" Girls Part of the Coming Luxury Drought?"

2008-06-27T11:00:00.003-04:00

Excerpted from Luxury Market Expert and Trend Watcher Pamela Danziger's Luxury Business Newsletter:

Luxury Marketers Need New Approaches to Entice a Resistant Affluent Consumer

"In the movie {"Sex And The City"} many of Carrie's choices are driven by meaning and emotion, rather than indulgence and self-gratification. Pamela Danziger explains, Carrie finds that luxury purchases are only worthwhile when they have a deep personal meaning. Carrie buys a Louis Vuitton handbag not for herself, but for her personal assistant who taught her to never give up on love, and she finds that a penthouse apartment or a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Mexico are only as memorable as the people she is with.

Even Carrie's wedding to Mr. Big, surely an excuse to go all-out in a celebration of the right couture in the right venue, was all wrong when it was a tribute to labels wrapped up in a Vivienne Westwood gown, but wonderful when it was a tribute to love in a vintage suit punctuated by Carrie's signature Manolos. Carrie still loves style, but she learns that it isn't as important to her as the people around her.

When Sex And The City first appeared on television, it set off a tidal wave of luxury awareness, with consumers from Manhattan to Minot copying Carrie's choice of shoe, handbag, and beverage. If the movie has the same effect, Carrie's new-found emphasis on love over label will resonate with the luxury consumer, and marketers will need to work harder to communicate why their products offer both style and substance."

~~~~~~~~~

Kathryn and I had the amazing opportunity to hear Pamela Danziger speak here in Celebration when she presented Luxury market insights, behaviors and trends to a very small group of marketers working with the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism last fall. She is the author of a number of luxury marketing books, including "Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing to the Masses and the Classes." Her weekly newsletter is a must read for us as we continually strive to gain insights and learnings in marketing and selling to the luxury wedding consumer on behalf of our clients. Check out her website for her latest research findings, free articles and information on her webinars and books.

Wedding Recession? 15 Things You Should be Doing Now Webinar

2008-06-26T17:36:00.006-04:00

I was honored to be asked to be one of 15 wedding industry pros to contribute to the recent Webinar hosted by Alan Berg, VP of Local Strategic Solutions and Director of The Knot Market Intelligence last night.

The best part {besides that fact that it was FREE} is that it is available for download to anyone who wishes to get some tips on surviving the current economic downturn and how it may potentially affect your wedding business.

Here were my contributions as sent to Alan a few months ago:

-Pat yourself on the back and take comfort...you picked the RIGHT industry! Yes that is right – while everything about the wedding industry is not perfect [who needs weekends anyway??] there is one major benefit to targeting the bride and groom: weddings are recession-proof. While people may cut back on spending in all other facets of their lives – they rarely cancel their wedding or honeymoon due to economic hard times. Revel in this fact.

-Focus on service. While it is a well documented and rarely disputed fact that weddings are recession-proof, spending on various wedding elements can be susceptible to market conditions. The best way to combat this is to be sure that YOUR piece of the overall wedding spend is protected. Continue to add value to your clients and the most effective [and appreciated] way to do that is to up your level of service at each and every touch point. Go back to square one and be sure that everyone in your organization buys into providing exceptional guest service each and every day. This is non-negotiable if you want to remain competitive in today’s marketplace.

-Be Brilliant at the Basics. Take a day or even an afternoon with you entire team and dedicate it to focusing on your core business. What is it that you provide to the bride and groom and what value does it bring to their wedding event. Ask yourselves what it is that sets you apart from others that provide the same service. Challenge each other to see if you are really offering the very best you can offer for the prices you charge. Can you add any additional value without raising costs? Can you cut costs without sacrificing service? Brainstorm ways in which you can raise the bar for your clients and be sure you are being brilliant at the basics first and foremost.

-Be relevant. Now is the time to update your website/blogs/advertising/collateral etc. to ensure that you are telling the best and most compelling story about your business possible. How relevant are you to today’s [and tomorrow’s!] bride and groom? Fresh, exciting news, images, offerings, and experiences resonate with the increasingly sophisticated consumer.

-Be proactive and BOLD. Do not try to ‘save your way’ through the tough economic times. The opportunity to establish market leadership is now – when others tend to be gun shy about investing in growing their business via capital investments, new staff and marketing. If you are willing to be bold in your approach when others are sitting back and waiting it out on the sidelines, you have a distinct advantage in taking precious market share. Go for it!

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