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

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!

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

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

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"

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

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

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!

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

{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

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"

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

engage! in print

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

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

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

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

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"

engage1to1 "Super Sessions" with Sean Low

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

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"

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

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!

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!

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!

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!!!

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

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

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

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:

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

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

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

*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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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"

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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"

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

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...

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!

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

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

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. 

Photo by iStockphoto.com/ © Eduardo Jose Bernardino; art direction by Adrienne Grace

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

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

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!

Click here to download the full 1-hour, free Webinar, courtesy of The Knot's Market Intelligence division.

USA TODAY: "Hollywood Lives Happily Ever After"

Pick up a copy of today's "USA TODAY" for a cover story {Life section} on Hollywood's never-ending fascination with weddings! I once heard a stat that every movie with the word "wedding" in the title has grossed over the $100 million mark...no surprise to any of us in the wedding industry!

An excerpt from the feature to illustrate the point:

"Let's start at the newsstands, groaning with the 10-pound bridal magazines likely to reap some profits from Hollywood's marital bliss. It's a two-way street: The audience influences the movies, the movies influence the audience. (Antonia) Van der Meer says brides are so impressed by what they see at the movies that she predicts Mamma Mia! will send scores to the Greek islands next year for destination weddings.

At a recent early screening of the frothy musical, there was an audible gasp from the audience when the screen filled with a stunning panoramic shot of a Greek chapel perched on a craggy hill overlooking the sea, with a winding stone staircase lined with candles.

"We're all complete suckers for a wedding in real life. If you see a bride on the street, she's always surrounded by a crowd of complete strangers attracted to her," van der Meer says. "We're hard-wired to love a bride."

Hollywood, being Hollywood, is expert at recycling whatever is cool and hip at the moment. In this calculus, van der Meer says, weddings have more enduring power as a cool, hip topic than pregnancy..."

You can also click here to read the article in it's entirety including a fun round-up of recent wedding related movies as well as some on the horizon called "Going to the Movies and They're Gonna Get Married."

Any and all attention to weddings in movies, television and celebrity culture is, for those of us in the wedding industry,...a "Good Thing!" It is also one of the biggest predictors of future trends...so being aware of what is out there is of paramount importance {don't you just love that watching all of this counts as 'research' - definitely one of the perks of the job!!!!'}.

Price::Value

Lots of discussion lately surrounding pricing for anything and everything wedding-related {or wedding media-related for those of you on the ad/publishing side!}.  This quick observation from guru Seth Godin says it perfectly:

"Your customers may scream that you need to lower your price.

It's not true.

You need to increase your value. If people don't want to pay, it's because you're not delivering enough value for the money you're charging.

You're not selling a commodity unless you want to."

I encourage you to take a hard look at the VALUE of what you are offering...and increase it as much as you possibly can.  Also, be sure you are effectively sharing the VALUE of the services you already provide - remember, this is only the couples first (or second...) time they have planned a wedding - do not assume they fully understand what it takes to pull it off. Find the fine line between telling them everything it takes to do your job and sharing the important points of what you do and what sets you apart - and always remember to tell them 'what it means to THEM/how it helps THEM.'

When people sense they are getting  true value out of anything, they are satisfied, thrilled and naturally become your biggest advocates/brand evangelists - spreading the word to all they encounter.  And that is...priceless.

If you do not already read Seth's blog - click on over NOW to add it to your RSS feeder!!!

Illustration: Gayle Wheatley for Southern Bride Magazine

Getting it Right: Weddings Unique

Congrats to long-time industry friend, based here in Winter Park, Florida, Heather Snively of Weddings Unique on her recent wedding of Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough featured in the current issue of In Style Weddings!  

I love the custom designed email [see above - click on it to see image larger] sent out to her past, current and future brides and industry friends - a perfect example of how to share exciting news and drive awareness to a major achievement while promoting a new blog and website in the process!

Great job Heather - it was wonderful to have you join us at engage!08!!

A fun marketing exercise

Videographer-extraordinaire Brett Culp of CVP Video shared this very fun tool - and of course I had to play around with it - I just love a fun and interactive web-tool as much as the next person!  Check out WORDLE - a free 'word cloud' generator using your own text with oodles of layouts, fonts and color palettes to tell your story! 

I found it to be a creative exercise in helping to further clarify and define the Engaging Concepts brand.

If you make one for yourself - be sure to share - I want to see them!

"Blog Love" for engage!08 continues...

HUGE thanks to both Harmony Walton of Get Married and The Bridal Bar and Liene Stevens of Blue Orchid Designs for their wonderful blog recaps of engage!08 - we are just totally overwhelmed with appreciation and excitement from all who joined us. They each were speakers at this first event and received rave reviews from attendees for their valuable insights.

Click here to read Liene's part #1 recap and here to read part #2 and then here for part #3!

And click here to read Harmony's recap!

There are even more links to all the amazing attendees who have been so kind to share their experiences via their Blogs over on the engage!08 official Blog - so if you are interested in other perspectives and impressions - check it out.

We hear you - and are determining when the next one will be - sooner rather than later we promise!!!!

Special thanks to attendee Darice Michelle for all the incredible pictures - check out her comprehensive blog post jam packed with images from the event!!

Tulla Belles

You simply must check out TullaBelles - a brand new website from the most delightful woman, Cindy Folak!  I have known Cindy for many years - she is the super fun and fabulous mother of my dear friend Heidi Folak-Pickert of Disney wedding fame. She recently launched the website of her personal shopping service Tulla Belles - of which I am addicted!  Cindy worked closely with us as we designed the gift bags for engage!08 - we knew we wanted to weave the branding throughout the day and shower of attendees with lots of great take home goodies - just as Cindy's tagline says: "posh presents, trendy treats and gifts galore!"

We also had her create custom aprons for our staff to wear during set up and registration [see above] with engage! embroidered on the sash.  A HUGE hit and with custom fabric combinations in the hundreds a perfect way to incorporate professional but playful and fun brand recognition to wedding-day staff during set up and tear down for wedding professionals in almost all capacities - wedding planners, designers, florists, cake designers, catering professionals, installation teams and the list goes on! Much more fun and eye-catching than logo t-shirts or boring black ensembles!  They all have hidden pockets and one version is waterproof for the messier jobs/set-ups!

Tulla Belles is my official 'go to' source for all professional and personal gifting - so much so we jokingly call it "Tulla Becca's" as I spend so much with them! :)

The web presence is just the tip of the iceburg - so check it out but be sure to contact them for additional ideas - they specialize in custom designing or sourcing just about anything you can dream up!

Highest Original Wedding Show Season Premiere EVER!

WOW.  Now that says alot to us all...

The Wedding Planner's Wardrobe | Marcy Blum in NY Observer

GREAT profile on Marcy Blum in the New York Observer - a fun read! Those of you who have met Marcy in person will appreciate this all the more - she is one-of-a-kind! Love her - enjoy:

Name: Marcy Blum

Age: “Early fifties.”

Occupation: Longtime event planner who has staged the nuptials of actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick; authors Padma Lakshmi and Salman Rushdie; and Mr. and Mrs. Billy Joel. “I go to Japan and give seminars to party planners, who are just figuring out that it’s a business. And the first time I went, I said, ‘I’m sure you invited me here because you wanted to hear from the quintessential JAP,’ but my interpreter refused to translate it. He didn’t find that funny.”

Work uniform: Evening dresses from high-end houses’ secondary lines, like See by Chloe or Vera Wang Lavender Label. “Because I run around and I dump food and wine and things on it.”

Boffo bargain: A pink linen dress with white flowers and black velvet sash, possibly a Dior, that she wore to an editors’ luncheon at the Norwood. “I found it at the flea market in Paris. It was one of those things where I said, ‘If I don’t breathe for the rest of the day this actually fits perfectly.’”

Little black dress: A black, sequin-sleeved number she wore for adman Donny Deutsch’s 50th birthday party in December at Lincoln Center, featuring the Pussycat Dolls. “I had to put leggings on because otherwise when I bent over … ”

Little white dress: An A-line from Barneys that almost got her barred from P. Diddy’s famous “white party” last year; the sentry protested that it was cream. “I said, ‘I’m sorry, you’re kidding, right? It’s the whitest dress I’ve ever worn in my life except when I got married!’” She had arrived with Katie Lee Joel, who hadn’t wanted to come—“I insisted, I stomped my feet”—and who offered to go change out of her off-white dress if Ms. Blum could go inside. The ploy worked:“I wound up at three in the morning talking to all these women, a ll these people who were there who knew his mother and who knew him before he was born. We had a great time.”

Big black dress: Michael Kors black silk crepe floor-length wraparound gown that she wore to the Rainforest Alliance Benefit in May. “People stopped me in the street all evening, like ‘Where’d you get that dress?’ Which is amazing because my boyfriend”—veterinary nurse Destin Coleman—“hates it with a passion. Every time I put it on, he says, ‘What’s all the foof-foof-foof?’”

Footwear philosophy: Louboutin and Lanvin. “I have taxi shoes, and I have subway shoes.”

Shopping philosophy: “Very expensive for me means over $1,000. I’m not like ‘Omigod, I can’t wear that because it was last season.’ I have things from 30 seasons ago. I’m not a socialite or a fashionista in that way, I just like nice clothing, so I really don’t care.”

*Magic*

It was Magic. That is the best word that I can use to describe what the premiere of engage!08 was last week.  And while we are blown away at the rave reviews pouring in from attendees far and wide - the credit really goes to each and every speaker and attendee who came to the event with their hearts and minds fully engaged to participate, network, learn, share and grow their wedding business.

Many have blogged about their experience and we thank them profusely and invite you to visit their [linked] posts  to read about their impressions and see photos from the event: Shelby O'Connell of SO Chic Events; Liene Stevens of The Smart Planner; Christine Boulton on the Wedding Dish; Savannah Cake Designer extraordinaire Minette Rushing; Laura Marcusse on AdornBrides; Erin Poticny of Casa Monica Hotel and more to follow!

We also wanted to share a FEW of the heartfelt comments sent our way following the event:

“You produced a professional event with tremendous following and you delivered! The best part of the day was the networking opportunity!  Wow, what a great room of industry pros.  I met several people I will definitely keep in contact with!    It was awesome, high-impact, and relevant to just about everyone in the room. You left me wanting more….much more!”   --Warren Dietel, Owner/CEO of Puff ‘n Stuff Catering

“Home run!!!  I'm engaged!!” --  Ed Culp, The CVP Experience

“You have no idea how wonderful and timely the event was for me.  It was really enriching both personally and professionally.  I learn so much from the both of you that I cannot begin to thank you enough. I made so many great contacts and have not ever had a such a successful networking experience.” --Nicole Cozier, Director of Catering, Celebration Hotel

“THANKS FOR AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE!  My head is still spinning, with the amount of information, ideas, knowledge and networking that happened at Engage!08.  I am at a loss for words to truly express how incredible, uplifting and extraordinarily ‘WOW!’, Engage!08 was! It was far beyond my high expectations and I am sure all of the attendees will agree with me.  Never have I attended a conference, symposium, trade show, whatever you want to call it, (and I have been attending them for over 15 years) and come away feeling like I did.” -- JoAnne Brown, Owner/President Celebrations Ltd. Grand Cayman

“Thank you again for producing this incredible event. It was such a phenomenal day to be inspired, connect with wedding industry professionals and network. I especially loved the adorable touches such as the well-branded gift bags and your apron!! You need not conduct a topic on the power of branding when the entire day was an example!!” --  Lisa Aballo – National Director of Marketing, The Knot and WeddingChannel

“Wow. My head is still spinning from this week! What an amazing event. This was by far the most inspirational, information, interesting, engaging, invigorating...event I've been to (in any industry!)! The size and quality of attendees and speakers was a huge plus. I felt like I could learn and connect with everyone there.” -- Laura Marcusse; Vice President & Director of Marketing ADORN Brides

“The event was SO incredible and you are so, so, so inspiring to all of us that is was clearly a big hit!” --  Harmony Walton, Editorial Director Get Married TV and owner of The Bridal Bar

“All I can say is WOW! Your magic touch was evident by the synergy in the room;  you put together a network of fabulous people. Thank you for allowing me to be part of Engage!08; it was truly amazing!!!” -- Dianna Fletcher. Publicist, Fletcher Media

"...What I experienced that day [at engage!08] was probably one of the most memorable days of my life so far (other than the birth of my children of course). It was a day filled with networking and amazing speakers, and when I say amazing, I mean some of the best in this industry. To say I’m inspired is an understatement." -- Shelby O'Connell, Owner, So Chic Events

“It was a pure pleasure to have attended Engage 08!!  I found the event to be a great motivator...Every aspect of the event was fabulous and I applaud all your hard work. Word will definitely get out that the event was valuable and fun. I’m sure you can expect the next one to be bigger and better!” -- Sue Gilman, Publisher Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine and Caribbean Travel & Life

“Engage!08 was fantastic!  What a great opportunity to meet new contacts and learn new things.  I am completely blog-challenged, so it was great to learn about what is out there.  (I’m very 21st century now)  It was a pleasure to hear the stories and insights from Preston and Marcy and I LOVED Simon Bailey.   Thank you again for including me in the premiere event!” -- Cynthia Boyette, Director of Catering Sales, Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for a fabulous conference!!! It was exactly what I needed to take me to the next level, personally and in my business. I didn't want to leave, I just wanted to continue soaking up all the great information that was being shared!!” --  Renee Maddison, National Marketing Director/Simplicity Gourmet

“Terrific conference! I can't wait til the next one!” -- Elisa Delagardio, Owner, A Flair for Affairs

“Thank you for a wonderful seminar on Tuesday.  It was so well organized and presented. I came back with a ton of information to share with my team and area professionals.” -- Kerry Castillo, President, Uniquely Yours Wedding + Event Specialist

“Going into engage!08 I didn;t know what to expect, but I cannot give you enough kudos on pulling off such a fabulous event - from the decor to your staff, the speakers and the networking opportunities presented me with - it was just wonderful! Worth every penny spent to be there for this first event!” -- Stacie Francombe, Founder and CEO of Get Married TV 

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to one and all for putting your faith in us and supporting this very first event. It was an honor and privilege to spend precious time with each of you.  We learned so much along the way.  Rest assured, based on the response there will be more engage! events - more details to follow SOON!

The first engage! is a success!!!

WOW! We are blown away by the past two days!  We are wrapping up loose ends and saying final goodbyes to old friends and new and will blog all about it very soon I promise.  In the meantime, we have to share this AMAZING blog post from the incredible Savannah-based photographer Donna Von Bruening:

"Education is a big part of my commitment to my profession. I invest time and money attending conferences and workshops to expand my business and my photography skills. I'll be point blank honest with you. I usually, no almost 99% of the time, walk away thinking I wasted money or trying to pull a few nuggets (which there always are some nuggets) away to rationalize the $2,000-$3,000 dollars I just spent. Don't get me wrong --it isn't that I am so wonderful that I know everything --it's just that I have been in business 10 years and so many conferences are geared toward newbies. Much of the time the information is basic and I could teach the class (which I have done). 

God, that sounds awful. But it is the truth. When I go to a conference I am looking to be inspired and take my business to the next level. I want to be moved. I want to walk away a better person and photographer than I was when I showed up. Some of my photographer friends tell me my expectations are too high. I tend to disagree. If I am paying you $2000 for 2 days, nevermind taking time away from my famly and business, -you best have me rave about you from morning to night.

So, Engage '08, was the best money I have spent EVER (perhaps the Hasselblad Wedding Institute rival it) in TEN years. Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce put on one heck of a business conference. I am moved, inspired and have met so many new friends...I cannot wait to tell you all about it. It was worth every penny and the 3 days away from home and business.

I am dying to tell you all about it --but I have got to get on the road home. I will blog the images and and the dish later today. I just needed to fill in my wedding colleagues who are dying to hear."   
DVB

We are humbled by this and the response from so many other industry friends who joined us for this special event. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Donna. I promise to blog LOTS more as soon as the dust settles...!

Dream weddings meet reality: Crain's Business

Dream weddings meet reality

By: Darci Smith June 02, 2008

"Is the spare-no-expense fairytale wedding falling out of fashion?

Weddings, as a pinnacle of emotional spending, are considered relatively immune to economic downturns. But with food and fuel costs high and housing values low, more couples are scaling back on pricey extras that had become routine in recent years." Click here to read entire article>>

Weddex on AllTop!!

Yay!  I learned about something new and really AWESOME yesterday...an amazing site called AllTop - which just launched a new Weddings section yesterday - andwe are thrilled that WEDDEX made it!! We are in some great company.

AllTop describes it this way:

We help you explore your passions by collecting stories from “all the top” sites on the web. We’ve grouped these collections — “aggregations” — into individual Alltop sites based on topics such as environment, photography, science, Muslim, celebrity gossip, military, fashion, gaming, sports, politics, automobiles, and Macintosh. At each Alltop site, we display the headlines of the latest stories from dozens of sites and blogs.

You can think of an Alltop site as a “digital magazine rack” of the Internet. To be clear, Alltop sites are starting points—they are not destinations per se. The bottom line is that we are trying to enhance your online reading by both displaying stories from the sites that you’re already visiting and helping you discover sites that you didn’t know existed. In other words, our goal is the “cessation of Internet stagnation” by providing “aggregation without aggravation.”

Be sure and check it out - I am already hooked!! Special thanks and appreciation to Christine Tremoulet of Christine Tremoulet Photography [new friend and attendee for the upcoming engage!08] for recommending us and to the legendary Guy Kawasaki for including us!  He has written a number of best-selling b2b books including "The Art of the Start" - which I promptly ordered[along with a number of others!] from Amazon!

I just love learning about new things - and it is a pretty perfect way to cap off the week that WEDDEX turned ONE!!!

"chasing harry winston"

Already ordered my copy!  Can't WAIT!!

Featured in Smart Money Magazine!

I was really excited to see the new Smart Money Magazine [published by The Wall Street Journal] with feature on Destination Weddings - 5 full pages!!  I was interviewed by the journalist awhile ago and it finally appeared...not only am I quoted in it but so are a number of our clients including partners in The Cayman Islands such as Joanne Brown of Celebrations Ltd, The Reef Resort, David Wolfe and of course lots of focus on Sandals Resorts including the Preston Bailey program.

It is a very interesting and comprehensive piece.  I love when wedding articles appear in non-traditional media - it provides priceless exposure to an audience otherwise not reached -- a win for any PR strategy!

You can read the entire article on SmartMoney.com.  Thanks to all who jumped through hoops to accommodate the very specific requests of the journalist - it paid off!!

Circulation for WSJ's Smart Money Magazine is 822,436 readers. SmartMoney.com's audience averages 2.1 million unique visitors a month and generates 24 million monthly page views.

"Last Call" for engage!08

We hit the 'send' button on the last call for registrations for engage!08 a bit ago. Here is a copy of the blast:

This is the final opportunity to sign up for engage!08: the wedding industry's most exclusive and intimate networking, educational and inspirational event. 

 

Join some of the most respected names in the luxury wedding business for a jam-packed day onJune 3rd, 2008 at the Celebration Hotel in Celebration Florida!

 

Speakers include Preston Bailey, Marcy Blum, Susan Moynihan, Simon T. Bailey, Harmony Walton, Christine Boulton, Liene Stevens and host Rebecca Grinnals of Engaging Concepts!

 

Connect with over 60 attendees coming from 8 countries and 13 states including:

 

Five-star Resorts and Hotels in Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Antigua and throughout Florida.

 

High-end wedding planners and designers from New York, LA, Chicago, Grand Cayman, St Kitts, Seattle, Arizona, Savannah, Tennessee, Virginia, the Bahamas and throughout Florida.

 

Award-winning Video and Photojournalists from Texas, Maine, Savannah and throughout Florida.

 

Expert wedding PR, Marketing, Advertising and Travel executives and more!

 

A very limited number of spaces remain so if you are interested in attending make sure to register right away.

 

See all the information on the Website at www.engage08.com and Blog at www.engage08.blogspot.com!

 

We hope to have you join us for what promises to be an 'engaging' day dedicated to taking any wedding business to the next level! 

I *Heart* Gossip Girl

Ok - I admit to my guiltiest pleasure being completely obsessed with each and every episode of Gossip Girl!  I have downloaded all of the episodes onto my iPhone and watched them as I fly across the world!!  This last trip I caught up on 5 in total - made the time FLY by!!

Imagine my thrill at the fact that the last few shows have focused on the wedding of Lily and Bart...and that both Sylvia Weinstock and Preston Bailey have been part of the shows.  Sylvia had prominent cameos in 2 episodes and I understand that Preston was to have been included but was in Jakarta when they filmed.  He did get on-air mention though!!

If you have not yet seen the show - run don't walk to iTunes and download the entire season.  It is the BEST!!!  I can't believe we have to wait until fall for new shows!

We do have the Sex and the City movie right around the corner though - counting the days!!

XOXO

All New From Maria McBride

Congratulations to the brilliant Maria McBride on her latest book "Party Basics for New Nesters!"  

Maria, a long-time friend and I believe one of the MOST talented minds in the wedding industry, recently sent me a copy of the book which is really gorgeous and filled with great ideas and inspiration for newlyweds [or anyone looking to nest in style!].  I think it is a perfect gift for anyone to give to their brides and grooms as an appreciation gift/wedding gift. 

Maria is the long-time style editor at BRIDES Magazine and is responsible for many of the hottest and most stylish wedding trends out there. Her previous books are a must have for any wedding library as they are timeless.

Along with the launch of the "New Nesters" comes a fabulously designed new website with lots of eye-candy of her brilliant work.  Be sure to check it all out!

Just Marry!

Congratulations to wedding planner Susan Southerland of Just Marry! based right here in Orlando on the exciting launch of her new DVD entitled "Susan Southerland's Just Marry! Wedding Planning Secrets."

It has received rave reviews already from the press, brides and wedding-industry insiders.  Kudos to Susan for doing what so many dream about or have on their "someday isle" list!!

She also created this fun and practical color selection wheel to help brides select and stay true to their wedding color palette.  Again - something so simple but that as an added bonus for her brides provides that extra touch and impactful takeaway.

Susan and her talented team have successfully partnered with countless hotels in the Orlando, Tampa, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Savannah and  Atlanta markets to expand their business model and are one of the few wedding planners who have extended their brand beyond their home city.

Congrats on making it all happen with style and smiles!