Events aren't just great for real wedding submissions and posts. There is plenty of other juicy content you can squeeze out of each event you work or attend. Why not make the most of it and fill your blog with the inspiration and education your audience is clamoring for? read more

The other day I was talking with an event planner who was struggling to get her business to profit, let alone pay off the advertising she'd been investing in. She just wasn't getting leads from her website. So I asked her a few questions about her site, including whether she built it herself. When she told me she actually hired someone to build it, I guess I did a pretty poor job of hiding my shock because she was very disappointed with my reaction. And, who could blame her? If you actually paid someone to design your website, you sure don't want people to think it was just a template! (Side note: it did turn out that her programmer was only using a template.) read more

I have a lot of conversations with business owners about their search engine woes. One of the topics that often comes up is when they believe they're ranking in search engines, but aren't seeing the benefits of it in the form of more traffic, inquiries or sales. While there is more than one reason why this could be the case, the first question I almost always ask is, "Are you sure you're really ranking?" read more

There are a lot of Facebook experts out there, but Laura Roeder is by far my favorite. I dig her simple, no nonsense approach to marketing so I thought I'd share with you some actionable advice she's given recently on what to do if your fan page has been hit with Facebook's new algorithm changes. I know it's hit mine! read more

When you're new to an area or just starting your wedding business it can be tough to break into those tightly knit wedding vendor cliques. They've been happily referring others for years and may not be too eager to take a risk on the new guy or gal. Still, every industry is cyclical and anything can change in a split second. That photographer they've been referring for 10 years could retire, that florist could move to a new city and that wedding planner could decide to be a stay-at-home mom. An opening could be just around the corner, but its your job to make sure you're there to fill it when it pops up. read more

When couples visit your website, they want answers fast. There are a lot of websites competing for their attention and if yours doesn't stand out and give them what they're looking for quickly, they'll be gone forever. So when you're creating your website pages, especially the most visited ones (home, about, services), keep these 5 questions in mind. read more

In all fairness, a bride, groom, family or organization has every right to find a good bargain when planning their own event...no judgments here! It's their event to host as they please. That said, it isn't your responsibility to cut your rates and stress yourself out trying to fit into their budget. read more

I get it. When it comes to the technical side of your website, you'd rather just close your eyes, hand it all over to a capable developer and be done with all that nonsense. Admittedly, even I get drained from the techie side too! But no matter how turned off you may be by coding, widgets and hosting jargon, there is never, ever a good time to give up control of your website. read more

If you’re like most wedding pros I know, you’re knee deep into wedding season. Your days are filled with linen swatches, timelines and (if you’re lucky) the occasional wine tasting. With this comes the opportunity to begin submitting your real weddings for the 2014 season.

Wedding PR strategies are quickly becoming an essential component to a strong wedding marketing campaign. Today’s bride is a discerning one, so an impressive press portfolio will assist with increasing brand awareness for your company, as well as giving you a competitive advantage.  read more

Guest post by Preeti Moberg. Today’s bridal market is nothing as it was twenty years ago. We know gone are the days of candied jordan almonds in pastel colors, plastic flowers decorating cakes, and staged photos of the couple.  read more