Getting Your Wedding Published: A How To Guide

I absolutely adore bridal magazines and inspirational websites. When a bride comes to meet with me often their clutching inspiration photos from these resources as their own personal wedding bible of sorts. It surprises, and flatters, even more when their inspired by a wedding that I’ve done! WOW… just WOW! So, since I get asked a LOT about how to get a clients wedding published I thought I would give Brides a few tips on making it magazine or blog-worthy!

CHOOSE WISELY
If you read a blog every day or tote a magazine around for inspiration you likely know what their currently publishing. If you want to be part of that – consider what others that have gone before you have done in order to “walk in their shoes”. Is the magazine all about high-end luxury and over-the-top florals? Is the blog all about DIY projects? How many weddings do they generally publish? And WHAT is their submission process like? I know this may be a wierd thought well in advance BUT if you truly want to see your wedding talked about… you better know the criteria for submitting. Do they have a media gag order? Want exclusivity? When do they choose? Can your vendors have images of their work? Do you have to use vendors already working with or advertising with that blog/magazine?

DETAILS MATTER
… so make them count!!! It’s not always about DIY but it’s about the special touches! If your wedding menu is unique or different, if the favors have flair, if the guests danced barefoot in the sand – it’s a detail so it matters! Beware of whom you hire to photograph your wedding as if you want published they better shoot details just as well as they shoot people! Magazines and Blogs are all about inspiration so trust me when I say… details matter.

TELL YOUR STORY
If you have an interesting story – highschool sweethearts, long distance love, multicultural experiences, etc – it all is part of the story you tell every day just by living and breathing it BUT does it come across well in editorial or through images? If your wedding tells the story – themed with you in mind, special touches, uniforms, etc. Tell your story!!! Often times it’s the pictures but also the story that will get you published!

BUDGET DOESN’T MATTER
That’s right… you heard it here first! Whether you spend $80o0, $80000 or $800,000 it won’t make a difference in the end if your wedding doesn’t have heart! What will matter is where you submit and knowing your audience. An $8000 backyard fete with BBQ burgers isn’t likely to sell to an upscale highend magazine but it just might for a more DIY creative magazine! I’ve seen wedding for $20,000 that were far more interesting than the wedding for $200,000 and vice versa – it’s all about those details and knowing what counts.

VENDOR SELECTION
High quality vendors with brilliant ideas and amazing resources will go a long way to making your wedding spectacular. While brides can (and do) still plan weddings on their own having an ally in your corner who knows the Industry and knows who’s hot and who’s not can go a long way in guiding your wedding to published glory!

So, there you have it… a few simple Bride Ideas for getting your wedding featured in a blog or magazine!

Happy Planning & Beautiful Design,
Crystal Adair-Benning

Tags: elegant wedding magazine, getting your wedding published, glasgow wedding consultant, style me pretty, the knot, tips for getting in a wedding blog, Toronto Wedding Planner, wedding chicks, wedding co, wedding planner perth, weddingbells, wedluxe« Bold, Fresh & Modern Island Inspiration: Lisa & GregMaking It All Worthwhile… »

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Pyrex Waxes Brilliant With a Very Clever Grater - Grater with 1 cup Container? Genius.

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What The Cake Boss Taught Me About Being The Wedding Boss

If like thousands of other households across the world you and your family invite Buddy Valastro and his whole family into your home with TLC’s hit show Cake Boss every week – you might be excited to know that he’s currently touring the country with his stage show all about the hit tv series, his life, and his passion. I was lucky enough, thanks to Ringbearer.ca, on Friday to see him at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto. While the show was certainly entertaining there were a few snippets that really caught my attention and easily translate from Buddy’s Cake Boss persona to my Wedding Boss persona.

BEING PASSIONATE MEANS TRUE HAPPINESS (BUT IT COMES AT A PRICE)
Sometimes our calling just finds us and not the other way around. Buddy ended up in Carlo’s Bakery as a kid when his Dad started bringing him to work after finding him playing with matches. He found through baking he was going to work happy and excited to get up every morning. Baking was his calling. At 17, he became head of the household, and had to earn the respect of his colleagues and family but by being passionate he threw himself into the business and built it up to where it is today. At Distinct Occasions, I am passionate about weddings, but know that the price of that sometimes means missing birthdays, anniversaries, major holidays. When you’re passionate about something the time, the energy, the inner peace it brings make it all worthwhile.

STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM DOESN’T MEAN YOU’LL NEVER GET TO THE TOP
Buddy, like a lot of us, started from the bottom – washing dishes, cleaning toilets – but slowly rose through the ranks learning each and every job in the bakery as he went. This not only helped him when he reached the top but ensures that he knows his business from the inside out.  Likewise, when I started Distinct Occasions, I learned by doing. I walked in my vendors shoes and shadowed them at their jobs. I wanted to see what it was like for every cog in the business wheel and not just my own stilletto pumps!

VALUE ISN’T A PRICETAG; IT’S A SERVICE
Buddy’s cakes are not the cheapest on the block. With a staff of 130 and a new 40,000 sq ft bakery being built his overhead needs to get paid. His reputation, his beautiful cakes, and he himself are the true value he brings to his business. When you buy a cake, a canoli, or even a lobster tail from Carlo’s Bakery you’re buying a little bit of Buddy and his family. Value isn’t just the price you charge but the service you provide. At Distinct Occasions, I am definitely not the cheapest Planner on the block. My reputation, my clients, my beautiful weddings all speak for themselves. I pride myself in personally dealing with each and every client that comes through my doors. Whether you live next door, next town over or other side of the world through technology, travel and communication I am there with you step by step providing service and support throughout your planning.

In the end, Buddy Valastro, is the Cake Boss because of passion, talent, and a personality you can’t help but like. I hope, Distinct Occasions, is a great Wedding Boss – providing service for value, hand touching each wedding to make sure from the bottom up it is the very best it can be all because I am passionate and it truly shines through!

Happy Planning & Beautiful Design,
Crystal Adair-Benning

Tags: Buddy Valastro, business advice from the Cake Boss, Cake Boss, Carlo's Bakery, Distinct Occasions, ringbearer.ca, Wedding Boss, wedding business, wedding passion, why hire a planner« Honeymoon Photography: Why You SHOULD Take Your PhotographerTuesday Tip: Smart Registry Strategies »

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Tailgating Recipes: Game Day Grilling in Style

As you know, I’m a stickler when it comes to certain food and drinks. I can be a bit of a brand snob, I guess, but I can live with that. It can’t be helped, I’ve learned (after years of cooking) that certain food is worth paying more for. Cheese, coffee, vanilla, chocolate – they’re at the top of the list.

If you’ve been buying the bargains, off brands, and (AUGH!!) store brands for any of these, splurge a little bit the next time you’re at the store and see what you’ve been missing. While I’m in full nag mode, I’ll just go ahead and ask you to start buying “Cage Free” eggs as well. They’re only a little bit more and it’s the humane thing to do.

Stepping down off of the soap box…

You noticed that vanilla was on my list of foods that thy mustn’t scrimp on. Believe me, whether you’re baking or cooking, you’ll notice a HUGE difference with quality vanilla. You think you’re desserts are divine now with off brand vanilla – honey, just wait till you try them with quality vanilla!

A high-quality quality vanilla you may want to try first is from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. Below is why tailgating season may be the ideal time to do so:

Grills are fired up and ready to go in parking lots across the nation for the great American sports tradition: tailgating. Every year, thousands faithfully don their team’s colors and venture out, rain or shine, to cheer home a winner. Sports fans and home cooks alike can be the reigning champions of parking-lots with tailgating recipes from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas.

Since 1907, Nielsen-Massey has been dedicated to creating the finest vanilla in the world. The vanilla beans are hand-picked for perfection and go through an exclusive cold extraction process, which slowly, gently draws the delicate, distinctive flavor from the vanilla beans.

Nielsen-Massey products compliment both sweet and savory dishes, so hungry football fans can be fed this season with hamburgers and chicken wings dressed with Smoky Vanilla BBQ Sauce or Apricot Mango BBQ Sauce from Nielsen-Massey.

Smoky Vanilla BBQ Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon canned chipotle chilies with sauce, chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup catsup
1 tablespoon dark molasses
1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract or Paste

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Add garlic and sauté until soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45-60 minutes. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

Apricot Mango BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup medium diced canned apricots, drained
1/2 cup medium diced fresh or jarred mangoes, drained
1 (4-ounce) can mild chipotle chilies
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 whole garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract or Paste
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine the apricots, mangoes, chipotle chiles, brown sugar, garlic, olive oil, tomato paste, vanilla extract, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper in a blender container and purée. Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 2 cups.

From daybreak to overtime, hearty finger-foods flavored with Nielsen-Massey Vanillas can provide an extra kick to fans’ favorite tailgating cuisines.

About Nielsen-Massey Vanillas
Throughout its more than 100 year history, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has earned its reputation as a manufacturer of the finest extracts in the world. The full line of Nielsen-Massey’s Pure Vanilla products include: Vanilla Beans and Extracts from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico; sugar and alcohol-free Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar and Certified Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Beans.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas also has a line of Pure Flavors: Pure Chocolate Extract, Pure Almond Extract, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract, Pure Coffee Extract, Pure Peppermint Extract, Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water. All Nielsen-Massey products are Allergen-Free and certified Kosher and Gluten-Free. The company is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, with production facilities in Waukegan and Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

The image at the top of the post is A Century of Flavors

Twice Baked Potatoes: A Recipe That’ll Become a Favorite

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