Over the past 10 years, the Vermont Wedding Association has gained a reputation as the largest and most comprehensive clearinghouse of services, venues and information for couples looking to get married in Vermont. Founded by Judy Risteff, the VWA operates on revenues acquired through membership dues and vendor fees from its bridal shows. Its annual bridal shows held throughout the state showcase more than 100 members, and serve to connect wedding professionals with prospective couples and colleagues alike.

Where do you see your business going in the next year?

In this economy, there’s nowhere to go but up. They say weddings are recession proof, but they’ve definitely gotten smaller. That being said, it’s starting to come back.

What are the major trends and/or obstacles your industry is dealing with?

Brides have become savvier shoppers – thriftier. They start off with a lot more information that they used to. Professionals need to be prepared. There’s a do-it-yourself trend lately, too. While it can save money, it can cost a lot of time, energy, and not always come off as nice or professionally as you’d like. Couples are also trying to save money by looking for alternative, less expensive venues – private homes, outside, state parks. However, we’re starting to see a return to pricier venues.

Do you foresee any hiring this year in your business and industry sector?

I’m seeing more wedding professionals. I’ve gotten many calls from people who are thinking of starting a business. We took a hit last year, but the entrepreneurs are starting to jump in.

Have you seen an increase in local tourism?

We’ve seen destination weddings stay about the same. Sometimes, a “weekend wedding” can be cheaper than a one-day wedding in your hometown. We’re seeing a lot more people sending “save the date” reminders to their guests so they can plan ahead, and make a vacation out of it, which helps out the overall tourism industry since these people are never here just for a day.

Do you find tourists coming to Vermont for different reasons now than before?

I don’t see any big change. People come here for warm hospitality and reasonable pricing. They come here to relax. While it has been off for the last couple years, I see it coming back.

Source: Click Here

Two Bright Lights, Inc. recently launched a first for the wedding industry: a robust introspective survey into how the small businesses that comprise the $86 billion dollar industry operate. The goal? To help wedding professionals market their businesses better by fostering a collaborative environment. The difference? Industry titans such as The Knot and Martha Stewart Weddings run surveys routinely to understand brides and their the planning process. Until now, no one has been focusing on gathering the insights related to business-to-business relationships in the wedding industry.

With estimates of 100,000 wedding vendors country wide, the US wedding industry is incredibly fragmented with vendors serving very localized markets. According to WeddingBusinessMarketing.com, more than 95% of wedding businesses fail within the first five years. Although wedding vendors know their craft well, failure rates are high because they often lack knowledge when it comes to running a business, fail to advertise adequately, or advertise ineffectively. With the challenging economic situation, some wedding planners have lost 60% of their business from 2008 highs. In this environment, understanding marketing effectiveness is absolutely critical. The goal of the 2010 Wedding Marketing Effectiveness Survey is to paint a clear picture of how the macro economic factors are impacting the micro economic factors, which tactics are working and which are not. The online survey respondents will include wedding planners, photographers, event designers, florists, venues, catering managers, publicists and destination locations. Survey topics include social networking, search engine optimatization, referral generation, branding, and image management.

The survey is being promoted jointly by industry veteran, Rebecca Grinnals of Engaging Concepts and Two Bright Lights. The survey’s insights will be revealed at Engaging Concepts’ business summit for wedding professionals, engage!10 :: cayman islands, at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, June 7-10th. In an effort to make sure the findings spark collaboration industry wide, all survey participants will be provided a roadmap outlining how to improve business performance.

About Two Bright Lights
Founded in 2009, Two Bright Lights (TBL) is a subscription-based pioneering online B2B wedding marketing service dedicated to improving marketing efficiency and results for photographers, planners, and vendors. Optimizing the power of social media and networking, Two Bright Lights maximizes networking and referral capabilities through features including image sharing, portfolio development, and inspiration board creation. Additionally, by streamlining the editorial process for Real Wedding features in print and online publications, Two Bright Lights boosts business visibility in a highly-competitive industry. Headquartered in Chicago, Two Bright Lights reaches worldwide through its online presence at www.twobrightlights.com .

Bryce Jewelry rings in the new decade with an innovative bridal program that is a marriage of service and success.

The Bridal Plus package is the latest of Bryce’s creative marketing concepts designed to create a larger customer base with a lower investment. This compact program allows RTO dealers to benefit from a consistent and proven market – the wedding industry – with a lower initial investment than traditional jewelry rental programs.

“The bridal category has great potential and is the most consistent category in the jewelry business. It’s the biggest area for growth in RTO jewelry,” says Bryce Jewelry President Bryan Collins. “Consider that there are over 40,000 weddings a week in the United States.”

For dealers who have never incorporated jewelry in their business, the ‘Bridal Plus’ program is a great place to start. Bridal Plus offers significant return on the investment. As with all of Bryce programs the dealer gets a turn-key program with exceptional customer service and ongoing sales training from your Bryce Representative.

Due to the continued ability to refurbish jewelry, these products have significantly longer lives than most rental merchandise increasing their earning potential above other RTO items. Bryce offers free refurbishing on jewelry, which allows items to hold their value indefinitely.

A year in the making, the ‘Bridal Plus’ program refines jewelry selections to include Bridal, Trio, Anniversary and Engagement rings and some additional staple pieces to round out the program. In today’s economy Bryce is concentrating on what will rent every day. Rental stores already have a built in cliental of about 40 customers that are married but don’t have wedding rings.

This alone could bring in substantial revenue. There is also a new group of bridal customers that can’t go to the jewelry chain stores and get credit anymore. This program will fit their needs. Unlike many luxury items, bridal rings continue to be in demand year round regardless of economic trends and they never go out of style. The greatest benefit of this jewelry program is that it is easy to incorporate into a daily sales routine, and while bridal rings draw in new customers, they provide a new opportunity for return customers.

Because customer service is a Bryce company tradition, a representative will assist dealers in making ‘Bridal Plus’ a part of everyday sales strategy for the best results.

Bryce Jewelry staff know that success comes from service, and each dealer and market area is given individual attention. Bryce is the most experienced vendor in RTO jewelry and has earned that position by standing behind their products and offering dealers the training necessary to be successful with jewelry merchandise. As with all Bryce Jewelry programs, Bridal Plus comes with marketing material, ongoing representative support and a customized inventory.

The ‘Bridal Plus’ package is a lasting marriage of service and success. Make a perfect match in 2010 with Bryce Jewelry. Call 800/880-9434 to learn more.

Source: www.rtohq.org

The national marriage rate has decreased to nearly half of what it was in 1970, according to the National Marriage Project, a nonpartisan research initiative based at the University of Virginia.

The national marriage rate has fallen from 76.5 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women 15 and older to 40.7 marriages in 2005, according to the group’s research.

The economy and the fact that more couples decide to cohabitate aid in the decline in the number of marriages, said Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project.

According to census figures, the number of cohabiting couples in 1970 was slightly more than 500,000, while in 2007 that number was more than 6.4 million.

The State of Our Unions Marriage in America 2009 (.pdf)

http://www.virginia.edu/marriageproject/

Original article: Here

Wedding Themes & Inspirations:

• Enchanted Forest: The spring bride of 2010 is inspired by the earthy (yet heavenly) feeling of an ethereal wedding. Soft, romantic elements and pastel tones are perfectly accented with fanciful details.
• Sweet Nostalgia: The “Mad Men”-obsessed bride-to-be is in love with 1950s and 1960s flair for her big day, gathering inspiration from refined-retro style, carnival-chic food and playful decor.
• Jewel Tones: The glamorous bride loves 2010’s rich jewel tones for a luxurious fall wedding. Plush and pretty peacock inspiration is refined in an elegant but decidedly bold new way to incorporate this look.
• Dark Romance: For winter 2010, vintage Hollywood glamour and dark fairytale romances are all the rage, with rich red hues, black and white accents and sparkling chandeliers making everything glimmer in a subtle and sophisticated way.

Fresh Color Trends

• Expect to see both classic and fresh, new palettes appearing as top trends for wedding colors, including bold turquoise, coral and peach tones, vintage violet, pumpkin, champagne, pink, ivory and golden yellow.

The Rise of the Localista

• In today’s economy, many couples will move away from the exotic in favor of the practical. Expect destination weddings to take on a new twist with the rise of the “localista.” This bride will plan a local “destination wedding” at a nearby location to celebrate the unique personality of the couple, but also allow easier access for friends and family. 

From his Seymour Street showroom, Vancouver couture and bridal designer Manuel Mendoza pulls out a gown he designed to illustrate a modern, whimsical approach to a bridal gown.

It’s a strapless, satin, minidress with a stiff bird’s-nest style veil adorning the skirt.

“It is almost like this is the hat,” says Mendoza pointing to the skirt veiling. “The whole idea is a hat, but it is down there.”

Bird’s-nest veils exploded in popularity last year, so Mendoza decided to push the trend in a new direction. The result is sophisticated, yet fun and flirty — far from the poofy, princess styles of the past.

“Poof is out,” he says. Brides coming to his shop want something sleeker, something that shows off their bodies more, adds Mendoza’s associate Alison Hartford.

“A lot of brides are coming to us and saying I have seen all the poofy dresses in the shops. Please can I try on something that will show off my body a bit and not be quite as princess,” she says.

Wedding dresses are so charged with hopes, dreams and little-girl fantasies that finding just the right one can take a bride months. Should it be long or short, sleek or full, traditional or au courant, Vancouver is rich with custom designers who offer flexibility and knowledge about selecting a design that suits the bride and the occasion. They can also incorporate old treasures or features that individually define the bride.

But they also are experts at spotting the trends and even leading them. Here is what four Vancouver designers see for the 2010 wedding season:

Mendoza says the trend in short dresses has doubled recently, accounting for about 20 per cent of the dresses he custom designs now compared to 10 per cent two years back.

“It may have to do with the fact that lately there are a lot of brides who want to get married in Hawaii or Mexico or Belize,” he says. ” You don’t want to carry a big dress to those places.”

But if you want a short dress you have to have fabulous shoes, Mendoza says, adding some of his clients have bought the shoes first and then asked for a dress that shows them off. “The shoes are the jewels of the feet,” he says.

Destination weddings have also influenced the fabrics we see in modern gowns, he says, adding that chiffon really appeals to brides who imagine their dresses blowing in the sea breezes throughout their beach ceremony.

The trend is also to a little less decoration, he says, adding it may have something to do with the economy. “Two years ago it was nothing for us to make a $5,000-$6,000 dress. This year, you could cut the price in half. People are more practical.

“I have been hearing from the industry that the high-priced dresses, the $6-$10-grand dresses are almost impossible to sell.”

Patricia Nayel, a local ecobridal designer, echoes Mendoza’s comments regarding short dresses. But she says brides want them for the reception and stick with something long for the ceremony.

“Almost every designer is coming out with short dresses in their collections,” she says, then adds that she hears from more and more brides who want a sustainable dress, but who don’t want to sacrifice style for it.

Nayel uses fabrics that are reclaimed, recycled, organically grown or made using peace silk which allows the silkworm to live out its natural life cycle. She uses reclaimed silk for her most of her linings.

In terms of style, Nayel sees a big trend in mermaid dresses and A-symmetrical shoulders. After U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama wore a one-shoulder dress for her husband’s inauguration, the look took off. Now glorious variations of it are everywhere.

Strapless gowns are still popular, but they are being replaced by gowns with sheer shoulder straps. They give more support to the bust while still giving the impression of straplessness, she says.

“The strapless dress gives you a lot of boob fat,” she says, “because it has to be so tight.”

Recently married herself, Nayel designed a full-length bubble dress with a simple form-fitted bodice. It’s a great style, says Mendoza, if you stand at least 5-foot-9. If not, you’d need skyscraper heels.

Off-whites and ivories have replaced pure white as the colour of choice, all the designers say. It is softer for fair-skinned brides. Nayel loves the unbleached tones for their natural creaminess. “I haven’t seen a bride buy a cold white in a long time unless she has really dark skin,” she says. Black is the couture trim colour, says Mendoza.

Clara Jang seconds that opinion. The designer behind Clara Couture, whose 2008 Miss Universe gown won awards, has also seen the trend to sheer shoulders. Speaking from Hong Kong where she is attending a trade show, Jang agreed with Mendoza that the A-line has replaced the poofy skirt for 2010, but she says European designers are bringing it back and she expects it to re-emerge here in 2011.

“I prefer the more A-line or trumpet dress,” she says. “It shows off the body more.”

Jang has also noticed a new practicality in brides. They often bring their dresses back after the wedding to have Jang hand dye it or cut it short so it can be used again. She includes that service in the price of the dress.

In her newest designs, Jang incorporated pleating to the bodice to give it a lovely sense of playfulness.

Swarovski crystals dominate the embellishments this year. “They love that bling bling,” says Mendoza. But feathers have also made a big splash, according to Jang.

Shelley Klassen, the designer behind Blushing Designs, estimates that about 10 per cent of her custom business is bridal. Many are clients who were drawn to her party dresses and want something similar for their wedding. They feature simple designs using fine fabrics.

“Some are quite short, some just past the knee, some long,” she says, adding that many of her brides take their weddings to tropical beaches and desire light billowy fabrics.

Klassen has also moved on from the strapless styles of the last few years — at least when she can show her client a better way. Some, however, still prefer a strapless dress.

Bridesmaids and guests often find appropriate dresses at her shop Blushing Boutique.

Vintage is also growing in popularity, says Alison Hartford. Brides want the dress have a story, to incorporate elements from their past or their mother’s or grandmother’s past.

“What makes a dress original is the conversation between the designer and the bride,” adds Mendoza. “It is always nice if the designer has the whole story.”

Blue Ridge Bridal Shows is on a mission to change the image of a traditional bridal show with a “Hi Tech Digital show” held at The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (ADC) on Sunday, January 24, 2010 from 12-4 pm. This hi tech show is open to the public and will be held at ADC located at 181 Kernstown Commons Boulevard in Winchester, VA 22602. Admission to public is free.Brides are encouraged to register to win prizes including a Honeymoon. This show is ideal for attracting brides from Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia as well as the metropolitan areas of Frederick, Montgomery County, Baltimore, and Washington DC.

The Blue Ridge Winter Bridal Marketplace Show (BRBS) at ADC will showcase leading wedding venues, accommodations, and wedding professionals. For the first time, this wedding show’s emphasis will shift two four theater screens. This is not an “arena” event. The participating wedding professionals will show potential brides and grooms on a 20’ x 50’ cinema screens beautiful wedding destinations in the Blue Ridge Shenandoah Valley. These vary from country inns, golf clubs, restored hotels, museums, vineyards to very unique locations like Shenandoah Caverns and America On Parade to the Charles Town Races and Slots. Also attending the show will be leading experts available to assist the bride in planning a spectacular and unforgettable wedding in the Blue Ridge. All of this will be presented as a Hi Tech Digital Wedding Shopping Experience Event.

“Vendors participating in this show believe that brides today have changed and do their major research and booking of the vendors on the web. For this reason, we want our bridal show to ‘Think Out of the Box’ and give the brides what they want “An Internet experience but in a relaxed theater where they can have a glass of wine or beverage of their choice and see the top the Blue Ridge wedding industry has to offer,” says Nancy Craun, President of Blue Ridge Bridal Shows. “For the brides not from the Blue Ridge but looking for a beautiful wedding destination without adding air fare to their budget, just one hour away or less is the Blue Ridge Shenandoah Valley. Let us introduce you to the best the Blue Ridge has to offer.”

The doors will open at Noon on Sunday January 24, 2010. You, your friends, and family will walk into the show to find a wonderful marketplace that will make coordinating each element of your wedding a breeze. Haven’t found a photographer? A wedding location? No problem, we’ve brought some of the area’s finest vendors to one location for one very special day.

What is a Hi Tech Digital Wedding Shopping Experience?
Wedding Venues and Professionals will show you on the theater screen a Visual Presentation of their product. You will be able to see a full wedding from ceremony to dancing at the most beautiful venues in the Blue Ridge Shenandoah Valley. We will show the latest in wedding fashions from New York and Paris. Looking for decor ideas – see the hottest and latest from florists and party rental companies. What’s new in the tent industry – you will see it on the screen.

And what about the guy in your life – BRBS is giving him his own theater where he can relax with the guys, watch ESPN sports and find out what is on his wedding check off list. He will see honeymoon ideas including the latest on Sandals All Inclusive Resort Bargains as well as cruise ideas! Even Dad can join the group – relax and wait for you to pull him out to see the site where you have always dreamed to have your wedding.

This show is all about the three R’s -
Relax * Read * React!
“We know that brides are very interested in planning their wedding, but have changed how ‘they plan,’” adds Craun. “The wedding industry needs to get in the 21st century of hi tech communication and marketing. We are small and it is much easier for us to change and adapt than the larger bridal shows. The Blue Ridge Bridal Shows offer “Small Town Intimacy with High End Wedding Destinations.” Our Winter Bridal Marketplace will certainly be an exciting show and one not to be missed.”

To pre-register for the show and Silver Suitcase Tea, visit www. Blueridgebridalshow.com. Registration is also being accepted to be the Featured Blue Ridge Bride!

About Blue Ridge Bridal Show: Blue Ridge Bridal Shows mission is to brand the Blue Ridge Shenandoah Valley as a Wedding Destination Region and to brand the client as a Blue Ridge Bride. The region is from Hagerstown to Harrisonburg on Interstate 81, Strasburg to Haymarket on Interstate 66, Route 340 from Elkins to Charles Town West Virginia, and Western Loudoun to Leesburg. Blue Ridge Bridal shows host five shows showcasing this defined region with emphasis on the Wedding Destinations and Venues and the Wedding Professionals serving the Blue Ridge Region. These shows include Charles Town Races and Slots, The Winery at La Grange, The George Washington Hotel, Historic Morven Park and the Winter Marketplace Digital Hi Tech Show in Winchester, Virginia. Each show has a theme that supports the area of the Blue Ridge hosting the show. The Blue Ridge Bridal shows are produced by Encore Event Partners, LLC and are in their sixth year.

Contact:    Nancy Craun, President
      Blue Ridge Bridal Show
      540-533-1853
      www.blueridgebridalshow.com   

Source: www.prweb.com

Original Article – Here

By Margaret Fosmoe

Tough economic times have affected all areas of American life, including wedding planning, some engaged couples and vendors said Sunday during the Bridal Spectacular at Century Center.

Photographer Pat Brownewell, of Elkhart-based Brownewell Photography, said he’s noticed a trend in the last year or two toward bridal parties demanding rock-bottom rates.

Brownewell said he already offers economical rates, about $900 for a typical wedding.

Still, he said, some bridal parties will hear that price and come back and say: “My budget is $500,” expecting him to match that price. He generally doesn’t.

“I’m already a lower-end photographer,” he said. Cutting those rates means he won’t earn enough money to make the job worth the work, he said.

Bride-to-be Jennifer Burkus, 25, of South Bend, said she and her fiancé intentionally planned a small wedding with about 30 guests for April 3. “Money is tight. I have a daughter,” Burkus said.

To reduce expenses, the couple will be married and have their reception in the same building. The whole event will cost less than $1,000, not including her bridal gown, she said.

Graphic designer Madison Jennifer Clark, of Sturgis, recently started her own business designing wedding invitations. “Everyone seems to be on a budget,” said Clark, a 2009 University of Notre Dame graduate.

“That’s why I started my business. I’m offering a more affordable product,” said Clark, who said she offers competitive prices and relies on a local printer.

She’s also planning her own wedding, which will be July 3. Her parents are paying for the event. “They set a budget and I’m sticking to it,” she said.

Clark’s advice to other brides: “Choose your priorities. Spend most on what you think is most important.”

 For Full Story Click Here

NEW YORK, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ — BridalTweet.com today announced the launch of a new suite of recommended business services for wedding professionals. The online wedding community will now expand its focus by providing wedding vendors with various ways to optimize their wedding businesses within the growing wedding industry.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100111/NY34861)

BridalTweet.com’s creator, Christine Dyer has spent the last few months sharing free wedding business advice in a weekly blog called Supercharge Your Wedding Business. Through blogging and by attentively listening to the members of the BridalTweet.com community, it became apparent to Dyer that there was an even greater need to help wedding professionals to grow their wedding businesses.

“I wanted to create a community that wedding professionals could turn to for all of their wedding business needs,” shared Dyer. Wedding professionals will not only be able to find free business advice and networking opportunities at BridalTweet.com, but they can also receive assistance with business planning, website design, search engine optimization, email marketing, public relations and more. Dyer hand-picked these services based on her own positive experiences with the providers as well as recommendations from other members of the wedding professional community. The new suite of trusted business services can be found at http://www.bridaltweet.com/page/wedding-business-headquarters.

“BridalTweet.com truly revolutionizes the way wedding professionals can grow their businesses,” said Dyer. “After listening to the needs of the BridalTweet.com community, I have turned it into a place that will not only help wedding professionals to network, but it will also save them money, and will help them to run their businesses more effectively. BridalTweet.com’s ultimate goal is to help improve a wedding professional’s productivity and bottom line by giving them easy access to effective wedding business tools.”

About BridalTweet.com: Headquartered in New York, NY, BridalTweet (www.BridalTweet.com) is a free online wedding community where brides, wedding vendors, and wedding bloggers can create meaningful relationships. At BridalTweet.com, brides can find free wedding advice, exclusive offers, giveaways, local events, and more. BridalTweet is also the only place that wedding professionals can turn to for free business advice, business connections, and business services. This is one of the first wedding communities that enables wedding vendors to have a voice – allowing for deeper marketing conversations. Since April 2009, 5,200 members have joined BridalTweet.com and membership increases daily.

Source: www. BridalTweet.com