First NYC Wedding Connection = Resounding Success!

I am thrilled to report that our inaugural NYC Wedding Connection was a mayjah success! We had a fantastic and diverse group of wedding vendors in attendance, and it was great to finally put some faces to names (and Twitter aliases!). Attendees included representatives from Big Apple Florist, Numily Creations, Royale Amethyst Invitations, plus a wedding photographer, wedding videographer, makeup artist, publicist, AND the gals behind Navy and Lavender and NewlyWish! PHEW!

Personally, it was so inspiring to meet other people who have started their own businesses - and who have met with great success. Starting a business has been the most daunting professional endeavor of my life. I have many moments of self-doubt and hesitation. So it was beyond fab to meet such inspiring wedding vendors and business owners. I absorbed as much useful advice as I could - thank you all for the amazing feedback on my budding business!

Huge thanks to all who attended, and extra special kudos to the brains behind the operation - Mary at Chandelier Productions. Look for the next NYC Wedding Connection event in early December, and email me (jen {at} anywayweddings.com) if you'd like to join our mailing list!

NYC Wedding Connection:

Connecting people into personal and working relationships to strengthen the wedding industry in New York City. 

Cheers,

Friday Fashionspiration #4: More Bumpin' Bridal Gowns!

I have gotten such a fantastic to reponse to Tuesday's post on Jessica Iverson's spectacular maternity bridal collection that I wanted to toss a few more favorite dresses into the blogosphere. So without further ado...

Behold, the Madeline. The rosettes above the belly! The sheer, criss-crossing back straps! Youthful and delightful!

The Madeline (all images via Maternity Bride by Jessica Iverson Couture)

Next up, the Stephanie. The beaded straps add a touch of bling while the chiffon tiers are playful and flattering. A fun silhouette for the pregnant bride.

The Stephanie

And finally, the Naomi. This is a classic "here comes the bride dress" and the little lace jacket offers extra coverage if you're knocked up and not as ripped as Bethenny Frankel (and let's face it - she was rather otherworldly in her bridal buffness, no?). This taffeta number is covered in lace details and has a lace-up corset back.

The Naomi

Viva la bumping bride!

Cheers,

P.S. For more maternity bridal inspiration, check out this post from the SmartBride Boutique blog!

Etsy's BEST Wedding Dress Hangers

As much as I loved my wedding day, there are a few things I would have done differently - and that I do do differently with my brides now that I am a bride adviser. My wedding day "woulda, coulda, shoulda"'s are all in the wee details - and I'll always be grateful that nothing mayjah went awry. Still, there are some small but powerful lessons to be imparted unto the nearlywed. So listen up, lovelies.

There is no excuse to burden your wedding dress of dreams with a crappy, ugly hanger. 

You will only wear this dress on this one very important day. And unless you plan to cut a viewing window into your archival box, you will not lay eyes on it again for decades. Your photographer will inevitably snap your gown. So give it a chance to look as fabulous on its hanger as it will look on you! Or, well, almost as fabulous, obv.

Case in point:

I loved my dress. It did not deserve this fugtastic hanger. (Photo by Snap!)

Fortunately, a closetful of creative folks on Etsy have caught on to this fashion tragedy and come up with some very cute, affordable options that will turn your hanging dress into a true photo op.

The "Original Silver" hanger has gotten a lot of attention in the wedblogosphere, and for good reason! This hanger is simple and adorable. You can personalize your hanger with up to 14 characters. The artist, LilaFrances, is clearly an expert metal manipulator. A great choice for a light, simple, classic wedding dress.

Photo via LilaFrances on Etsy.com

If your dress has a little more oomph, you need a hanger that is stronger. Here is a lovely wooden hanger covered in silk, with cute little ties on each end to secure your dress straps.

Photo via Silayaya on Etsy.com

I also love these monogrammed padded woven hangers. The ribbon and monogram color are customizable - hello, wedding color palette! A hanger like this would look great with a vintage-looking ivory gown.

Photo via NutfieldWeaver on Etsy.com

If I could do it all again, which would I choose? Well, I think I would have to stay loyal to my favorite color, orange, which was also the accent color in my wedding color palette. Finding this orange satin dress hanger sent a momentary pang of longing through my heart and made me wish I knew how to use Photoshop. A to the Dorable.

Photo via Kim Grant, Ink on Etsy.com

Want to have a super cute dress photo? Get personalized hangers for your bridesmaids too! 

Which hanger is your favorite? What other creative wedding dress hangers or photo op options are out there? Leave a comment!

Cheers,

Adorable Wedding DIY: The Framily Tree

Yes, that's right: framily, not family! I had never heard of this idea before my Vermont couple's mother of the groom planned this for their wedding, and I think it is a brilliant idea that I hope future clients will want to use.

What it is: The "Framily Tree" is a DIY project that happens before or at the wedding, and is created by everyone - friends and family, get it? - in attendance.

A friend of the bride creates his Nilla likeness.

Tada! The completed Framily Tree. Could this be more adorable?

Why yes it could... cue ridiculously adorable bride and groom!

How to do it: You can use a variety of materials, but I do love this family's choice of cookies and frosting, which helped set the tone for this laid-back, colorful, personal, rustic Vermont wedding.  However, if you want to create a more sophisticated, lasting piece of wedding memorabilia, the Framily Tree can just as easily be made out of canvas, paper or fabric.

For this Framily Tree, the mother of the groom baked two rectangular sheets of cookie and frosted each of them in the shape of half a tree, so when put together they form one "framily" tree. Each wedding guest decorated a Nilla wafer in his or her likeness and placed the wafer on one of the branches on either the bride or groom's side of the tree.

Guests created the Alexander-Maragliano Framily Tree the night before the wedding. The Framily Tree would also make a great activity for the wedding day, in addition to or instead of a traditional guest book. 

Why we love it: Not only was the Framily Tree a fun and creative way for guests to engage in wedding DIY, but the end result was a super cute and appropriate addition to this wedding's colorful decor. This is also a fantastic activity for kids. The Framily Tree makes everyone feel young at heart!

Have you ever seen a Framily Tree before? Do you love it or do you love it? Leave a comment!

Cheers,

Gorgeous Gowns for Brides with Bumps

At AnyWay Weddings, we specialize in working with brides (and grooms!) who are in a time crunch. There are many reasons why a couple might not have all the time in the world to plan their nuptials, but I suspect that chief among them is having a bun in the oven.

It used to be that pregnant brides didn't have much of a choice when picking a wedding gown. Fortunately, as more brides decide to commence baby-makin' before walking down the aisle, wedding dress designers are starting to catch on and create gorgeous options for the glowing bumping bride.

In researching various maternity wedding dress options, I stumbled upon this lovely website: Jessica Iverson Maternity - a woman who not only designs gorgeous dresses but was also smart enough to buy the domain name "maternitybride.com" (I say, with my business hat on)! Jessica (is it me or does she have a striking resemblance to Naomi Watts?) was a pregnant bride herself, and clearly her experience shaped her vision for her gorgeous, affordable and eco-minded collection.

Here are my top three favorites from Jessica's stunning maternity collection:

1. The Astrea - I love the sheer straps here. Check out the beaded detail! It's difficult to see in these sun-drenched photos but the entire gown is beaded. Lovely.

The Astrea (this and all images via Maternity Bride by Jessica Iverson Couture)

The Astrea

2. The Felicia - The unexpected one-shoulder sheer strap makes this classic draped chiffon silhouette quite chic! I love how the trail of pearl-beading creates what Jessica calls a "floating bodice" effect (check out the detail shot). So unique!

The Felicia

The Felicia

3. The Julia - Fit for a princess! Who says that just because you're pregnant you can't feel like a princess on your wedding day? The details on this gown are exceptional. Check out the floral pickups, pleated organza hem, and the lace-up corset back.

The Julia

The Julia

Perhaps the best thing about gorgeous wedding dresses like these is that they are helping break down the stigma that has been attached to pregnant brides. Considering that brides with bumps are comprise a mayjah part of AnyWay Weddings' clientele, we are so excited to be seeing designers like Jessica rise in prominence.

Which gown is your favorite? 

Are you pregnant and planning a wedding? Contact us today!

Cheers,

The Decision to Go Sponsor-less: Are We Nuts?

Those of you are particularly astute blog-stalkers (I know you're out there... right?) will have noticed a little note I left in the right column last Friday. It reads:

As much as we could use the cash, we have decided that this blog will not seek sponsorship support. Any products or vendors that are mentioned on this blog are here because AWW ♥'s 'em. Are you nuts, you ask? Nope, we just like spotlighting things we love with no strings attached. Cheers!

Let us ponder the question contained therein (sans royal "we") for a moment. Am. I. NUTS?!

Back in the bygone days of my bridal blogging, a whole 23 months ago, there were a handful of beautiful wedding blogs out there. I mean, this was the era when Brooklyn Bride was still on Blogger. I feel so old!

Ahem. AnyWay, so there used to be a mere gaggle of wedding bloggers, and now - well, even the New York Times has recognized the wedding blog explosion! Wedding blogs have not only become an influential part of the multi-billion dollar wedding industry, they have become an industry all unto their own.

When I re-entered the wonderful world of wedding weblogs, I couldn't believe how professional everyone looked! The spun-sugary layouts. The jaw-dropping graphic design. The awe-inspiring photos. The oodles of sponsors. Holy moley, the $pon$or$! Ka. Ching.

Surely I am insane for not getting in on this action. After all, AWW is a budding business and, at least until time-crunched brides come knocking down our apartment office doors, I could use all the moolah I can get!

Here's the thing, the difference: I am not building my business around my blog. Kudos to those who are (check 'em out on my blogroll), because y'all are doing a fabulous job and I am inspired every day by the gorgeous presentation and fun content of your posts.

I am building a bridal advisory company, and the purpose of this blog is to compliment that. This blog is a marketing tool - another way to reach the masses, increase my web presence, and connect me with my future clients. Most importantly, this blog is a way for me to show my personality, share personal and professional tips, and post about things I like. I am making so many fun discoveries along my entrepreneurial journey, and I want to be able to share them genuinely, with no strings attached.

So whether I'm posting about Hanky Pankies or Google Kool-Aid, you can trust that I'm just being me. Even if it puts me in the poor house.

Would love to hear your thoughts - am I insane? Or does this actually make sense? Leave a comment!

Cheers,

Business Tip: Gulp the Google Kool-Aid

Starting a business on one of these? Join the club!

There have been some big changes at AWW lately, and it's been awhile since I've written about the business side of things, so here I am.

A week ago, I launched the new AnyWay Weddings website - including designing my own logo! Hotness! - and created an AWW Facebook page. I also updated my LinkedIn profile to reflect my new entrepreneurial venture and created a business page for AWW there too. Three VERY big and critical steps in cementing my budding business and making things official. 

The new AWW logos, designed by yours truly. What do you think?

 

Ah yes, I love being my own web developer, social media manager, graphic designer, marketeer, and CEO. (Actually, I kind of do love it. Because I am learning so much! Is that crazy?)

One lesson learned: putting one's business on Facebook is actually rather intimidating. I totally underestimated how official it would feel. After all, you can launch a website under the radar - but going on Facebook means putting yourself out there for all your friends to see and critique. Eek!

While I'm sure my new career is not a surprise to anyone - after all, my MBA classmates always teased me for browsing bridal bouquets during our three-hour international business lectures - it is rather nerve-wracking to have publicly declared myself a bride adviser. I received universally positive feedback on my business idea, my website, everything. Yet self-doubt still lingers: what if I never get another client? I want to be one of my MBA program's entrepreneurial success stories. More importantly, I want to be successful for myself, because I know I am great at this. But what if I never reach the tipping point?

Hold your horses! Take your own advice: stay present, stay positive. (And stop blog-talking to yourself. It's a little embarrassing.) Right-o.

AnyWay, while creating a Facebook page and LinkedIn business page were straightforward tasks that should be on every entrepreneur's to do list, revamping my website was not. Second lesson learned.

I liked my original AWW site. It had a cute pink floral design and offered all the features I needed. Only problem: I was using a free trial of a web-hosting service that would otherwise cost $19.95 per month. I am determined to do as much as I can for free and so was not going to pay to host my website. Not when there are so many different free services out there. But whom to choose?

Lucky for me, I have a brilliant friend who works at Google in London, who invited me to lunch a couple weeks ago. We had a great conversation about my budding biz, and my friend convinced me to gulp the Google Kool-Aid and take advantage of all the free services they offer to small businesses. He then went above and beyond and sent me an email that was approximately twelve pages long (or at least it felt that way) detailing every step to set up everything - email, website, advertising, you name it - through Google.

I won't bore you with every step (though please do contact me if you have questions!), but I will say this: moving each of the various parts of my business into Google's entrepreneurial zone was intricate and tricky. It was also an emotional rollercoaster. I was so afraid of making one wrong click that would have screwed everything up. And at first I was disappointed in the website templates, which actually turned out to be more flexible than I initially thought. In the end, it all worked out. I learned a ton about the way websites work - lessons that will surely be valuable to me in the future. And I am really happy with the new AWW. I think it looks about as good as any free website could. Check it out and see for yourself!

So I've gulped the Google-Aid and am all hooked up with a website, AWW email address, analytics, and advertising. Now I just have to connect with my target clientele: time-crunched brides.

I know you ladies are out there and I know you need my help. So get ready, AWW is coming soon to an Internet search near you!

Cheers and happy weekend,