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...