Surviving The Wedding Industry | Be Adaptable and Reach Out
I launched The Editor's Touch in April ... yeah, last month ;) The decision was one I hadn't planned on, but decided that if Style Unveiled had to end, I needed to assess what other strengths I have and how to use them to continue on in this amazing wedding industry.
Not even one week in, I received a form submission via my contact page and it said this:
You.Have.Got.To.Be.Kidding. LOL
Now, at first this comment was like a punch to the gut ... and then I realized that only bitter and angry people would take the time out of their day to send messages like that to someone who is doing the best they can with what they have. Only a sad soul would take the time to send something like that. And I looked at myself and said: do you believe in what you are doing? do you believe you are good at this? do you have full confidence that this is a role you can tackle and be successful with? Each answer was YES.
Do I have a point that can help you?
Gosh I hope so!! Haha!! Here's the thing: the wedding industry is a very small industry even though it feels VERY big ... and it's important to align yourself with other wedding pros who are a SUPPORTIVE presence and give you POSITIVE vibes. If you don't build relationships with other wedding pros and have a 'scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' mentality, then I'm sorry to say: you may not get very far :(
Relationship Builders That Can Make a Big Difference
If you are just starting out and are trying to make connections with local wedding pros in your area, it can feel really intimidating!! One of the things I always tried to do when I was the editor of Style Unveiled was introduce wedding professionals to each other ... putting together styled shoots and making sure that their reach was extended so that they were networking TOGETHER. So how can you do that on your own?
- Reach Out: research the wedding pros in your area and give them a call to see if meeting for lunch, seeing their office space, or inviting them to your venue would be of interest ... never hurts to try! You never know: reaching out to one wedding pro and realizing you have a real connection with each other may turn into 10 new referrals over the course of a year!
- Give Some Social Media Love: social media is a tool, I can't stress that enough ... find local wedding pros in your area and give them some online love! Tweet out how much you love their work, share their featured posts on your Pinterest pages, 'like' them on FB ... you never know what that can turn into ... perhaps a little love tossed back your way!
- Coordinate a Styled Shoot: What do wedding pros LOVE to do?? Create styled shoots! If you are filled with passion and have an amazing concept for a photo shoot you will want to invite the very best to be included! Goes back to reaching out ... keep calling local wedding pros until you hear a yes ... and show them with your actions how awesome you are!
- Send Gifts: Ok, srsly has this ever failed?? Minted sent me a box of their gorgeous wedding invitations and my Instagram page has never been prettier ... do you bake yummy wedding cakes and are looking for a way to get the word out? No better way than to bake up some goodies and send them to local wedding pros who can refer you ... send evidence and it will be hard to ignore.
Be Adaptable
If there is one thing that is ever changing, it's weddings ... if you are a wedding professional, then learning to be adaptable and learning how to make small changes QUICKLY is going to be one of your best assets. For instance, if you designed your logo during the years when attracting a boho or shabby chic bride was important (since that was a huge trend) and you haven't changed it since ... probably a good time to sit down with your designer and think about what your logo should say about your company today. If your website is filled with the trendy color from 4 years ago, maybe time to do a little update and adapt to what brides are attracted to today. Change is a GOOD thing!! I personally thrive on a bit of change ... keeps me on my toes ;)
XO~ Heather
