| ADVERTISER REMINDERS |
|
Contact Jaime for a current customer contact list
|
| PWG FAMILY JANUARY BIRTHDAYS |
 |
1/10 Bonita Fleming
Greensboro CVB
1/11 Charity Christensen
The Pampered Chef
1/19 Sandra Henderson
Fusion Fotografix
1/19 Becki Dickinson
Becki Dickinson Photography
|
| NEW MESSAGE BOARDS |
|
JOB MESSAGE BOARD
Looking for an employee? Need a job?
SUPPLIES MESSAGE BOARDOur version of Craigslist. Buy/sell/trade wedding and business products. Find someone to make a joint purchase in bulk to help save on the cost.
|
12 MONTHS!
12 WINNERS!  |
Perfect Wedding Guide is joining with several of our advertisers to provide some great giveaways to brides in 2010. A bride will be chosen to win a prize each month. Share this with your brides! |
|
|
100K FANTASY GIVEAWAY!  |
On December 18, 2009, Perfect Wedding Guide surprised Jaclyn Binder of Kansas as the winner of their $100K Fantasy Wedding. Binder and her fiancé will receive a prize package of an all-expense paid 2010 wedding ceremony and reception at Emerald at Queensridge in Las Vegas, as well as everything they need to create their fantasy wedding-including bridal attire and formalwear, jewelry, a custom wedding cake and more! Watch the news coverage video of the surprise here. |
|
|
| CONTACT US |
|
|
| |
|
Greetings!
We hope this letter finds you in good spirits and ready to take on 2010!! Perfect Wedding Guide is ready to go! We have great things in store for the New Year. All for you and our mission...
"Connecting Brides to Your Business."
If there is ever anything we, at Perfect Wedding Guide, can do for you, please don't hesitate to contact us anytime. We're invested in your success and we're here to help!
Gail Galloway
Publisher
|
| New Issue & Summer Closing Date |
 Our new Spring issue will be here within a week or so. We will then begin the process of getting copies out to our 280 plus distribution locations in the Triad and Triangle. If you'd like to have our convenient buyer's guide to give to your brides, just let us know.
All new ads and changes for the Summer 10 issue need to be submitted to Jaime no later than Monday, April 5th.
Email Jaime or call 336.676.9631 to get an artwork spec sheet and production fees. Changes cannot be accepted after this date.
|
| 2010 Triad/Triangle Wedding Market Forecast & National Trends |
Estimated number of weddings: 27,660
Estimated spending per wedding average: $24,524
- Couples will want simple yet elegant events at a lower cost. They will choose DIY (do it yourself) and thriftiness as a way to cut cost
- DIY is bigger than ever and will continue to increase on items from Invitations to flowers
- From the dress to shoes, vintage will be in big demand
- June 2010 will be busier than normal. Couples that put off their 2009 June wedding, because of the recession have booked for June 2010
- Candy buffets will be very hot
- Warm, bright, bold, and vibrate color tones are in for 2010
- In vintage style, black and white photography shots will be in higher demand
- While it hasn't gone mainstream, video streamed live weddings will continue to gain interest
- Tungsten is the hot metal for 2010, couples are looking for both engagement rings and wedding bands in tungsten
- As with 2009, couples will continue to want package deals over a la carte
- As with 2009, couples will continue to rely on family and friends to save money
- As with 2009, we will continue to see smaller weddings with fewer guests
As an advertiser of Perfect Wedding Guide, you are entitled to a free year's subscription to The Wedding Report. With so many people making decisions based on what they FEEL, we want you to make decisions based on what you KNOW! Perfect Wedding Guide continues to bring wedding professionals useful and accurate information to help you make critical business decisions for your company. Contact Jaime for your login. |
| 363 New Leads |
|
363 new bridal leads were added to the PWG database in December! More to come in the prime planning months Jan-Apr!
Are you taking advantage of all the ways PWG provides advertisers to place businesses in front of those brides? Currently, there is very little competition in the bride's mailbox. Postcards, letters, flyers and media kits are a great way to get her attention.
With the most sophisticated database of leads in the Triad and Triangle, you can connect with brides 24 hours a day/7 days a week through your own login and email blasts.
If you would like rates and information on our three part marketing program which comes with every ad please contact Gail or call 336-676-9631. Ask about our new packages which include the marketing program, a bridal show booth, and Guild luncheon. |
| New PWG Web Badges Are Here |
|
We now have new PWG badges for your use! Simply click here to access the HTML tags you can use on your website. Step 1. Select the desired badge options (i.e. type, size, color) Step 2. Submit the form from the link above.
You can use one badge or more depending on what you'd like to provide to brides. At the very least, all PWG advertisers should look to use the "advertiser" badge to promote that you are indeed an advertiser with Perfect Wedding Guide!
The additional badges are simply available for you to provide your brides with planning tools to help her plan her wedding. Look at it as a gift from you to brides! You can choose one or several. Step 3. View a preview of the badge, and copy and paste the HTML source code into any website that you desire. If you need another badge, simply click the "Create New Code" button.
If you have any questions please contact Jaime.
|
| Basic Strategy Questions for Wedding Bloggers |
from Social Media Consulting for the Wedding and Event Industries :: Splendid Communications by Liene Stevens
Here are some predictions for things that are going to happen in the online media space in 2010: many more wedding professionals will venture off of Facebook and start a blog and join Twitter. Many will do it without a clear strategy and then announce that social media just doesn't work for them and is too distracting. While it's true that social media can be a distraction, it is truly only one if you let it be. Here are some questions to answer to help you develop a basic strategy to help you make the most of the resources you spend on social media, specifically your blog since that is the one that will outlast the other outlets and does more for your business in the long run. Below each question, I'll also include an example of how that question applies to Splendid Communications: 1. Why are you blogging?To improve your writing and the way you communicate? To make money? If so, is it primarily directly (ad sales, vendor directories, etc) or indirectly (book deals, a TV show, as a vetting source for potential clients, etc)? Is it to convey your personality to potential clients and colleagues? To expand your brand recognition through press mentions and speaking engagements? Spend some time really fleshing out why you are writing a blog for your business. |
| Good Web Design Goes a Long Way |
 By Lisa Wehr, founder/CEO, Oneupweb
Your Web site is the window into your business's soul. It's your brand's identity, so if the design isn't measuring up, it's going to drive people away rather than invite them inside.
Regardless of whether you employ the most talented staff in today's working world, if your Web site or social media profiles don't employ good marketing design, you're losing business.
How can you ensure that your site's design is making the cut? Follow these important guidelines to find out:
Style and tone must match brand personality. You need to establish a personality that is unique to your brand. If you're a flower delivery business, you probably wouldn't want a black-and-brown Website that uses a cryptic font.
Why? Because unless you're a rare exception to the rule, it doesn't match the brand personality that's commonly associated with floral gift arrangements.
But that's not to say that all flower shops should be pink, green and bubbly. Use your brand personality to establish a style and tone, and use this as a core for designing your Website and social media profiles. This will ensure that your business maintains a credible, professional appearance and as a result, will typically result in a greater number of sales.
Be organized. Your site must be organized so that people can easily navigate through it. Be sure that your main navigation links and sub-navigation links are straightforward. If you own a clothing store, your main navigation links may be "men's" and "women's," and sub-navigation may include age, styles, seasons, etc. If you're not sure whether your site is organized well, conduct a trial run with a focus group.
Be functional. Nothing screams unprofessional like a site with links or other features that don't work. Be sure that both internal and external links function properly and direct the user to where they say they'll be directed. If they don't, you'll undoubtedly lose customers and business.
Ease of purchase. People should not have to jump through hoops to buy something from your site. The fewer the clicks it takes to get to check-out, the better.
If there is ever anything we, at Perfect Wedding Guide can do for you, please don't hesitate to contact us anytime. We're happy to help! |
| Happenings in the Industry |
| Congratulations to Barbara Ovittore of Scully Travel for being appointed in November as the New North Carolina-Central OSSN Director! She also performed her 1st wedding ceremony in December for one of her couples.
|
| PWG Family |
Welcome to the new members of the PWG Family
Ardyss International
B' Sweet Events
Croasdaile Country Club
John Leonard Photography
Magnet America
Piedmont Catering
The Pampered Chef - Charity Christensen
We are equally thrilled with our friends who have renewed their marketing
4 Moons Travel
A&T Alumni Event Center
Belmont Events
Complete Music
Cover Me Perfect
CSM Video Productions
Dewey's
Durham Marriott Convention Center
Flowers by Gary
Gardens at Gray Gables
Henderson Photography
Kress Terrace
Marriott Crabtree Valley
Mary Kay - Teresa Martin
Nick Peluso Inc.
Poetic Reality Photography
Rosa Lee Manor
Scully Travel
Twin City Quarter
Visions Catering
| |
|
|
|
