Just view yet another Fox TV news piece (from this week) about saving money on weddings, accompanied by an article, on the MyFoxChicago website. It featured a friend of mine, Adam Weitz (ASharp Production) singing in a hybrid ‘band.’ Vocalist – DJ – Drummer. Interesting enough.

You can judge the other information, yourself.

My question is this: Why doesn’t any reporter ever talk about the connection between quality decisions, money spent, and achieving the desired result?

To me, a budget is established by finding out what products and services cost, in the real world, to achieve a desired result. It is not an announcement that states, “I have this much money (for everything or for one thing), period!”

Doing something on-the-cheap  achieves one absolute goal: Saving money. Unless a quality result occurs, there is insufficient value to get excited.

This is a distinction WITH a difference.

Andy Ebon

The Wedding Marketing Blog

written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: Adam Weisz, Andy Ebon, ASharp Productions, budget, Chicago, Fox TV, money saving, value, wedding, Wedding Marketing Authority

International Wedding Marketing Coverage

Sunday, June 14, 2009 – Las Vegas, NV:

Wedding Marketing Authority, Andy Ebon, announced today that The Wedding Marketing Blog is enhancing its discussion of wedding marketing to include many English-speaking countries around the world.

The Wedding Marketing Blog will add international announcements and news coverage of associations, meetings and conference, fam trips, wedding trade shows, wedding media and networking opportunities,

Andy Ebon commented “With the proliferation of Destination Weddings and the ease of internet communications, there is much one can learn from our contemporaries in all corners of the world. This is true of culture, wedding traditions, as well wedding marketing and business operations.

By expanding the world view of The Wedding Marketing Blog, we hope to shine a light on the great work wedding professionals are performing in many English-speaking countries.”

The initial group of countries receiving coverage, outside the United States, will include:

Companies, organizations and associations with specific news should submit press releases to andyebon [at] weddingmarketing.net

Joe Fabitz
The Wedding Marketing Blog

written by Joe Fabitz \\ tags: Andy Ebon, Australia, bridal shows, caribbean, communication, community, conferences, India, meetings, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, u.s. virgin islands, United Kingdom, United States, wedding culture, Wedding Marketing Authority, wedding marketing blog, Wedding Trade Shows, wedding traditions

Bride getting mixed signals

There is a separation in publishing and broadcasting between the advertising and editorial departments. This can become blurred on the local level, but on the national level, it’s a clear distinction.

Taken to its extreme, the messages from the editorial side can really undercut the message of its advertisers.

Beau Kramer (KramerDJs.com) read the post on Wedding Misinformation and added a link to a very unfortunate article on the MSNBC site, titled Planning A Wedding For Under $10,000. The most unfortunate part about this article is that the source is the editorial department of The Knot.

Two glaring examples that have no connection with reality are these:

“Photography: $500

Ways to save: Find a photographer who offers a la carte services so that you don’t have to pay for extras like editing, re-touching, and photo albums.
What we found: A Manhattan wedding photographer who’s running a “recession special” wedding photography package which includes four hours of shooting for $500.

Reception Music: $500
Ways to save: Find two-for-one package deals. For example, some DJs offer packages that include both the ceremony and reception. If you want live music, split the difference. Hire musicians to play for the ceremony and cocktail hour and then set up an iPod with dance music for the reception.

What we found: A guitarist and singer duo on Craigslist.com who would play for $500 for four hours. (Just be sure to listen to their sound samples before you sign any checks.)”

There are a few items of anecdotal, such as finding the guitarist and singer on Craigslist.com. These are isolated finds, and not necessarily quality finds.

There are two major problems with this:

To be at such cross purposes, must drive the advertising sales department out of its mind. Read the article to form your own opinion.

Dreadful, really.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: Andy Ebon, Beau Kramer, confused bride, Craigs List, disc jockey, DIY Bride, DIY weddings, Do It Yourself Weddings, iPod wedding, Kramer DJs, mixed signals, the knot, wedding DJ, Wedding Marketing Authority, wedding photography