I met Kim Horn, MBC last September at the Wedding MBA Conference. Among her many talents, Kim has great on-camera presence and knows her material.

That’s probably why TV Channel ABC 15, Phoenix, invites her, for a regular feature, to talk about weddings and her bridal show, Bridal Fashion Debut. The current show is scheduled for June 7th. 

The host does a great job of asking the questions, and Kim does an even better job of both answering, and giving commentary to a short fashion show within the segment. Kim’s easy of delivery makes for a great guest and wonderful spokesperson for Bridal Fashion Debut.

As an exhibitor that has invested in the show, one can’t begin to quantify the value of such effective public relations.

Kim Horn rocks. Outstanding!!

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

PS: Kudos also go to my friend, Ginia Lucas, YnotPartyRentals for providing flowers for the segment

written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: Andy Ebon, arizonabridalshow.com, az, communications, ginia lucas, kim horn, media relationships, Public Relations, Wedding Marketing Authority, WeddingMBA, yknot party rentals

I’m a huge Apple fan. Computers, iPhone and iPods. However, somewhere along the line, the mass media seemed to have decided that using an iPod at one’s wedding to save money was an idea whose time had come. Not exactly.

In the wake of the appearance on Fox 5 TV Chicago by Jenny Lefcourt, VP Business Development, Bella Pictures, many wedding professionals were up in arms. The phrase ‘Dump The DJ.’ had a particularly catchy and nasty ring to it. To Mobile DJ Entertainment Industry Leaders, it felt like a slap in the face of the highest order, and they were not going to stand for it.

Many professional disc jockeys contacted Bella Pictures, directly. The American Disc Jockey Association, led by Dr. Drax chose to apply pressure behind the scenes and develop its own video demonstrating the results at an actual iPod wedding. 

This video is several minutes long. It has a beautiful set up, and then shows you just exactly a DIY iPod Wedding crashes and burns. The iPod-driven reception is not staged. It is video from an actual reception. Just click on the controller play button (just below the screen) to see the clip.

More and more DJs around the country link to the ADJA informational page, and this clip, The Truth About iPod Weddings. Perhaps you should, too.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: Bella Pictures, DIY weddings, dump the dj, iPod wedding, Jenny Lefcourt, mobile disc jockey entertainment, wedding receptions

Pinocchio Syndrome

This interview starts calmly enough, with Wedding Channel Co-Founder and Bella Pictures Co-Founder and VP of Business Development, Jenny Lefcourt being interviewed by Fox 5 Chicago TV Personality, Jan Jeffcoat.

The segment is purportedly about ’saving money on your wedding in today’s economy. It quickly degenerates into a badly conceived infomercial for Bella Pictures, accompanied by a mish-mash of largely bad advice and misinformation about a whole range of choices to be made by the bride.

Fox’s Jeffcoat overly credits Lefcourt’s association with the Wedding Channel. That is a past incarnation, no longer current at the time of the interview. Lefcourt never corrects her, leaving some uncertainty as to whether she is a neutral expert or representing Bella Pictures.

After this interview aired, the Wedding Channel had to issue a firm disclaimer, stating clearly that Lefcourt was no longer associated with their firm, and they were in no way endorsing her on-air comments.

After a few days and a fair amount of heat from various directions Lefcourt wrote a very soft apology letter (pdf) (Dear Wedding Industry). The retraction is never as helpful as the original sin, however. It is clear (at least to me) that the interview (like most interviews) was prepped with talking points and planned questions. There is nothing spontaneous about the questions or answers. To suddenly have wedding industry professionals believe that, in retrospect, mistakes or misstatements were made, is pure bunk. It was not until outside pressure was applied, after the fact, that Lefcourt and Bella took even a half-step back.

I encourage you to view this two to three times to get the full effect of it. Please share this with every wedding professional you know. It is the worst kind of propaganda and disinformation. Things like this should never go unchallenged (more to follow).

Andy Ebon

The Wedding Marketing Authority

written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: advice, bad advice, Bella Pictures, Chicago, Fox 5 Chicago, Jenny Lefcourt, Misinformation, propaganda, wedding, Wedding Channel