November Newsletter

We're Heading South! -- Don't Miss Great Food, Brides, Networking, Great Music, Photos, Prizes,  & more! Connecting Brides and Wedding Professionals through Social Tools and Bridal Events!

In This Issue   November Invite   Meet the Board   Networking Schedule   New Members   Testimonials   Mozambique Fashion Shoot   Quinceanera Show Info Meet the Advisors Beth DeGiacomo Debbie Christensen Jacob Austell Zakia Radwan Cindy Lieber -- Founder  New Members Welcome to our November new and renewal Members (so far) .... White Feathers Events Red Carpet Makeovers Cinderella Cakes Lakewood Country Club Champagne Bronze Dana Point Harbor Inn Networking Schedule Nov 20 -- Dana Point Yacht Club Dec 18 -- Invisible Touch Events - Irvine Jan 14 -- Lakewood Country Club We are in the midst of planning more special events for 2014.  If you are a venue or know of a venue that would like to host a Bridal Networking Event, please contact me! Networking Tip 3 key tips to "staying connected" 1) Create a list or group  of some kind (on every social platform you're active on) and place your current customers within this group/list... and more importantly, make a concise effort to engage/share/connect/add-value/etc with them at least 3 times a week... make it personal to them (i.e. quit the sales messages) 2) LISTEN, LEARN, ACT. Staying connected doesn't mean that you have to continually push out messages to your audience. As we all know from networking, letting the other person talk whilst you listen is good etiquette. And it provides you with a better platform to respond and add value. 3) You have to care. I cannot stress enough how important it is for you stay connected only if you care. In the Social Era it is so easy to spot falseness in peoples engagement and activity. If you don't care enough to stay connected, don't chase the initial connection in the first place, as this provides no value for either party involved. I hope this helps you, entertains you, or sparks the energy in you to re-connect with your social connections. Kevin Hudson - Social Media Today Read More... November Bridal Networking Event 11-20-13 New Member Dana Point Harbor Inn is offering all Networking Event attendees a highly discounted rate of $69.99!  Come down and stay the night! Featured Venue: Dana Point Yacht Club  DPYC offers you the picture perfect setting with spectacular views of DanaPointHarbor, the surrounding bluffs and the Pacific Ocean. This is the ideal venue to enhance the magic and splendor of any special event! Trouble with Images?   Click for More Info ... Bridal Fashion Shoot at Mozambique OC Brides produced a bridal fashion show brunch at the new rooftop Veranda at Mozambique Laguna Beach.  This new oceanview venue is now open for intimate weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, and more. Thanks to Jacob Austell Photography, Mary Me Bridal, and Exotica Designs, it was a beautiful gathering. Bride Natalie Chavez won a Free Ceremony or Appetizer Reception from Mozambique! Wanting to Break into the Quinceanera Market? The Biggest Expo in LA County!  SUNDAY FEBRUARY 23rd, 2014 11am-6pm      Cindy Lieber   (714) 970-6380   Cindy@OCBrides.com

http://www.icontact-archive.com/JLd7DmBLlIjGAHOX3D5XNYWAfz7QzCzu?w=2

April Newsletter

Connecting Brides and Wedding Professionals through Social Tools and Bridal Events!

In This Issue   April Networking   eBook for Members   Meet the Board   Networking Schedule   New Members   Save the Date in May Networking Tips OC Brides eBook Hey Members ...  OC Brides is publishing an ebook written by it's members. Are you interested in participating? This eBook will be distributed to members to give to their brides.  Brides will LOVE the tips our members offer them in their wedding planning journey and they will love YOU for gifting them this eBook. This is a great way to build your contact list.  Offer them the free eBook when joining your mailing list! Contact Cindy@ocbrides.com for more info! Meet the Advisors Grace Teran Beth DeGiacomo Debbie Christensen Dave Greenwood Jacob Austell Zakia Radwan Cindy Lieber -- Founder  New Members Welcome to our April new and renewal Members (so far) .... Flowery of Irvine BKM Photography Origami Owl -- Jennifer McCoy Stella and Dot Jacob Austell Photogrpahy Taylor Made Events Mi California Pollos Networking Schedule April 24 --  Skylinks Golf Course May 22 -- OC Plaza Irvine June 19 -- Diamond Bar Golf Course Diamond Bar Center -- Summer We are in the midst of planning many special events for 2013.  If you are a venue or know of a venue that would like to host a Bridal Networking Event, please contact me! OC Brides Bridal Networking Event 4-24-13 Spring Bling Featured Location:  SkyLinks Golf Course Long Beach Event Sponsors include: Skylinks Golf Course  Amazing Cake Creations  MIJO Entertainment    Woody Woods Photography Memory Lane Videography Viral Booth LA Photobooths  Elegant Wind Waves Memory Lane Events LLC White Feathers Events  Diana & Company Jewelry Designs Premier Bridal Shows Amazing Acrylic St. Patrick's Travel Origami Owl Red Carpet Makeovers Arbonne Prepaid PRICING ENDS 12pm 4-24 $20 at the door   Save the Date:  Vintage Glam at Crevier Classic Cars 5-22-13 We love finding hidden gems, new and unusual venues for our wedding professionals to check out!  This site offers unique classic cars in the midst of your special event!      Cindy Lieber   (714) 970-6380   Cindy@OCBrides.com

http://www.icontact-archive.com/JLd7DmBLlIjGAHOX3D5XNbNYMNfm8v7w?w=2

Keep Your Credit Score in Good Standing

Anatomy of Your Credit Score

All of your debts, payments, credit card accounts and other financial history are distilled down into one number, your FICO credit score. All of the credit agencies calculate a score between 300 (extremely poor creditworthiness) and 850 (perfect credit). The average score is roughly 710. Your credit score may be used to determine the approval or denial of car loans, mortgages and other major credit purchases, as well as the interest rates available to you. Many individuals do not know their score or how it is calculated. Understanding what a credit score is made of will help you improve your score.

• The highest percentage, 35%, of your score is determined by payment history. Missing payments or frequently paying bills late will drastically lower your score. The good news is, FICO favors recent activity, so you can improve your score by making timely payments or working out payments plans that suit your budget.
• 30% of the FICO score is based on how much money you owe versus how much credit is available to you. Someone close to maxing out his or her credit cards is seen as a higher risk of default.
• 15% of your credit score is based on the length of your credit history. The longer your credit history the better.
• The type of credit you use determines 10% of the FICO score. Having many different types of credit, including mortgages, credit cards, car loans, revolving and installment credit, will generate a higher score.

• 10% of your FICO score includes searches for credit. Applying for many different types of credit over a short period of time can lower your score. Rate shopping for one specific type of loan should not have much impact on your score.  

If you need any assistance dealing with inaccurate information on your credit report or have questions, visit My LegalShield Associate

Getting On The Preferred Vendors List

  by Rick Brewer

I often hear from people that the #1 effective marketing resource of Brides who sign a contract with them is word of mouth. You won’t get an argument out of me that word of mouth is the most powerful marketing out there. When a prospect who hasn’t done business with you comes to you “warmed up” by someone else who has built or earned the trust with the prospect, you have a substantially higher potential that the trust will be passed on to you. Here is the key; more trust = higher chance of gaining a new customer. That is why word of mouth is such an effective method of marketing.

The problem for wedding professionals with word of mouth is that few if any have a solid strategy on 1) how to get the leads coming in the first place (most are accidental, not a planned response by the person gaining the leads- simply a nice action by the referrer of the leads) and 2) how to keep the leads flowing. (they simply don’t get enough or get them on a regular basis)

Fact is, there are many wedding businesses that have a steady stream of Brides coming through their doors due to the effective marketing they have done. Perhaps that marketing is through paid sources or because they have been doing it for a long time, nevertheless, they have Brides coming through their doors who may not have purchased what you sell.

This is no big, wild, hairy secret.

In fact, everyday of the week, there are wedding vendors who walk into these venues and bridal salons who have spent the time, money and energy to make their marketing work with a big stack of business cards and brochures. These vendors are expecting that because they have stumbled across the idea of putting their stuff out there, these sources of Brides (bridal salons and venues) will not only embrace them with open arms, but will trumpet their arrival. What usually happens is not what the hopeful referred (the vendor) wants to happen; their cards and brochures get set aside (sometimes trashed) because the salon or venue has no reason to refer them. It takes more than simply dropping off some cards to ride the coattails of their effective marketing.

There are techniques that work and there are techniques that do not. If you were to maximize both sets of these techniques, your business would stand a dramatic increase in not just signed contracts but also would be getting those contracts at the lowest investment out there in your marketing dollars.

(that’s right- spend less money to get more clients. No joke-it happens all the time)

http://theweddingmastermind.com/get-on-the-list

I have worked one on one with some of the best in the industry who have truly mastered these techniques. Further, I have been able to sit with both hundreds of Bridal salons and reception sites to find out what it takes to get on their preferred vendors list. You may be surprised at what it takes to get on their lists (and even more surprised at what it takes to stay on the list and actually get referred).

That is why I compiled my latest, “Getting on the preferred vendors list. The 10 things to do and the 11 things to NEVER do for more word of mouth business)

http://theweddingmastermind.com/get-on-the-list

This CD is being offered at an introductory price (click the above link to see) then it will go to the regular price of $39 (worth that and much more, but much less if you act in the next three weeks- by the way this is something you will want to act on now because getting on the list is not an immediate thing and you will need to start the process so you are there when the new crop of Brides start to shop for their weddings)

Source:  Rick Brewer, Get More Brides  www.getmorebrides.com 

        

White Night Party

What fun we had at the White Night Party in Santa Monica Tuesday evening.  Premier Bridal Shows and I took the hour and a half treck out to a quaint little bakery in Santa Monica.  On the way we were trying to figure out what the White Night theme and dressing in all white was all about.

We arrived at a little bakery called The Butter End Bakery located behind a skate shop.  I must admit it was kind of hard to find.  We actually parked right around the corner to get look up directions, drove around in a circle and wound up parking right where we were.

We were a little early but still registered and went in.  Everyone was so friendly, coming up to us and introducing themselves. Reminded me of our own OC Brides events!  It was very comfortable.  It was nice to meet some new acquaintances such as Magdalena from the Chamber of Commerce and Chef Jaydene. And of course it was oh so great seeing some old friends such as DJ Danno, Smile Lounge Photobooths,  and Molly Ann of Luminaire Images!  I finally had the honor of meeting Rene Strauss of Rene Strauss for the Platinum Bride.

Smile Lounge Photobooth

So what's the deal with the all white theme?  Apparently this is big on the East coast.   We don't think much of it here in always sunny So Cal, but you aren't supposed to wear white after Labor Day so folks back East have White Night parties just before Labor Day!  What a fun concept!

The awesome food was prepared by Made by Meg with lots of vegetarian options!  The warm puff pastries with brie cheese and white chocolate were amazing and so were the endive blue cheese bites!

Photo by Jen O'Sulivan

Here are some of the beautiful cakes on display that evening.  What's your favorite?